‘Deeply grieved’: BOL CEO Shoaib Shaikh on death of UAE president Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed

Founder and CEO of BOL Media Group Shoaib Ahmed Shaikh extended his deepest condolences to the leadership and people of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on the passing of President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

The CEO tweeted that he was “deeply grieved” by the passing away of the great statesman and a wise ruler of the UAE.

“I offer my heartfelt condolences to the govt & the people of the United Arab Emirates. May Almighty Allah rest the departed soul in peace!”, Shaikh wrote on Twitter.

I'm deeply grieved to hear about the demise of HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a great statesman & a wise ruler of UAE. I offer my heartfelt condolences to the govt & the people of United Arab Emirates 🇦🇪
May Almighty Allah rest the departed soul in peace!@MohamedBinZayed pic.twitter.com/0F1xhlLZhr

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— Shoaib Ahmed Shaikh (@SSforPakistan) May 14, 2022

The United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan died aged 73 on Friday, state media said, after battling illness for several years.

The president of the oil-rich Gulf state, who was rarely seen in public, is likely to be replaced by his half-brother, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed, who was already seen as the UAE’s de facto ruler.

“The Ministry of Presidential Affairs has mourned to the UAE people, Arab and Islamic nations and the world the death of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan,” the official WAM news agency tweeted.

Read more: Pakistan civilian, military leadership saddened over demise of UAE President Al-Nahyan

The ministry announced 40 days of mourning, with flags at half-mast from Friday and work suspended in the public and private sectors for the first three days.

Born in 1948, Sheikh Khalifa took over as the UAE’s second president in November 2004, succeeding his father as the 16th ruler of Abu Dhabi, the richest of the federation’s seven emirates.

He has rarely been seen in public since 2014, when he had surgery following a stroke, although he has continued to issue rulings.

The cause of death was not immediately released.