The country’s official news agency announced that Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahayan, President of the United Arab Emirates, died Friday at the age of 73, after several years of poor health.
“The Ministry of Presidential Affairs offers its condolences to the people of the United Arab Emirates and Muslim Arab nations for the death of the head of state who passed away on Friday, May 13,” said a statement released by the state agency WAM.
“Official mourning and flags were lowered at half-mast” for 40 days, the first three days of work in the public and private sectors were halted,” the government said.
The president, born in 1948, has rarely made public appearances since he suffered a stroke in January 2014.
In November 2004, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahayan succeeded his father, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahayan, the president and founding father of the United Arab Emirates, a wealthy Gulf State made up of seven emirates, including Dubai and the capital, Abu Dhabi.
Since the 2014 crisis, his half-brother Mohamed Bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, known as “MBZ”, has been running the country’s affairs and is considered the de facto ruler of the oil monarchy with growing influence.
“His positions, achievements, wisdom, generosity and initiatives exist in every corner of the country,” Mohammed bin Zayed said on Twitter. May Allah have mercy on my brother, mentor and teacher, Khalifa bin Zayed.”
After the establishment of the federation in 1971, Sheikh Khalifa was appointed deputy prime minister of the new state. He chaired the Superior Petroleum Council, a body with broad powers in the energy sector.
During Sheikh Khalifa’s tenure, the Emirates experienced rapid economic development driven by Abu Dhabi’s oil wealth, which accounts for 90% of the federation’s reserves. Dubai has grown into a financial centre, a luxury tourist destination and a major air transport hub.
But like its president, the UAE has remained relatively low-key on the international scene, often behind its major ally Saudi Arabia, which is a giant in the Gulf and Arab world.
According to analysts, the country under the command of Prince “MBZ” began to gradually abandon its usual discretion, especially from the 2010s, with increasing influence in the Middle East and Africa.
source: Noticias
