US Senator Graham claims the UAE royal is ‘as sharp as I’ve ever seen him’ in Abu Dhabi encounter.
Printed On 18 Feb 2026
Emirati President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has made his first look since rumours about his well being unfold following a now-deleted assertion from the Turkish presidency.
The Presidential Courtroom on Wednesday shared video footage of the Emirati president, also called MBZ, smiling alongside Republican US Senator Lindsey Graham throughout a gathering in Abu Dhabi.
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WAM, the UAE’s official information company, additionally shared images of the encounter at Qasr Al Shati, during which MBZ appeared alongside Graham.
In a social media publish, the US senator rebuffed in no unsure phrases any claims that the UAE president could also be unwell.
“To those that are perpetuating false narratives in opposition to the United Arab Emirates and President Sheikh [Mohamed bin Zayed] personally, you’re filled with it,” Graham stated on X.
“Not solely is he alive, however he’s additionally properly and as sharp as I’ve ever seen him.”
The feedback comply with an announcement by Turkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who earlier this month travelled to Saudi Arabia and was scheduled for a subsequent go to to the neighbouring UAE.
However on Sunday, Erdogan stated in an announcement on social media that he was suspending his Abu Dhabi journey as a result of the Emirati chief had a “well being drawback”. The assertion was later deleted.
The incident fuelled rumours on-line about Sheikh Mohamed’s well being, along with his Wikipedia web page even briefly being edited to say he had handed away.
Graham slammed “those that really feel the necessity to assault MBZ and the UAE for doing the correct factor … You accomplish that at your individual peril,” he stated, with out specifying what he referred to.
Later in the identical publish, the US senator praised Sheikh Mohammed’s “resolution to embrace the Abraham Accords”, a pact that normalised diplomatic relations between Israel and a few Arab states.
The settlement in 2020 met scorn from Erdogan, who portrayed it as a treacherous act to the Palestinian trigger.
A rising rift between the UAE and Saudi Arabia has introduced heightened scrutiny to Abu Dhabi, with on-line commentary within the kingdom typically focusing on MBZ personally.
Saudi-UAE relations have shifted from partnership to rivalry, pushed by opposing objectives in Yemen and throughout the area.
Saudi Arabia, which has not joined the Abraham Accords, additionally accused the UAE of destabilising North Africa and the Horn of Africa and of selling Israel’s pursuits within the wider area.
