The President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nayhan, has died. He was 73, the state news agency announced in a brief statement.
His death occurred after an illness he had been battling for several years. “The Ministry of Presidential Affairs extends its condolences to the people of the Emirates and the Islamic world…for the death today of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan”, reports the Wam news agency. The Ministry has announced 40 days of mourning with flags at half-mast from Friday and the suspension of work in the public and private sectors for the first three days.
With an estimated net worth of over $21 billion, he was also one of the richest men on the planet. On November 3, 2004, he succeeded his father, the late Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, founder and first president of the Gulf country from 1971 until his death on 2 November 2004. Khalifa Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, born in al-Ayn on 25 January 1948, was the second president of the Emirates and the 16th ruler of the city of Abu Dhabi.
His father was the brother of Mansur bin Zayd Al Nahyan and cousin in fact of Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, Emir of Qatar and owner of the Qatari football team Paris Saint Germain. The Sheikh's Presidency Khalifa It was marked by a major restructuring of the federal and Abu Dhabi governments.
At the helm of the Emirates he was also the promoter of a very accelerated development both on the economic level, driven by oil, and cultural. In 2013 he was in the news for the entry into service of his yacht called Azzam, the largest yacht at the time, with a length of 180 metres and an estimated construction cost of 500 million euros.
Struck by a stroke in January 2014, he has since maintained a low profile in state affairs, attending only ceremonial functions. Therefore the de facto ruler of Abu Dhabi it was the stepbrother Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince and Deputy Commander of the Emirati Armed Forces.
Now that Sheikh Khalifa has passed away, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has succeeded him as president of the Emirates, even though he has actually been the architect of the Gulf country's foreign and economic policy for eight years now.
From today in the United Arab Emirates, flags fly at half-mast: ministries, departments, federal and local institutions have suspended work. The Ministry of Presidential Affairs has announced 40 days of mourning for citizens, while the private sector is stopping for three days.
“Jill and I were deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al Nahyan. Khalifa was a true partner and friend of the United States during his decade-long tenure as President of the United Arab Emirates.”
The American president writes this Joe Biden in a note on the sheikh's death at age 73. “On behalf of the American people, I extend my condolences to Sheikh Khalifa's family and to all Emiratis as they mourn this great loss. We will honor his memory by continuing to strengthen the long-standing bonds between the governments and peoples of the United States and the United Arab Emirates,” we read further in Biden's note.
Article published on May 13, 2022 - 17:21 pm
