President dies, UAE holds 40 days of national mourning

The Ministry of the President of the UAE declared an official national mourning for 40 days from May 13, and at the same time, the flags were flown at half-staff across the country.

The public and private sectors will be closed for 3 days. Reuters reported that according to the UAE Constitution, Vice President and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum will remain in the presidency until the Federal Council of Rulers of the 7 emirates meets for 30 days to elect a leader. new religion.

UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Photo: Reuters

Sheikh Khalifa passed away after battling illness for the past few years. The president of the oil-rich Gulf nation has rarely appeared in public since 2014 when he underwent surgery following a stroke.

Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan sent his condolences on Twitter. The Prime Ministers of Egypt and Iraq also offered condolences on the news of the death of the President of the UAE.

Sheikh Khalifa was elected President of the UAE on November 3, 2004, succeeding his father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. Sheikh Zayed was the President of the UAE from 1971 to 2004.

The UAE was founded in 1971, then rose from a desert region to become a nation of rapid development in a short time thanks to oil. In particular, Dubai – UAE is famous as a busy financial and commercial center.

The UAE – the Arab world’s second-largest economy after Saudi Arabia – began to wield growing political influence, filling the void left by traditional powers such as Egypt, Iraq and Syria.

The nation of 10 million people also participated in military campaigns in Libya and Yemen, and established ties with Israel in 2020.