Dubai: Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayad, President of the United Arab Emirates, passed away on Friday at the age of 72 after battling illness for years.
“The Ministry of Presidential Affairs condoles the people of the UAE, the Arab and Islamic nation and the world over the demise of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the president of the UAE,” a Wam statement read.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan became the president and ruler of Abu Dhabi in 2004 after his father and UAE’s first president His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan died.
The late UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayad, born in 1948, was battling illness since 2014. In his place, his half brother Mohammed bin Zayed became the Abu Dhabi crown prince and started acting as the de-facto ruler of the rich oil-producing country.
Taking to Twitter, the Mohamed bin Zayed said, “The Emirates lost its righteous son, the leader of the “empowerment stage” and the trustee of its blessed journey.”
إنا لله وإنا إليه راجعون .. فقدت الإمارات ابنها البار وقائد "مرحلة التمكين" وأمين رحلتها المباركة.. مواقفه وإنجازاته وحكمته وعطاؤه ومبادراته في كل زاوية من زوايا الوطن.. خليفة بن زايد، أخي وعضيدي ومعلمي ، رحمك الله بواسع رحمته وأدخلك في رضوانه وجنانه.
— محمد بن زايد (@MohamedBinZayed) May 13, 2022
Government officials announced that the Emirate would observe 40-days of mourning and suspended work at all public and private sector entities for three days after the death of the president.
