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 authoritar-
ian oil power. MBZ is known, not affec-
tionately, 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 found-
ing father of the UAE. MBZ, Zayed’s
third son, is the current linchpin ofthe 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, channel-
ling 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.
Under MBZ the Emirates have become
an important part of the aggressive
anti-Iran coalition led by neighbour-
ing Saudi Arabia’s slightly unhinged
Prince bin Salman of Khashoggi murder
fame. While MBS loves centre stage, his
subtler mentor MBZ prefers to work in
the shadows, involving the UAE as a key
player in the brutal war in Yemen and
spreading martial influence no matter
the collateral damage on civilian lives. He
has made common cause with the Saudis
and the delightful Field Marshal el-Sisi
in Cairo to launch an embargo against
Qatar, which is considered too close to
Iran for Donald Trump’s taste. MBZ is
rumoured to be behind the removal of US
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson for beingsoft on the Qataris. He also involved the
UAE in supplying weapons to renegade
Libyan warlord Khalifa Haftar and is
heavily invested in Algeria and Sudan’s
attempts to quash freedom movements
in favour of the model of choice: military
dictatorship.
Aside from being a brother-in-arms
to the Saudi Prince, MBZ presides over
a similarly remorseless system of sharia
law replete with punishments such as
amputation, whipping and stoning.
Homosexuality and apostasy are punish-
able by death and forced disappearances,
secret detention centres and torture are
commonplace. But it’s not all old school- the system is underpinned with the
best surveillance technology oil and gas
money can buy (worth $1.3 billion in
2016). The Emiratis have a cybercrime
law that can result in even the mildest
dissenter in the crowbar hotel being sub-
jected to unrestrained interrogation and
long sentences. In Abu Dhabi, the Israeli-
installed Falcon Eye surveillance system
keeps track of all public doings.
MBZ is disdainful of the old Bedouin
values of hospitality and freedom to
move, finding them archaic for one of
the most urbanized societies on earth.
For him it’s all the totems of modernity:
skyscrapers, healthy trade balances, the
latest remote weapons and surveillance
systems, local billion-dollar branches of
the Louvre and Guggenheim museums.
But democracy doesn’t make the cut. The
advisory National Federal Council that is
partially elected by a 6,689-member elec-
toral college is as close as it gets. The UAE
population exceeds nine million. O
LOW CUNNING: Orwell move over.
MBZ and his coterie have launched ‘a hap-
piness offensive’ to convince the world that
carbon money can buy happiness. The UAE
has a Centre for Happiness Research, 60
happiness and positivity officers, happiness
patrols and even a Ministry of Happiness.
It is unclear if happiness extends to non-
Emiratis (82 per cent of the population) who
do most of the kingdom’s work.SENSE OF HUMOUR: UAE’s four
gender equality awards for 2018 were all
won by men.Sources: The New York Times; Los Angeles Times;
Al Jazeera; TRT World; Middle East Eye; Institut
Montaigne; muslimmatters.org; The Guardian; BBC.HALL OF
INFAMY
MOHAMMED BIN ZAYED
AL NAHYAN
JOB: De facto ruler of the United Arab
Emirates
REPUTATION: Wealthy feudalist with
imperial ambition72 NEW INTERNATIONALISTMIKHAILL METZEL/TASS/ALAMY