Sheikh Khalifa, President of the United Arab Emirates is dead

The United Arab Emirates is mourning its President, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, who died of an illness at the age of 73, authorities said on Friday.

The government declared “official mourning and flags lowered” for 40 days, the official WAM news agency said.

Note that the late head of state had been rare in public since a stroke in January 2014.

Victim of a stroke since 2014, his famous half-brother, Mohammed bin Zayed, crown prince of Abu Dhabi nicknamed “MBZ”, runs the country’s affairs and remains considered the de facto head of the oil monarchy in the world growing influence.