Rome, May 13, 2022 – The Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan died. At the age of 74, the president of the United Arab Emirates e ruler of Abu Dhabi. Born in Al-Ayn on January 25, 1948, his illness had recently led him to disappear from the international stage and his public appearances had become very rare. Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan It was considered one of the richest men in the world: his estimated assets were $ 21 billion. From today in the United Arab Emirates the flags are waving at half mast: ministries, departments, federal and local institutions have suspended the works. The Ministry of Presidential Affairs has announced 40 days of mourning for citizens, while the private sector stops for three days.
Who was Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan
Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan on November 3, 2004 succeeded his father, Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, founder and first president of the United Arab Emirates from 1971 until his death on November 2, 2004. Khalifa Bin Zayed Al -Nahyan was the second president of the Emirates and the sixteenth ruler of the city of Abu Dhabi. His father was the brother of Mansur bin Zayd Al Nahyan and de facto cousin of Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, Emir of Qatar and owner of the Paris Saint Germain football team. Sheikh Khalifa’s presidency was marked by a major restructuring of the federal and Abu Dhabi governments. At the helm of the Emirates he was also the proponent of a very accelerated development both economically, driven by oil, and culturally. In 2013 he was at the center of the news for the entry into service of his yacht called Azzam, the largest yacht at the time, with a length of 180 meters and an estimated construction cost of 500 million euros. Struck by a stroke in January 2014, he has since kept a low profile in state affairs, attending only ceremonials. Therefore the de facto ruler of Abu Dhabi was his half-brother Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince and Deputy Commander of the Emirati Armed Forces. Now that the sheikh
Khalifa passed away, and Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan succeeded him as president of the Emirates.
International reactions
“Jill and I were deeply saddened to learn of the death of Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan. Khalifa was a true partner and friend of the United States during his ten-year term as president of the United Arab Emirates”, these are the words of the American president Joe Biden reported in a note.
This instead is the Tweet of the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen: “I offer my condolences to the people of the United Arab Emirates for the disappearance of Sheikh Khalifa. The sheikh has dedicated his life to his country, working for the well-being and future of the Emirates. With him, the United Arab Emirates became prosperous , tolerant and open to the world. His legacy will live on. “
Even the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, expressed his condolences for Abu Dhabi’s sovereign death. In the telegram, released by the Kremlin, Putin highlighted the role of Sheikh Khalifa in the “strengthening of friendly relations and constructive cooperation” between the United Arab Emirates and Russia.