Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed, The President of UAE Dies at Age 73

By Derrick Bangura

UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan died at the age of 73, Emirates news agency WAM reported on Friday.

The Ministry of Presidential Affairs declared official national mourning for the death of the president for 40 days from Friday. Flags will fly at half-mast during this period.
Work in both public and private sectors will be paused for three days, also from Friday, the Dubai Media Office clarified involvement in day-to-day affairs, with his brother, Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed, seen as the de-factor ruler about the successor.

Khalifa, the president of the UAE, oversaw much of the country’s blistering economic growth and his name was immortalised on the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, after bailing out debt-crippled Dubai during its financial crisis more than a decade ago.

The UAE’s ministry of presidential affairs announced a 40-day period of mourning and a three-day suspension of work in all ministries and the private sector beginning on Friday, including flags to be flown at half-staff.

He had long ceased having involvement in the day-to-day affairs of ruling the country. Instead, his half-brother, Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed, was seen as the de-facto ruler and the decision-maker of major foreign policy decisions, such as joining a Saudi-led war in Yemen and spearheading an embargo on neighbouring Qatar in recent years.

There was no immediate announcement about a successor, although Mohammed bin Zayed is anticipated to claim the presidency.

Khalifa, who has rarely been seen in official photos or at public events for years, succeeded his father, the UAE’s founder, Sheikh Zayed, in 2004.

He suffered a stroke and underwent emergency surgery a decade later, though officials did not release the news until the following day. He has largely been out of public sight ever since.

In 2017, 2018 and 2019, Emirati state media published rare photographs and video of Khalifa. In the latest images, Khalifa wore white sneakers and a white traditional robe as he greeted Sheikh Mohammed and other rulers in the Emirates.

Khalifa, the eldest son of the UAE’s first leader after the federation’s formation in 1971, held the most powerful position among the seven semi-autonomous city-states stretching along the shores of the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. His role as president derived from his standing as hereditary ruler of Abu Dhabi, the UAE’s largest and richest emirate. Abu Dhabi serves as home to the federal capital.

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