BEIRUT, Lebanon — Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan became the president of the United Arab Emirates on Saturday, formalizing the rise of a 61-year-old prince who has deftly wielded his country’s oil wealth to become one of the most influential leaders in the Arab world and a close partner of the United States.
At the helm of the Emirati state, Sheikh Mohammed succeeds his older half bother, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed, who died on Friday at 73 after leading the Persian Gulf country for 18…
