All in a day's work: UAE President meets 4 heads of state, top officials in whirlwind 24 hours, wins hearts online

It was a hectic day for Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, yet the photos show him smiling all throughout, sincerely engaged in discussions

Kirstin Bernabe

Published: Tue 6 Dec 2022, 7:07 PM

Last updated: Tue 6 Dec 2022, 7:25 PM

How busy can a president's day get? The UAE President received a top defence official, travelled to Qatar, flew back, met a president, and welcomed a king — all in 24 hours.

From late Sunday evening until late Monday night, the UAE Government's news dispatch was peppered with the engagements of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at work. And based on the photos and videos that came with the stories, the people's president was all smiles through it all, with nary a sign of fatigue.

Sheikh Mohamed has been known as the people's leader who devotes his life to the country. In fact, he works 18 hours a day and his annual leaves don't even exceed a week, as revealed in a tribute earlier this year.

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Here's a quick look at an example of his packed schedule:

On Sunday evening, he held a meeting with Afghanistan's acting Minister of Defence Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob at Qasr Al Shati Palace in Abu Dhabi.

Then the following morning, at around 11am, he flew to Qatar where he met the country's Emir, His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. Besides discussing ties and regional developments, Sheikh Mohamed congratulated Sheikh Tamim and the Qatari people on their success in hosting the Fifa World Cup, which he described as "a source of pride for the Arab world".

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After just a couple of hours, at 3.18pm, he left Doha and flew back to the Capital. He welcomed the President of Israel Isaac Herzog, who was on a working visit to the Emirates for the Abu Dhabi Space Debate.

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Then, by late Monday evening, he sat with King Al-Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah of Malaysia, and witnessed the signing of a historic concession agreement between Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) and Petronas.

All these official engagements and meetings are but the tip of the iceberg, though. People close to him could attest to how hard he works behind the scenes.

"Few people see him awake at night, sitting with our soldiers and reviewing development plans to ensure a better future for our country in the years to come," His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, had once written on Twitter as he launched a public campaign to thank the leader.

"Thank you, Mohamed bin Zayed, for your leadership, decisiveness, and determination," the UAE Vice-President wrote. From then until now, thank you, Sheikh Mohamed.

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