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The Ministry of Presidential Affairs introduced the loss of life of Khalifa, who was additionally ruler of the UAE’s richest emirate, Abu Dhabi, however gave no particulars.
Khalifa, born in 1948, had hardly ever been seen in public since struggling a stroke in 2014. Funeral prayers will likely be held on Friday, state information company WAM mentioned.
“The UAE has misplaced its righteous son and chief of the ’empowerment section’ and guardian of its blessed journey,” his half-brother and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed mentioned on Twitter, praising Khalifa’s knowledge and generosity.
Mohammed, generally known as MbZ, has for years been the de facto ruler of the UAE, an OPEC oil producer and a serious commerce and tourism hub which has moved to construct its political affect within the area and overseas.
MBZ is poised to grow to be the brand new ruler of Abu Dhabi, which holds many of the UAE’s oil wealth and has held the presidency for the reason that founding of the UAE federation by Khalifa’s father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al-Nahyan, in 1971.
Below the structure, vice-president and premier Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, ruler of Dubai, would act as president till the federal supreme council which teams the rulers of the seven emirates meets inside 30 days to elect a brand new president.
Diplomats and analysts count on MbZ to grow to be new president, additional consolidating Abu Dhabi’s energy which had already grown below Khalifa, who got here to energy in 2004.
Khalifa’s loss of life comes at a time when Abu Dhabi’s ties with Washington have been visibly strained over perceived U.S. disengagement from its Gulf allies’ safety issues.
“Not a lot will change in UAE international & home insurance policies, besides MbZ could have even much less motive to hunt consensus w/Dubai & different Emirates,” tweeted Cinzia Bianco, analysis fellow at European Council on Overseas Relations.
MbZ led a realignment of the Center East that created a brand new anti-Iran axis with Israel and fought a rising tide of political Islam across the area.
U.S. President Joe Biden described Khalifa as a “true associate and good friend of the US” and mentioned in an announcement that the U.S. would proceed strengthening its ties with the UAE.
The UAE solid ties with Israel in 2020 and Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett mentioned: “The legacy and nice deeds of Sheikh Khalifa had been tremendously appreciated in Israel.”
Iranian Overseas Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, whose nation has usually had tense relations with the UAE, despatched a letter of condolences to his Emirati counterpart, Iran’s state media mentioned.
At house, Emirati citizen Ali Al Khatri mentioned Khalifa could be remembered for his push to develop the nation, which has a inhabitants of some 10 million, the bulk expatriate employees.
“We’ll bear in mind him like our father,” Khatri, 32, advised Reuters in Abu Dhabi.
The UAE introduced a 40-day mourning interval with flags flown at half-mast and suspended work in any respect private and non-private sector organisations for 3 days.
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