Abu Dhabi has declared official mourning and flags at half-mast for 40 days

UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahayan dies

photo_camera REUTERS/STEPHINE McGEHEE - Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE

Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahayan, president of the United Arab Emirates, has died at the age of 73, state news agency WAM reported.

"The Ministry of Presidential Affairs mourns for the people of the UAE, the Arab and Islamic nations and the whole world. The leader of the nation and patron of its march, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the State, passed away today, Friday, May 13," the statement released by WAM said. Sheikh Khalifa became president of the country on 3 November 2004, succeeding his father and founder of the nation, Sheikh Zayed al Nahyan.

Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahayan is a much loved and admired figure within the country as he is credited with the modernisation of the Emirates, as well as its current global relevance. Abu Dhabi has therefore declared official mourning and flags at half-mast for 40 days. The authorities have also announced the suspension of work in ministries, departments, federal and local institutions and the private sector for three days to mourn the president's death.

Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahayan was born in 1948 in Al Muwaji Castle in the city of Al Ain. In August 1966, at the age of 18, he was appointed representative of Abu Dhabi's ruler in the eastern region and head of its legal system. A few years later, in 1969, he was appointed Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.

The emir of the capital became deputy prime minister of the Federal Council of Ministers in 1974, and two years later he was appointed deputy supreme commander of the UAE Armed Forces. He also headed the Abu Dhabi Supreme Petroleum Council and the world's largest investment fund, the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, as CNN recalls.

During his tenure as president, Sheikh Khalifa developed numerous projects that have made the Arab nation a key international economic power.   

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