DUBAI-(MaraviPost)-President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan has died at the age of 73.
The Ministry of Presidential Affairs made the announcement on state media WAM on Friday afternoon, May 13, 2022.
The ministry disclosed that there will be 40 days of official mourning with flags at half-staff, and three days of closure of ministries and official entities at the federal and local levels as well as the private sector.
According to Al Jazeera, Sheikh Khalifa was rarely seen in public since suffering a stroke in 2014. His brother, Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed had been the de facto ruler and the decision-maker of major foreign policy decisions in recent years
Sheikh Khalifa was appointed as the second president of the UAE in 2004, succeeding his father and founder of the nation, Sheikh Zayed al Nahyan.
Born in 1948 in the Eastern Region of Abu Dhabi, he was the eldest son of Sheikh Zayed and he was crown prince of Abu Dhabi and headed Abu Dhabi’s Supreme Petroleum Council, which drafts oil policy.
Before his demise, Sheikh Khalifa oversaw economic reforms and modernization while managing the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the world’s largest investment funds.
He backed the acquisition of English Premier League soccer club Manchester City on behalf of the Abu Dhabi royal family in 2008, and had the world’s tallest tower, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, named after him in 2010.
Leaders from the region and around the world have offered their condolences to the royal family of the UAE’s.
There was no immediate announcement about a successor, however, under the constitution, Vice President and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, would act as president until the federal council meets within 30 days to elect a new president.
Sheikh Khalifa is survived by eight children, two sons and six daughters, a wife, Sheikha Shamsa bint Suhail Al Mazrouei and several grandchildren.
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