Vice President of the United Arab Emirates
Generated by GPT-5-miniExpansion Funnel Raw 70 → Dedup 0 → NER 0 → Enqueued 0
| Vice President of the United Arab Emirates | |
|---|---|
 Abdulla Mohammed Al Maainah · Public domain · source | |
| Post | Vice President of the United Arab Emirates |
| Native name | نائب رئيس دولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة |
| Flagcaption | Flag of the United Arab Emirates |
| Incumbent | Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan |
| Incumbentsince | 14 May 2024 |
| Seat | Abu Dhabi |
| Style | His Excellency |
| Appointer | Presidential Federal Supreme Council |
| Formation | 2 December 1971 |
| Inaugural | Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum |
Vice President of the United Arab Emirates is a senior constitutional office in the United Arab Emirates established at federation in 1971, often held concurrently by a ruler of an Emirate. The office functions within the federal institutions alongside the President of the United Arab Emirates, the Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, and the Federal National Council, and has been occupied by members of ruling families such as the Al Nahyan family and the Al Maktoum family.
Role and Responsibilities
The Vice President participates in collective decisions of the Federal Supreme Council, represents the federation on state visits alongside the President of the United Arab Emirates, and signs federal decrees and appointments in coordination with the Council of Ministers, the Supreme Court, and the Federal National Council. The holder frequently chairs committees linked to national strategy alongside officials from Abu Dhabi Global Market, Dubai International Financial Centre, Emirates airline, Mubadala Investment Company, and engages with counterparts from the Gulf Cooperation Council, the Arab League, the United Nations, the European Union, the United States, and the People's Republic of China.
Appointment and Term
The Vice President is appointed by the Federal Supreme Council, typically drawn from the rulers of constituent emirates such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah, and Umm Al Quwain. Appointments have followed agreements among dynasties including the Al Nahyan family and the Al Maktoum family, and have been contemporaneous with selections of the President of the United Arab Emirates and the Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates. Terms are not fixed by periodic popular elections like those for the Federal National Council; rather, tenure depends on the confidence of the Federal Supreme Council and customary practice exemplified by past officeholders such as Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
Constitutional and Legal Framework
The office is defined in the Constitution of the United Arab Emirates adopted in 1971 and amended in sessions involving the Federal Supreme Council and legal opinions from the Federal Supreme Court. Responsibilities and prerogatives interface with instruments like federal decrees, ministerial decisions from the Ministry of Presidential Affairs (UAE), protocols with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (UAE), and legislation emanating from the Federal National Council. The constitutional text situates the Vice President within the federation’s power-sharing architecture established by rulers including Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum and Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan at the founding conference alongside representatives from Qatar and Bahrain in broader Gulf diplomacy such as the Gulf Cooperation Council formation.
Historical Officeholders
Since 1971 the office has been held by members of prominent families and statesmen including Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. These figures interacted with international leaders including Queen Elizabeth II, Bill Clinton, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Emmanuel Macron, and Angela Merkel in bilateral forums and multilateral summits such as the United Nations General Assembly, the Arab League Summit, the GCC Summit, and the World Economic Forum. Officeholders have also overseen state enterprises like Emirates airline, Etihad Airways, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, and investment vehicles like Abu Dhabi Investment Authority and Mubadala.
Powers and Relationship with the President and Prime Minister
The Vice President’s powers operate in concert with the President of the United Arab Emirates and the Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates under constitutional allocation. Practically, the officeholder coordinates policy with ministers such as the Minister of Foreign Affairs (UAE), the Minister of Presidential Affairs (UAE), and the Minister of Finance (UAE), and liaises with federal agencies like the Central Bank of the UAE and regulators at the Dubai International Financial Centre and Abu Dhabi Global Market. In periods of active delegation, the Vice President has led economic strategy committees, security councils, and international negotiation teams alongside counterparts from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey, Iran, and multilateral lenders like the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.
Succession and Acting Vice President Duties
When the Vice President acts as head of state, succession protocols set by the Constitution of the United Arab Emirates and decisions of the Federal Supreme Council apply; temporary duties can include chairing the Federal Supreme Council, representing the federation at the United Nations General Assembly, and signing emergency decrees in consultation with the Supreme Court of the United Arab Emirates and the Council of Ministers. Historical acting arrangements have occurred during transitions involving rulers such as Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and during periods of international diplomacy with delegations to Washington, D.C., Beijing, Brussels, and Doha.