It is widely held that the young firebrand Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman (MBS) of Saudi Arabia embodies the assertive stance of oil-rich Gulf state potentates. But those in the know point to Jared Kushner’s best buddy, 58-year-old Mohammed bin Zayed (MBZ) of the United Arab Emirates as the real éminence grise behind the projection of authoritarian oil power. MBZ is known, not affectionately, as ‘the sword of the Gulf’ and the man behind the transformation of the UAE into a militaristic ‘little Sparta’.
He rose to power with the help of his mother, the wily ‘favoured wife’ of Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founding father of the UAE. MBZ, Zayed’s third son, is the current linchpin of the ruling Al Nahyan family, holding together the complex structure of seven emirates stretching along the Persian Gulf. He used his role as Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and control over the UAE military (he is Sandhurst-trained) to make himself de facto ruler. He replaced his half-brother Khalifa (the oldest son and still nominally UAE President) who was sidelined by a stroke in 2014. MBZ’s control of the army has been crucial, as it plays a key role in the economy, channelling carbon wealth to the less-endowed Emirates. In a system of feudal tribalism with no fixed rules of succession (often settled through murderous plotting) MBZ’s success is no small feat.
