Dubai Ruler Appoints New Second Deputy

Luxury towers dominate the skyline in the Marina district, center, and the new Dubai Harbor development, right, are seen from the observation deck of "The View at The Palm Jumeirah" in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, April 6, 2021. (AP)
Luxury towers dominate the skyline in the Marina district, center, and the new Dubai Harbor development, right, are seen from the observation deck of "The View at The Palm Jumeirah" in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, April 6, 2021. (AP)
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Dubai Ruler Appoints New Second Deputy

Luxury towers dominate the skyline in the Marina district, center, and the new Dubai Harbor development, right, are seen from the observation deck of "The View at The Palm Jumeirah" in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, April 6, 2021. (AP)
Luxury towers dominate the skyline in the Marina district, center, and the new Dubai Harbor development, right, are seen from the observation deck of "The View at The Palm Jumeirah" in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, April 6, 2021. (AP)

Dubai's ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum on Friday appointed another of his sons as a deputy ruler of the emirate, following the death of his brother and long-serving deputy ruler Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum in 2021.

Dubai now has first and second deputy rulers, the decree published by the Dubai Media Office said.

The decree appointed as first deputy ruler Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, one of Sheikh Mohammed's sons who has been a deputy ruler since 2008 and is currently the United Arab Emirates' finance minister.

Newly appointed to the role of second deputy ruler is Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, another of Sheikh Mohammed's sons and the chairman of the Dubai Media Council.



Syria’s Leader Meets with Bahraini Diplomatic Delegation

The leader of Syria's new administration, Ahmed al-Sharaa meets Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdul Latif Al-Zayani in Damascus, Syria, January 8, 2025. (Bahrain News Agency/Handout via Reuters)
The leader of Syria's new administration, Ahmed al-Sharaa meets Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdul Latif Al-Zayani in Damascus, Syria, January 8, 2025. (Bahrain News Agency/Handout via Reuters)
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Syria’s Leader Meets with Bahraini Diplomatic Delegation

The leader of Syria's new administration, Ahmed al-Sharaa meets Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdul Latif Al-Zayani in Damascus, Syria, January 8, 2025. (Bahrain News Agency/Handout via Reuters)
The leader of Syria's new administration, Ahmed al-Sharaa meets Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdul Latif Al-Zayani in Damascus, Syria, January 8, 2025. (Bahrain News Agency/Handout via Reuters)

Syria's de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa received a delegation from Bahrain on Wednesday and met with the Bahraini foreign minister, state media reported.

The visit was the latest in a flurry of diplomatic overtures by Arab countries to Syria’s new leaders after they overthrew former President Bashar al-Assad in a lightning rebel offensive.

Like other Gulf countries, Bahrain had cut off diplomatic ties with Syria under Assad’s rule during the Syrian civil war, but it reopened its embassy in Damascus in 2018 and gradually restored ties with the Assad government.

Bahrain is the current head of the Arab summit, and days after Assad’s ouster it had sent a message to al-Sharaa offering its cooperation with the new authorities and saying, “We look forward to Syria regaining its authentic role in the Arab League.”