Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, the new President of the UAE and Ruler of Abu Dhabi, will on Saturday receive condolences from other rulers of the Emirates following the death of Sheikh Khalifa.
Sheikh Mohamed will be visited by members of the Federal Supreme Council and senior officials at Mushrif Palace.
The reception follows the funeral of Sheikh Khalifa on Friday night. Sheikh Mohamed led prayers at a ceremony in the capital.
Funeral prayers were said at mosques across the country while Christian churches and Dubai's Sikh gurdwara will hold prayers on Saturday.
“The people of the Emirates are united in grief as we mourn the loss of our leader and President, Khalifa bin Zayed,” Sheikh Mohamed said on Twitter.
“My brother and mentor, and the UAE’s first son, we were blessed by your strength, wisdom and leadership. May God have mercy on your soul and may you rest in peace.”
The UAE will remain in mourning for 40 days, with government and private sector offices closed on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Schools will be closed on Monday.
Public and private sector employees will return to work on Tuesday. Restaurants and malls will remain open but there will be no live entertainment or music as a mark of respect.
World leaders have paid tribute to Sheikh Khalifa, who led his nation for nearly 18 years — a time of economic development, major investment in infrastructure and a domestic population boom.
US President Joe Biden said Sheikh Khalifa “was a true partner and friend of the United States throughout his decades-long tenure” as president and previously as Crown Prince.
In New York, members of the UN Security Council also paid tribute to him.
Several Middle Eastern nations including Lebanon, Morocco and Egypt announced periods of mourning, as did India.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, expressed his deep sadness at the news.
“It is with great sorrow and grief that we mourn to the UAE people, Arab and Islamic nations and the world the death of President of our country, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the leader of our journey,” Sheikh Mohammed wrote on Twitter.
“May Allah bless his soul with ease on his new journey into the hereafter and grant him the highest ranks of paradise.
“Oh God, we testify that Khalifa bin Zayed has fulfilled his duty, served and loved his people. Oh God, his people have been satisfied.”
Prayers for Sheikh Khalifa — in pictures
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Emiratis leave after performing a funeral prayer for President Sheikh Khalifa at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi. AFP -
President Sheikh Khalifa died aged 73 on Friday. AFP -
Worshippers leave Ibn Taymiyyah Mosque in Abu Dhabi, close to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, after evening prayers on the day the death of President Sheikh Khalifa was announced. Victor Besa / The National. -
Worshippers at Ibn Taymiyyah Mosque in Abu Dhabi gather for evening prayers on the day the death of President Sheikh Khalifa was announced. Victor Besa / The National. -
Worshippers in Abu Dhabi make their way to Ibn Taymiyyah Mosque for evening prayers on the day the death of President Sheikh Khalifa was announced. Victor Besa / The National. -
The faithful at prayer in Jumeirah Mosque in Dubai on the day the UAE learnt President Sheikh Khalifa had died. Pawan Singh / The National -
Worshippers arrive at the Ibn Taymiyyah Mosque in Abu Dhabi for evening prayers on the day the UAE learnt President Sheikh Khalifa had died. Victor Besa / The National. -
Evening prayers at Jumeirah Mosque in Dubai. Friday devotions were accompanied by news of the death of President Sheikh Khalifa. Pawan Singh / The National -
Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque towers over the neighbourhood in Abu Dhabi as worshippers arrive at Ibn Taymiyyah Mosque for evening prayers on the day President Sheikh Khalifa died. Victor Besa / The National. -
Imam Abdul Muhsin Abdul Rahman leads evening prayers at Jumeirah Mosque in Dubai on the day the death of President Sheikh Khalifa was announced. Pawan Singh / The National -
Worshippers arrive at Ibn Taymiyyah Mosque in Abu Dhabi for Friday evening prayers. Three days of official mourning for President Sheikh Khalifa begin on Saturday. Victor Besa / The National. -
Worshippers gather for evening prayers at Jumeirah Mosque in Dubai. On Friday, the UAE learnt of the death of President Sheikh Khalifa. Pawan Singh / The National -
Imam Abdul Muhsin Abdul Rahman intones evening prayers at Jumeirah Mosque in Dubai as the UAE reflected on the death of President Sheikh Khalifa. Pawan Singh / The National
