DUBAI: Messages of condolence have poured in from around the Middle East and the world following news of the death of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, the president of the UAE, at the age of 73 on Friday.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Emirates lost its righteous son, the leader of the \u2018empowerment stage\u2019 and the trustee of its blessed journey,\u201d Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, the crown prince of Abu Dhabi, said in a tweet. \u201cHis stances, achievements, wisdom, giving and initiatives in every corner of the country. May God have mercy on you with his vast mercy and enter you into his paradise.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.arabnews.com\/sites\/default\/files\/userimages\/20\/goodbye.jpg\")
<\/img>Throughout the day, Gulf leaders offered messages of condolence to Al-Nahyan family and the Emirati people. In a statement published by SPA, Saudi Arabia\u2019s Royal Court said the news of Sheikh Khalifa\u2019s passing had been \u201creceived with great sadness and sorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n
King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman \u201cexpressed their deepest condolences and sympathy to the government of the United Arab Emirates, the honorable Al-Nahyan family, the brotherly Emirati people, and to the Arab and Islamic nations on passing away of a leader who has given a lot to his people, nation and the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
This section contains relevant reference points, placed in (Opinion field)<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
Declaring three days of national mourning, Oman\u2019s Sultan Haitham bin Tarik said: \u201cThe Sultanate shares the grief of the leadership, government and people of the brotherly United Arab Emirates in their great affliction.\u201d<\/p>\n
Also ordering three days of official mourning, Bahrain\u2019s Royal Court \u201cpaid homage to the late UAE president who passed away after a life rich in achievements to serve the UAE people as well as the Arab and Islamic nations.\u201d<\/p>\n
In a statement issued by the Qatari Emiri Court, Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani said: \u201cWe have lost with his passing a great leader who was wise and moderate, who devoted his life and effort to serve his country and nation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Speaking for Kuwaitis, Emir Sheikh Nawaf said: \u201cThe Arab and Islamic nations have lost one of their leaders. The great man who devoted his life to serving his country and people and defending Arab and Islamic causes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr. Nayef Falah Mubarak Al-Hajraf, secretary-general of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), conveyed his heartfelt condolences, saying Sheikh Khalifa had lived \u201ca life full of giving and giving in the service of his people, his homeland and the Arab and Islamic nation.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.arabnews.com\/sites\/default\/files\/userimages\/20\/king_abdullah_000_nic11966.jpg\")
<\/img>Ahmed Aboul Gheit, secretary-general of the Arab League, issued a statement of condolences addressed to the UAE leadership, government and people, adding that the Arab League will observe three days of mourning with flags to be flown at half-mast.<\/p>\n
Leaders across the wider Middle East and North Africa also paid their respects. \u201cWith sincere sadness and sorrow, I mourn one of the most precious men and one of the greatest leaders,\u201d Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi tweeted on Friday.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe gave a lot to his country and his nation, until the Emirates became a model for development and modernity in our region and the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jordan\u2019s Royal Hashemite Court likewise offered its condolences. \u201cWe have lost a dear brother and an outstanding leader who inherited wisdom from his late great father Sheikh Zayed and dedicated his life to serving his country and the Arab and Islamic nations,\u201d Jordan\u2019s King Abdullah II tweeted.<\/p>\n
Iraq\u2019s President Barham Salih said Sheikh Khalifa was a man \u201cknown for his wisdom and generosity for the sake of his homeland and the Arab and Islamic nation,\u201d while Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi said: \u201cWe are confident that the pioneering path that the late great man took will continue with the efforts of his country\u2019s leadership and people.\u201d<\/p>\n
Several Lebanese officials expressed their sorrow via Twitter. \u201cToday, the Arab nation lost one of its most prominent men,\u201d Saad Hariri, Lebanon\u2019s former prime minister, said.<\/p>\n
Arab leaders were not the only Middle East public figures who offered\u00a0their condolences. Israel\u2019s Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said: \u201cSheikh Khalifa\u2019s legacy and tremendous deeds are greatly admired in Israel. The State of Israel stands alongside the United Arab Emirates at this difficult time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Israel and the UAE established diplomatic relations in 2020 \u2014 the first of several US-backed normalization agreements between the Jewish state and Arab countries that year known as the Abraham Accords.<\/p>\n
Israel\u2019s President Isaac Herzog called Sheikh Khalifa\u2019s death \u201ca great loss for our friends in the UAE and for the whole region.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added: \u201cSheikh Khalifa\u2019s bold leadership contributed so much to the advancement of the UAE and its people and to the growing partnership between our countries and is a great legacy for his successors.\u201d<\/p>\n
