The President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, who has joined the country’s rapid rise on the international scene over the past two decades, died on Friday at the age of 73, authorities announced.
Rarely seen in public since suffering a stroke in January 2014, Sheikh Khalifa is expected to be soon replaced by his half-brother, the famous Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed, says MBZwho is considered the de facto head of state.
His positions, his achievements, his wisdom, his generosity and his initiatives can be found in every corner of the country.Mohammed bin Zayed said on Twitter. Khalifa bin Zayed, my brother, my mentor and my teacher, may God have mercy on you.
The government ordered an official mourning and the lowering of the flags within 40 days, the official WAM news agency said. The next three days from Friday are non -working, he added.
The Emirati media quickly cut off their usual programs to broadcast photos and articles as a tribute to Sheikh Khalifa. His picture was displayed on Friday everywhere on the streets, institutions and even in hotels of this Gulf state.
Born in January 1948, Sheikh Khalifa succeeded in 2004 to his father, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahyan, president and founding father of the United Arab Emirates, a rich oil state in the Gulf consisting of seven emirates including Dubai and the capital of Abu Dhabi.
After the establishment of the federation in 1971, Sheikh Khalifa was appointed Deputy Prime Minister of the new state. He then headed the Superior Petroleum Council, a body endowed with vast powers in the field of energy.
Economic boom
Under Sheikh Khalifa’s command, the Emirates experienced rapid economic growth, driven by Abu Dhabi’s oil wealth, concentrating 90% of the federation’s reserves, and the consolidation of Dubai as a financial hub, a luxury tourism destination or air transport crossroads.
But like its president, the Emirates has remained relatively calm on the global scene, generally lined up behind its great ally, Saudi Arabia, the Gulf juggernaut and the Arab world where it remains the leading economy.
According to observers, it was under the impulse of the prince MBZ that the country is gradually evolving from its usual decision-making, particularly since the 2010s by having a growing influence in the Middle East and Africa.
Abu Dhabi even participates in military interventions against the armed group Islamic State (IS) in Iraq and Syria, then in Yemen with the Saudis to fight Houthi rebels, close to Iran.
Source: Radio-Canada