The President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan passed away on Friday at the age of 74.
The statement of the UAE state news agency WAM said, “The Ministry of Presidential Affairs condoles the people of the UAE, the Arab and Islamic nation and the world over the demise of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the president of the UAE.”
The government of the United Arab Emirates has announced three days of public holiday and 40 days of mourning.
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According to media reports, Sheikh Khalifa was born in 1948 and he was the eldest son of UAE’s founding father Sheikh Zayed. He started his official duties in 1966 and went on to rule the country from November 3, 2004, to date. He was the second president of the UAE and the 16th Ruler of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, the largest of the seven Emirates which comprise the UAE.
His full name is Khalifa bin Zayed bin Sultan bin Zayed bin Khalifa bin Shakhbout bin Theyab bin Issa bin Nahyan bin Falah bin Yas. He is married to Her Sheikha Shamsa bint Suhail Al Mazrouei, and together they have eight children: two sons and six daughters — and he also has several grandchildren.
