• Pallbearers carry the body of President Sheikh Khalifa to be laid to rest. All photos: Ministry of Presidential Affairs
    Pallbearers carry the body of President Sheikh Khalifa to be laid to rest. All photos: Ministry of Presidential Affairs
  • Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Ruler of Abu Dhabi, and Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, carry the body of Sheikh Khalifa. Hamad Al Kaabi / Ministry of Presidential Affairs
    Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Ruler of Abu Dhabi, and Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, carry the body of Sheikh Khalifa. Hamad Al Kaabi / Ministry of Presidential Affairs
  • Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed leads prayers for the late President Khalifa. Hamad Al Kaabi / Ministry of Presidential Affairs
    Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed leads prayers for the late President Khalifa. Hamad Al Kaabi / Ministry of Presidential Affairs
  • Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed attends the burial of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed at Al Bateen cemetery.
    Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed attends the burial of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed at Al Bateen cemetery.
  • Sheikh Khalifa is laid to rest
    Sheikh Khalifa is laid to rest
  • Sheikh Mansour prays at Al Bateen cemetery
    Sheikh Mansour prays at Al Bateen cemetery
  • Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, left, adviser to the UAE President, attends the burial of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed at Al Bateen cemetery.
    Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, left, adviser to the UAE President, attends the burial of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed at Al Bateen cemetery.
  • Sheikh Khalifa bin Tahnoon, right, and Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed at the burial.
    Sheikh Khalifa bin Tahnoon, right, and Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed at the burial.
  • Ruling family members and senior officials attend funeral prayers
    Ruling family members and senior officials attend funeral prayers
  • Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan bin Zayed, third left; Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohamed bin Zayed, fourth left; and Sheikh Zayed bin Mohamed attend funeral prayers for Sheikh Khalifa at Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed The First mosque.
    Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan bin Zayed, third left; Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohamed bin Zayed, fourth left; and Sheikh Zayed bin Mohamed attend funeral prayers for Sheikh Khalifa at Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed The First mosque.
  • From right: Sheikh Saeed bin Saif, Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak, Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed, Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed and Sheikh Saif bin Mohamed attend funeral prayers for Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed at Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed The First mosque.
    From right: Sheikh Saeed bin Saif, Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak, Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed, Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed and Sheikh Saif bin Mohamed attend funeral prayers for Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed at Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed The First mosque.

UAE President Sheikh Khalifa laid to rest


Rory Reynolds
  • English
  • Arabic

Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed was laid to rest on Friday night following nationwide prayers.

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Ruler of Abu Dhabi, led senior leaders in prayer at a cemetery in Al Bateen.

A military honour guard in dress uniform carried the president's body before it was handed to his family for burial.

Sheikh Mohamed and Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, carried Sheikh Khalifa's body to his rest.

Images showed dozens of ruling family members and senior officials in prayer by the graveside.

Worshippers in mosques nationwide paid their respects to Sheikh Khalifa, who died at age 73.

At Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, the country's largest, thousands turned out.

On Saturday, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed will receive condolences from the rulers of the Emirates and senior officials at Mushrif Palace.

Earlier, a three-day period of mourning was announced. Government offices will close and public and private sector workers will return to work on Tuesday. Schools will remain closed until Tuesday.

