The United Arab Emirate's new president, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, met his French and British counterparts Sunday as world leaders offered congratulations and paid tribute to his late predecessor.
French President Emmanuel Macron was the first of a number of Western leaders to meet the long-time de facto ruler of the Gulf state, who was appointed on Saturday, a day after the death of his ailing half-brother Sheikh Khalifa, on the maiden foreign trip of his second term.
He was followed by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who offered his condolences on Sheikh Khalifa's death and his congratulations on the presidency, an official told AFP. Queen Elizabeth II sent her congratulations.
Israel's president and king of Spain were scheduled to meet Sheikh Mohamed on Sunday, with US Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken due on Monday.
Due to its wealth, oil resources and strategic location, the high-level visits reflect the increased influence of the UAE in the Middle East and further afield.
The guest list also included Qatar's emir, Bahrain's king and the Palestinian, German and Indonesian presidents, among more than 20 senior figures.
Sheikh Mohamed, 61, has been controlling the levers of power since 2014 when Sheikh Khalifa, his 73-year-old half-brother, was sidelined by a stroke. The cause of his death was not announced.
Under Sheikh Mohamed's low-key direction, the wealthy UAE has emerged as a leader of a reshaped Middle East, forging ties with Israel and joining a Saudi-led war against Iran-backed rebels in Yemen.
His close ally, Saudi Arabia's de facto leader Mohammed bin Salman, called to congratulate him and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who sent his congratulations, and said he would work to deepen the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.
Sheikh Mohamed was chosen to lead the government of the desert state in a unanimous vote on Saturday by the leaders of the country's seven emirates, as had been widely expected.
The country is in a half-mast and has 40 days of mourning for Sheikh Khalifa, who took over in 2004 after the death of his father, founding president Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan.
In his talks with Sheikh Mohamed, Macron expressed his sincere condolences to his family and the people over Sheikh Khalifa's death, according to the French presidential office.
The United Arab Emirates are a strategic partner for France, and this is borne out by the degree of cooperation in areas as varied as defence, culture and education, it added.
Blinken and Harris visit on Monday could help repair ties that have been strained since US President Joe Biden replaced Donald Trump in the White House.
The two sides have been at odds over issues including Abu Dhabi's refusal to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine and Washington's reopening of nuclear talks with Iran, long accused by Gulf states of creating regional chaos.
Macron and Johnson made their second visits to Abu Dhabi in recent months.
Johnson's visit to the UAE and Saudi Arabia in March failed to convince them to pump more oil after Russia's war in Ukraine caused markets to go into turmoil.
During Macron's previous visit in December, the UAE signed a 14 billion-euro contract for 80 Rafale warplanes.