The Élysée has announced that Emmanuel Macron will travel to Abu Dhabi on Sunday May 15 to pay tribute to the President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan, who died on Friday May 13 at the age of 73. This trip is not without consequences on the agenda of Prime Minister Jean Castex, who will not go to the Vatican as planned, the two chief executives not being able to be outside the territory at the same time.
With this trip, the French Head of State intends “to express his support for his brother, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed Ben Zayed al-Nahyan, as well as the rest of the family and all the Emirati people”. , said the presidency. Emmanuel Macron spoke on Friday with Sheikh Mohammed, known as MBZ, half-brother of the deceased. Rarely seen in public since a stroke in January 2014, Sheikh Khalifa should soon be replaced by MBZ, already considered the de facto leader of this rich Gulf oil monarchy.
As a reminder, Emmanuel Macron made a visit to the Emirates in December 2021, during which he visited the World Expo in Dubai and supervised the signing of several contracts, including one for the supply of 80 Rafale fighter planes, a record order for the fighter plane which entered service in 2004. After this interlude, the President of the Republic should return to Paris very quickly while the appointment of a new Prime Minister, followed by that of the government, is expected in beginning of the week.