Flags fly at half-staff across UAE: in pictures

  • The UAE flag flies at half-mast in Abu Dhabi, following the death of President Sheikh Khalifa. AFP
    The UAE flag flies at half-mast in Abu Dhabi, following the death of President Sheikh Khalifa. AFP
  • President Sheikh Khalifa died on May 13. He was 73. EPA
    President Sheikh Khalifa died on May 13. He was 73. EPA
  • Forty days of official mourning have been announced. EPA
    Forty days of official mourning have been announced. EPA
  • People pass by the UAE national flag, flying at half-staff, following the announcement of President Sheikh Khalifa's death. AP Photo
    People pass by the UAE national flag, flying at half-staff, following the announcement of President Sheikh Khalifa's death. AP Photo
  • The UAE national flag flies at half-staff in Dubai. AP Photo
    The UAE national flag flies at half-staff in Dubai. AP Photo
  • The UAE flag flies at half-staff in Abu Dhabi, following the death of the President, Sheikh Khalifa. Victor Besa / The National
    The UAE flag flies at half-staff in Abu Dhabi, following the death of the President, Sheikh Khalifa. Victor Besa / The National
  • The national flag flies at half-staff at Union House, Dubai – where the declaration establishing the UAE was made – after the death of the President, Sheikh Khalifa. Pawan Singh / The National
    The national flag flies at half-staff at Union House, Dubai – where the declaration establishing the UAE was made – after the death of the President, Sheikh Khalifa. Pawan Singh / The National
  • Flags at half-staff outside the ADNOC offices at the Corniche, Abu Dhabi, as the UAE mourns the death of the President, Sheikh Khalifa. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
    Flags at half-staff outside the ADNOC offices at the Corniche, Abu Dhabi, as the UAE mourns the death of the President, Sheikh Khalifa. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
  • The UAE flag flies at half-staff, with the Abu Dhabi skyline in the background, after the death of the President, Sheikh Khalifa. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
    The UAE flag flies at half-staff, with the Abu Dhabi skyline in the background, after the death of the President, Sheikh Khalifa. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
  • As the country mourns the death of President Sheikh Khalifa, the UAE flag flies at half-staff outside Union House in Dubai. This is where the country's flag was hoisted for the first time in 1971. Pawan Singh / The National
    As the country mourns the death of President Sheikh Khalifa, the UAE flag flies at half-staff outside Union House in Dubai. This is where the country's flag was hoisted for the first time in 1971. Pawan Singh / The National
  • The UAE will enter 40 days of mourning with flags at half-staff, and government ministries and federal, local and private sector entities closing for three days. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
    The UAE will enter 40 days of mourning with flags at half-staff, and government ministries and federal, local and private sector entities closing for three days. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
  • Flags fly at half-staff at the entrance to the Presidential Palace of Qasr Al Watan in Abu Dhabi after the death of President Sheikh Khalifa. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
    Flags fly at half-staff at the entrance to the Presidential Palace of Qasr Al Watan in Abu Dhabi after the death of President Sheikh Khalifa. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
  • Flags fly at half-staff at Emirates Palace along the Corniche in Abu Dhabi after the death of President Sheikh Khalifa. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
    Flags fly at half-staff at Emirates Palace along the Corniche in Abu Dhabi after the death of President Sheikh Khalifa. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW

Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman

Director: Jesse Armstrong

Rating: 3.5/5

SPAIN SQUAD

Goalkeepers Simon (Athletic Bilbao), De Gea (Manchester United), Sanchez (Brighton)

Defenders Gaya (Valencia), Alba (Barcelona), P Torres (Villarreal), Laporte (Manchester City), Garcia (Manchester City), D Llorente (Leeds), Azpilicueta (Chelsea)

Midfielders Busquets (Barcelona), Rodri (Manchester City), Pedri (Barcelona), Thiago (Liverpool), Koke (Atletico Madrid), Ruiz (Napoli), M Llorente (Atletico Madrid)

Forwards: Olmo (RB Leipzig), Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad), Morata (Juventus), Moreno (Villarreal), F Torres (Manchester City), Traore (Wolves), Sarabia (PSG)

The specs

AT4 Ultimate, as tested

Engine: 6.2-litre V8

Power: 420hp

Torque: 623Nm

Transmission: 10-speed automatic

Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)

On sale: Now

The bio

Favourite book: Peter Rabbit. I used to read it to my three children and still read it myself. If I am feeling down it brings back good memories.

Best thing about your job: Getting to help people. My mum always told me never to pass up an opportunity to do a good deed.

Best part of life in the UAE: The weather. The constant sunshine is amazing and there is always something to do, you have so many options when it comes to how to spend your day.

Favourite holiday destination: Malaysia. I went there for my honeymoon and ended up volunteering to teach local children for a few hours each day. It is such a special place and I plan to retire there one day.

