The Ministry of Presidential Affairs has announced the death of UAE President, Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan. In addition to being the ruler of Abu Dhabi, he was also the UAE president. He was 73 years old when he died.
“The Ministry of Presidential Affairs announced on Friday that the nation will observe 40 days of official mourning during which flags will be lowered to half-mast and ministries. The government entities will be closed for three days,” the agency wrote on Twitter.
The Emirati president, Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan , had been serving as UAE president since 2004. But his role has been mostly ceremonial since he suffered a stroke in 2014.
After suffering a stroke in 2014, King Khalifa had been seldom seen in public since. As a result, his half-brother Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Zayed – known as MbZ – has been acting as de facto ruler of the US-allied UAE, an Opec oil producer.
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The state affairs — now handled by his half-brother, Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan.
A fortune of $150 billion (£123 billion) thought to belong to the al-Nahyan family.
As The ruler of Abu Dhabi, one of the seven emirates which make up the UAE, as well as being president of the UAE, Sheikh Khalifa also ruled the country as a whole. A WAM official news agency broke the news of his death.
In accordance with the constitution, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, ruler of Dubai, would act as president until the federal council, which consists of the rulers of the seven emirates, meets within 30 days to elect a new leader.