Shaikh Khalifa on Forbes 'most powerful people' list

Dubai: President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan was ranked among the world’s most powerful people for 2016 in Forbes annual list. 

The magazine, which was published on Wednesday, also ranked Shaikh Khalifa in second place among the world’s most powerful Arab people for 2016, after the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud.

The two leaders were ranked at 39th and 16th place respectively.

Forbes further reported: “As hereditary ruler of Abu Dhabi, the richest emirate in the UAE, Al Nahyan is among the world's wealthiest monarchs. It's not all from oil, although he does control 97.8 billion barrels of proven reserves; he also runs one of the world's largest sovereign wealth fund, with reported assets of almost US$800 billion (Dh2.9 trillion).

“The UAE has gone to the mat in the war against Islamist extremists, particularly [Daesh], which has resulted in unexpectedly high military casualties.”

For the fourth consecutive year, Forbes ranked Russian President Vladimir Putin as the world's most powerful person.

The annual list also saw major changes with US President Barrack Obama ranked in the 48th place this year, a drop from the third place last year.

US president-elect Donald Trump came in second place this year from the 72nd place last year.

There are 11 new names on the list this year, including Theresa May, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (13); Travis Kalanick, CEO of Uber (64); Bob Iger, CEO of The Walt Disney Company (67); Mike Pence, Vice President-Elect of the United States (69); Rodrigo Duterte, President of the Philippines (70); and Sheldon Adelson, CEO of Las Vegas Sands (72).

Two former members also return to the list this year: Antonio Guterres, incoming Secretary General of the United Nations (ranked at 36, and last appeared in 2009); and Recep Erdogan, President of Turkey (ranked at 56, and last appeared in 2011).

Top 10 most powerful people 2016

Source: Forbes