Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, announced on Sunday that he has appointed his son, the crown prince of the emirate, as the Deputy Prime Minister and defense minister of the United Arab Emirates in a cabinet reshuffle.
“In a cabinet reshuffle, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has joined the UAE government as Deputy Prime Minister and has been assigned the role of Minister of Defence,” Sheikh Mohammed, who serves as the UAE’s prime minister, stated on X.
Sheikh Hamdan, aged 41, is the second son of Sheikh Mohammed and has held the position of crown prince of Dubai since 2008.
He completed his education in 2001 at Britain’s prestigious Sandhurst military college and assumed the role of chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai in 2006, overseeing strategic development plans in the emirate.
His father, Sheikh Mohammed, has served as the UAE’s defense minister since the nation’s establishment in 1971, when he was only 22 years old.
In a minor cabinet reshuffle, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the foreign minister, was also appointed as a deputy prime minister.
The reshuffle included changes to several other ministerial positions and the consolidation of ministries.
As one of the world’s leading oil producers and a key ally of the United States, Russia, and China, the UAE has emerged as a significant power in the Middle East.
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