Opec member the United Arab Emirates on Friday entered a new era following the death of President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan,paving the way for his younger half-brother-the country's de-facto ruler-to succeed him.The transition to Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed-presently the crown prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE's Armed Forces-is expected to be smooth,analysts said.Sheikh Mohammed,commonly referred to as MBZ,has run the UAE's day-to-day affairs since early 2014,when his older brother suffered a stroke from which he never fully recovered.Born in 1961,MBZ comes from a younger,more dynamic generation of Gulf leaders who are shaking up old structures and processes in their countries to improve their global competitiveness.In Saudi Arabia,the de facto ruler is Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman,while Qatar is ruled by Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani.Both are in their 30s.
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