The Rise of Khaled bin Mohamed: UAE’s Quiet Power Shift and the Crown Prince Behind the Curtain
With security, media, and innovation under his control, Mohamed bin Zayed’s son is no figurehead—he may already be ruling the UAE.
Watan-When Khalid bin Mohammed bin Zayed was appointed Crown Prince in March 2023, the move was publicly portrayed as a natural progression of power in the UAE – a “soft coronation,” not an internal coup. However, those familiar with Abu Dhabi’s ruling traditions understood this appointment marked the end of one era and the beginning of another, redefining the state’s identity through new faces and alliances.
For over 50 years, power in Abu Dhabi had traditionally shifted horizontally among the sons of Zayed, a quasi-sacred rule ensuring family balance and preventing any single faction’s dominance.
Khalid’s appointment broke this tradition, ushering in a vertical dynastic succession from father to son directly – an unprecedented move in the nation’s history.
To clear the path for the President’s son, key figures had to step back: Tahnoon bin Zayed, the powerful security and intelligence chief, was repositioned to the background; Mansour bin Zayed, the financial and investment figure, began to see a decline in favor and influence; and even Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed was politically sidelined without public objection.
But Khalid is not a “symbolic prince” being groomed for a distant future. He is an active Crown Prince, exercising his powers on the ground through three parallel channels of influence that reveal the extent of his role in the deep state structure.
Khalid’s Pillars of Power
1. Internal Security and Intelligence
Since his designation as Crown Prince, Khalid has effectively taken over the leadership of the sovereign security apparatus from behind the scenes. His involvement goes beyond receiving reports; he directly oversees highly sensitive files related to internal surveillance, loyalty management, and appointments in top security positions. Crucially, he is leading a restructuring of the apparatus to ensure its vertical loyalty directly to him, bypassing Tahnoon bin Zayed, who for years was the mastermind behind security and intelligence. This restructuring is highly significant: Khalid wants no intermediaries or “shadow men” between him and the instruments of security power, a common trait for those preparing for long-term rule.
2. Presidential Communications and Official Media
In parallel, Khalid has tightened his grip on the Presidential Communications Office, which has become the “media operations room” controlling the state’s narrative internally and externally. Media appearances, leaks to Western press, arrangement of diplomatic meetings, and even the drafting of state statements on regional and international issues all pass through his office. Nothing about Abu Dhabi is now said without being filtered by his apparatus. Khalid fully understands the importance of image, especially in the West, given the damage to the UAE’s reputation in recent years due to its involvement in the wars in Yemen and Libya and human rights issues. For this reason, he has begun to pour massive investments into Western public relations firms to re-present Abu Dhabi’s image as a “moderate state led by a modern young generation.”
3. The Economic-Innovation Portfolio
Unlike his uncles and brothers, whose names were associated with oil, gold, and supporting cross-border militias, Khalid has chosen to build a “clean” portfolio for himself tied to the future and innovation. He currently leads artificial intelligence and sovereign technology projects and has a direct presence in technological partnership initiatives with major American companies. This path is not just economic; it is also political, as Khalid positions himself at the heart of Western – specifically American – interests that see technology and AI as the next arena of influence in the Gulf. Conversely, he has been distanced from oil files and the clandestine trade in gold and weapons, which have plagued his brothers with international scandals and embarrassments.
Global Presence and Internal Maneuvering
In recent months, it has become clear that the young Crown Prince is moving on a global scale: he has visited Paris, London, and Washington, met with intelligence chiefs and sovereign wealth funds, and held closed-door meetings with public relations firms. He is shaping what those close to him describe as “the next scene”: a state led by a new, clean generation, free from blood and stolen gold.
But Khalid is not moving alone. He is supported by officers who have risen to influential positions in the security apparatus based on direct personal loyalty to him, Western advisors connected to decision-makers in Washington, and explicit backing from his father, Mohammed bin Zayed, who appears to have planned for years to gradually sideline his brothers in preparation for dynastic succession.
In this environment, any potential rivals are quietly “emptied” from the scene: Mansour is occasionally exposed in the media with financial files or corruption cases; Tahnoon is repositioned away from decision-making visibility; Hazza’s political presence has been frozen for months.
Conversely, the UAE is being presented anew as a “coming model” led by a neutral young prince named Khalid, promoted in the Western press as “the modern face of the Emirates.”
However, those who know the palace from within understand that “clean hands” cannot be bought with advertising and public relations alone. Big questions remain open: Has Tahnoon truly withdrawn from the scene, or is he waiting for the opportune moment to respond? Why does Khalid enjoy unprecedented American and Israeli acceptance? And from within the palace, who still refuses to hand over all the cards to this young prince who operates through three agencies and more than one shadow?
Only the coming days will determine whether Khalid bin Mohammed bin Zayed is merely a Crown Prince being prepared for the future… or the de facto ruler of the UAE from now on.