RACE CARD

6.30pm: Madjani Stakes Group 2 (PA) Dh97,500 (Dirt) 1,900m
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,400m
7.40pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,600m
8.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 2,200m
8.50pm: Dubai Creek Mile Listed (TB) Dh132,500 (D) 1,600m
9.25pm: Conditions (TB) Dh120,000 (D) 1,900m
10pm: Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (D) 1,400m

Our legal consultant

Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015

- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France

The chef's advice

Troy Payne, head chef at Abu Dhabi’s newest healthy eatery Sanderson’s in Al Seef Resort & Spa, says singles need to change their mindset about how they approach the supermarket.

“They feel like they can’t buy one cucumber,” he says. “But I can walk into a shop – I feed two people at home – and I’ll walk into a shop and I buy one cucumber, I’ll buy one onion.”

Mr Payne asks for the sticker to be placed directly on each item, rather than face the temptation of filling one of the two-kilogram capacity plastic bags on offer.

The chef also advises singletons not get too hung up on “organic”, particularly high-priced varieties that have been flown in from far-flung locales. Local produce is often grown sustainably, and far cheaper, he says.

if you go

The flights 

Etihad and Emirates fly direct to Kolkata from Dh1,504 and Dh1,450 return including taxes, respectively. The flight takes four hours 30 minutes outbound and 5 hours 30 minute returning. 

The trains

Numerous trains link Kolkata and Murshidabad but the daily early morning Hazarduari Express (3’ 52”) is the fastest and most convenient; this service also stops in Plassey. The return train departs Murshidabad late afternoon. Though just about feasible as a day trip, staying overnight is recommended.

The hotels

Mursidabad’s hotels are less than modest but Berhampore, 11km south, offers more accommodation and facilities (and the Hazarduari Express also pauses here). Try Hotel The Fame, with an array of rooms from doubles at Rs1,596/Dh90 to a ‘grand presidential suite’ at Rs7,854/Dh443.

Rankings

ATP: 1. Novak Djokovic (SRB) 10,955 pts; 2. Rafael Nadal (ESP) 8,320; 3. Alexander Zverev (GER) 6,475 ( 1); 5. Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG) 5,060 ( 1); 6. Kevin Anderson (RSA) 4,845 ( 1); 6. Roger Federer (SUI) 4,600 (-3); 7. Kei Nishikori (JPN) 4,110 ( 2); 8. Dominic Thiem (AUT) 3,960; 9. John Isner (USA) 3,155 ( 1); 10. Marin Cilic (CRO) 3,140 (-3)

WTA: 1. Naomi Osaka (JPN) 7,030 pts ( 3); 2. Petra Kvitova (CZE) 6,290 ( 4); 3. Simona Halep (ROM) 5,582 (-2); 4. Sloane Stephens (USA) 5,307 ( 1); 5. Karolina Pliskova (CZE) 5,100 ( 3); 6. Angelique Kerber (GER) 4,965 (-4); 7. Elina Svitolina (UKR) 4,940; 8. Kiki Bertens (NED) 4,430 ( 1); 9. Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) 3,566 (-6); 10. Aryna Sabalenka (BLR) 3,485 ( 1)

How to help

Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200

THREE
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Zakat definitions

Zakat: an Arabic word meaning ‘to cleanse’ or ‘purification’.

Nisab: the minimum amount that a Muslim must have before being obliged to pay zakat. Traditionally, the nisab threshold was 87.48 grams of gold, or 612.36 grams of silver. The monetary value of the nisab therefore varies by current prices and currencies.

Zakat Al Mal: the ‘cleansing’ of wealth, as one of the five pillars of Islam; a spiritual duty for all Muslims meeting the ‘nisab’ wealth criteria in a lunar year, to pay 2.5 per cent of their wealth in alms to the deserving and needy.

Zakat Al Fitr: a donation to charity given during Ramadan, before Eid Al Fitr, in the form of food. Every adult Muslim who possesses food in excess of the needs of themselves and their family must pay two qadahs (an old measure just over 2 kilograms) of flour, wheat, barley or rice from each person in a household, as a minimum.

The specs
  • Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
  • Power: 640hp
  • Torque: 760nm
  • On sale: 2026
  • Price: Not announced yet
Updated: May 16, 2022, 10:30 AM