Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed voted most influential Arab leader by RT readers

Abu Dhabi Crown Prince receives 9.7 million votes in online poll

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed has been voted the most prominant leader in the Arab world by RT Arabic readers. Reuters

The UAE's Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed has been voted the most prominent Arab leader of 2019 in a readers' poll by Russian state outlet RT.

RT Arabic reported that the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces received 69 per cent, or 9.7 million, of a total of about 13.9 million votes.

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was considered second most prominent leader, receiving almost 16 per cent of the vote, and Jordan’s King Abdullah third with 12 per cent.

Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El Sisi was fourth. The new presidents of Algeria, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, and Tunisia, Kais Saied, also make the list.

In 2019, Sheikh Mohamed led the UAE's efforts to engage with countries in the Arab world and beyond to further its influence and strengthen relations.

In October last year, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Saudi Arabia and the UAE in his first official trip to the Arabian Peninsula since 2007.

Mr Putin held talks with Sheikh Mohamed in Abu Dhabi and the two leaders signed deals worth more than $1 billion in energy, technology and health.

In welcoming the Russian leader Sheikh Mohamed said he considers Moscow to be his second home.

The UAE is Moscow's largest trading partner within the GCC and almost a million Russian tourists visited in 2018, spending $1.3 billion.

Voting in the RT poll took place over nine days and ended on December 31.