UAE’s ailing President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan dies at 73
- The monarch, who steered the kingdom through the worst days of the global financial crisis, was battling illness for several years
- Sheikh Khalifa is likely to be replaced by his half-brother, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed
The United Arab Emirates’ President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan died aged 73 on Friday, state media said, after battling illness for several years.
The president of the oil-rich Gulf state, who was rarely seen in public, is likely to be replaced by his half-brother, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed, who was already seen as the UAE’s de facto ruler.
“The Ministry of Presidential Affairs has mourned to the UAE people, Arab and Islamic nations and the world the death of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan,” the official WAM news agency tweeted.
The ministry announced 40 days of mourning, with flags at half-mast from Friday and work suspended in the public and private sector for the first three days.
Sheikh Khalifa took over as the UAE’s second president in November 2004, succeeding his father as the 16th ruler of Abu Dhabi, the richest of the federation’s seven emirates.