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres offered condolences to the UAE leadership and people, noting that Sheikh Khalifa \u201cled the UAE through a significant period of its development, marked by great economic advances and a surge in its regional and global influence.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, in a letter to his UAE counterpart, Iran\u2019s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian expressed \u201cgrief and regret\u201d over Sheikh Khalifa\u2019s death.<\/p>\n
Messages also arrived from further afield. The Indian government announced a day of mourning on Saturday.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a mark of respect to the departed dignitary, the government of India has decided that there will be one day\u2019s state mourning tomorrow throughout India,\u201d the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs said in a statement.<\/p>\n
India\u2019s Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted he was \u201cdeeply saddened\u201d by the news, saying Sheikh Khalifa \u201cwas a great statesman and visionary leader under whom India-UAE relations prospered.\u201d<\/p>\n
US President Joe Biden paid tribute to Sheikh Khalifa, calling the departed Emirati leader a \u201ctrue partner and friend of the United States.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will honor his memory by continuing to strengthen the longstanding ties between the governments and people of the United States and the United Arab Emirates,\u201d Biden said.<\/p>\n
\u201cSheikh Khalifa did much to strengthen friendly relations and constructive cooperation,\u201d said Russian President Vladimir Putin, while French President Emmanuel Macron said his \u201cthoughts go out to his brother Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed, to his whole family and to the Emirati people.\u201d<\/p>\n
Italian President Sergio Mattarella also offered his condolences, saying he would remember Sheikh\u00a0Khalifa\u00a0for his \u201ctenacity and farsightedness.\u201d<\/p>\n
In a message to Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, now the acting president of the UAE, Mattarella said he \u201clearned with sadness the news of the passing of His Highness Khalifa Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan,\u201d who, he added, had led his country on \u201can important path\u201d of growth and development.<\/p>\n
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he was \u201csaddened\u201d to learn of Sheikh Khalifa\u2019s passing. \u201cHe was a wise and respected leader who will be missed enormously. Through his work as president and sheikh he has made a personal contribution to regional stability and conservation which will long be remembered.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know that the long and deep ties which unite our countries will continue and through our cooperation and friendship, we can ensure peace, prosperity and justice in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tony Blair, the UK\u2019s former prime minister, who continues to foster a close relationship with the Middle East and its leaders, shared his \u201cdeep sorrow\u201d upon learning of Sheikh Khalifa\u2019s death.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn this sad occasion I recall the president\u2019s long and distinguished career as a public servant. He was respected not only in his country but throughout the wider region and the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
Born in 1948, the eldest son of Sheikh Zayed, Sheikh Khalifa took over as the UAE\u2019s second president in November 2004, succeeding his father as the 16th ruler of Abu Dhabi, the largest of the country\u2019s seven cities and until 1971 an independent emirate.<\/p>\n
Sheikh Khalifa led the UAE as it began its rise to become a global oil and commercial power. He leaves behind his wife Sheikha Shamsa bint Suhail Al-Mazrouei and their eight children.<\/p>\n
Sheikh Khalifa is likely to be succeeded by Sheikh Mohammed, the crown prince and deputy supreme commander of the UAE armed forces.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Middle East and world leaders mourn death of UAE President Sheikh Khalifa, praise \u2018life rich in achievements\u2019 DUBAI: Messages of condolence have poured in from around the Middle East and the world following news of the death of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, the president of the UAE, at the age of 73 on Friday.…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-48328","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-spotlight_news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/qatar-news.org\/qatarnewsEn\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48328","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/qatar-news.org\/qatarnewsEn\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/qatar-news.org\/qatarnewsEn\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qatar-news.org\/qatarnewsEn\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qatar-news.org\/qatarnewsEn\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=48328"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/qatar-news.org\/qatarnewsEn\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48328\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/qatar-news.org\/qatarnewsEn\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=48328"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qatar-news.org\/qatarnewsEn\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=48328"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qatar-news.org\/qatarnewsEn\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=48328"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}