France's President Emmanuel Macron (R) offering his condolences to Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, President of the UAE on Sunday — AFP ABU DHABI, May 15 (AFP): The UAE's new president Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan held talks Sunday with French counterpart Emmanuel Macron as world leaders streamed in to Abu Dhabi to pay tribute to his predecessor.
Macron, who was re-elected this month, expressed his condolences to Sheikh Mohamed following the death of his half-brother Sheikh Khalifa, who died on Friday following a long illness.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, US Vice President Kamala Harris, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Israeli President Isaac Herzog are also expected to arrive in Abu Dhabi, capital of the oil-rich United Arab Emirates, on Sunday and Monday.
Sheikh Mohamed, the UAE's long-time de facto ruler during Sheikh Khalifa's illness, was chosen to lead the desert state in a unanimous vote by leaders of the country's seven emirates on Saturday.
Often known by his initials "MBZ", took a leading role after Sheikh Khalifa retreated from public view in 2014, when he had surgery after a stroke. The cause of his death was not announced.
Presidents and monarchs from Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Oman and Tunisia, and Sudan's de facto leader, were among a long line of dignitaries to offer their condolences on Saturday.
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