UAE leaders congratulate Biden on inauguration as US President

UAE leaders including President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan congratulated Joe Biden on his inauguration as the US President on Wednesday.

Biden will serve as the 46th President of the United States alongside Vice President Kamala Harris, the first woman to occupy the role.

In his cable, Sheikh Khalifa wished Biden success and expressed hope that the two countries would deepen their decades-long partnership in working together on pressing challenges such as global health, climate change, and violent extremism, official news agency WAM reported.

He also noted that the UAE leadership has worked closely with President Biden during his many years of service in the US Senate and as Vice President.

Similar cables were sent by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai and Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.

They expressed their wishes for further bilateral growth to serve the interests of the two countries.

Soon after the inauguration, Biden began reversing former President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, part of an aggressive push to roll back some of the most controversial actions of his predecessor and chart a new course for the nation.

In one of his first acts as president, Biden signed an executive action ending restrictions on travel and immigration from some predominantly Muslim countries. The measure directs the State Department to resume visa processing for those countries and develop a plan to address people affected, such as those who were denied entry to the US.

The action also orders reviews of other “extreme vetting” practices used by the Trump administration, while directing the U. to improve information-sharing with foreign governments to bolster screening of travellers.

With inputs from Bloomberg