Mohammed bin Zayed health: What we know after Erdogan’s postponed visit
The Turkish presidency announced on Sunday, February 15, the postponement of Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to Abu Dhabi, citing a “health issue” affecting UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (MBZ). The message was quickly deleted, and Emirati authorities have not commented. Photos published the day before show MBZ smiling alongside the Emir of Qatar. Here’s what we know.
🇹🇷 A Turkish message that sows doubt
On Sunday evening, the Turkish presidency’s communications directorate posted on X (formerly Twitter) that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had spoken by phone with his Emirati counterpart [1]. The text stated that Erdogan “expressed his sadness over the health problem encountered by Mohamed bin Zayed and wished him a speedy recovery.” The visit scheduled for the next day (Monday, February 16) was postponed to a later date [2].
However, minutes later, the message was deleted from the Turkish presidency’s accounts. State broadcaster TRT also removed the mention of the health issue from its article [3]. A new, more concise message simply stated that “the two leaders agreed to postpone their meeting,” without citing any medical reason [4].
🇦🇪 UAE releases photos of MBZ with Qatar’s Emir
The official Emirati news agency WAM confirmed the phone call but did not mention the postponement or any health issue [1]. Crucially, the president’s office had released photos on Saturday evening, taken the same day, showing Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed smiling and apparently in good health alongside the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani [5][1]. This served as an implicit reassurance.
The silence from Emirati authorities, combined with these images, suggests the Turkish announcement was either premature or inaccurate. When contacted by AFP, neither the Turkish presidency nor Emirati officials wished to comment [2].
🇬🇷 Athens also affected
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis also postponed his visit to Abu Dhabi, initially scheduled shortly after Erdogan’s. Officially, Athens cites “scheduling issues,” but the coincidence is notable [6]. Unofficial Emirati sources, cited anonymously, mention “temporary fatigue” without seriousness [6].
⏳ Timeline of events (February 2026)
| Date | Event | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday 14, evening | Photos of MBZ with Qatar’s Emir published (appears in good health) | MBZ official account [1] |
| Sunday 15, evening | Turkish message announces postponement due to MBZ’s “health issue” | Turkish presidency account [2] |
| Sunday 15, minutes later | Turkish message deleted, TRT removes medical mention | AFP, Arab News [3] |
| Sunday 15, night | New Turkish message without mention of health issue | Daily Sabah [7] |
| Monday 16 | Greece also postpones its visit | Al Bawaba [6] |
❓ Frequently Asked Questions about Mohammed bin Zayed’s health
Is Mohammed bin Zayed ill?
Why was Erdogan’s visit to the UAE postponed?
When will Erdogan’s next visit to Abu Dhabi take place?
📎 Sources and references
Arab News (AFP) – 16/02/2026 Ahram Online – 15/02/2026 Hürriyet – 16/02/2026 ProtoThema – 16/02/2026 Al Bawaba – 16/02/2026 Daily Sabah – 16/02/2026
[1] AFP / Arab News – 16 Feb 2026. [2] Ahram Online – 15 Feb 2026. [3] Arab News – 16 Feb 2026. [4] Hürriyet – 16 Feb 2026. [5] ProtoThema – 16 Feb 2026. [6] Al Bawaba – 16 Feb 2026. [7] Daily Sabah – 16 Feb 2026.
✅ In summary: The UAE has not confirmed any health issues. Photos with Qatar suggest MBZ is well. Follow the latest on our news feed.
