UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed

DUBAI — United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan has died, the Ministry of Presidential Affairs said on Friday.

Abu Dhabi, which holds most of the Gulf state’s oil wealth, has held the presidency since the founding of the UAE federation by Khalifa’s father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al-Nahyan, in 1971. He is expected to be succeeded as ruler of Abu Dhabi by Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed. UAE president Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed dies Back to video

Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the United Arab Emirates President whose modernization policies helped transform his country into a regional powerhouse, ...

The leader of the nation and the patron of its march, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the State, passed away to the Lord's side today, Friday, May 13," WAM said. Sheikh Khalifa's role had been largely ceremonial since he suffered a stroke and underwent surgery in 2014. "The Ministry of Presidential Affairs announces an official mourning and flags to be flown at half-mast for the late His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, may God have mercy on him, for a period of 40 days, starting today, and suspending work in ministries, departments, federal and local institutions, and the private sector for 3 days, starting today (Friday)," WAM said in a tweet.

The United Arab Emirates' long-ailing ruler and president, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, died Friday, the government announced in a brief statement.

Drivers can expect more pain at the pumps this morning as gasoline prices push new records. CTVNews.ca has some tips on how to catch the astronomical event. Here's a look at why the messaging has now changed. Sheikh Khalifa was believed to be among the world's richest rulers with a personal fortune estimated by Forbes magazine in 2008 at $19 billion. The UAE, which views Islamist movements as a threat to its ruling system, also supported efforts in the region to quash the Muslim Brotherhood, including in Egypt. Although the UAE's ruling sheikhs hold near absolute power, Sheikh Khalifa began an experiment with elections by allowing limited voting -- by a hand-picked electorate -- for half the members of a 40-seat federal advisory body in 2006. He'd held a meeting in Abu Dhabi with its crown prince the day before Sheikh Khalifa's death. The UAE announced last year a net-zero emissions pledge by 2050, even as it expands investments in oil and gas for export. In 2003, Sheikh Khalifa ordered the creation of a new airline, Etihad Airways, which competes with Dubai's much larger Emirates Air. Dubai provides the UAE with a swirl of publicity and headline-grabbing lifestyle and entertainment stories that rights groups say distract from controversial policies decided in Abu Dhabi. The vice president and prime minister is from Dubai, titles currently held by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The last several years of his life saw his half-brother Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed rise to become the de-factor ruler and decision-maker of major foreign policy decisions, such as joining a Saudi-led war in Yemen and spearheading an embargo on neighboring Qatar in recent years.

President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, who died on Friday, was a reserved figure who saw the United Arab Emirates skyrocket on the global scene ...

Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed was born in the oasis of Al-Ain, his father's home town, which did not have schools at the time. The UAE has yet to hold direct elections. The tower was initially dubbed Burj Dubai.

United Arab Emirates president dies at the age of 73, Emirati state news agency WAM reports.

Questions were raised during Sheikh Khalifa’s rule about the UAE’s use of foreign military contractors, including one linked to the founder of the former Blackwater security firm, Erik Prince, who moved to Abu Dhabi in 2009. In 2003, he called for the creation of a new airline, Etihad Airways, which competes with Dubai’s successful and much larger carrier Emirates Air. Although the UAE’s ruling sheikhs hold near-absolute power, Sheikh Khalifa began an experiment with elections by allowing limited voting – by a hand-picked electorate – for half the members of a 40-seat federal advisory body in 2006. The UAE saw none of the Arab Spring street protests that shook other parts of the region, though, in the wake of that unrest, Khalifa oversaw tightening crackdowns on opposition activists, drawing criticism from international rights groups. After independence in 1971, he became defence minister along with other roles and became president in 2004. He is expected to be succeeded as ruler of Abu Dhabi by Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed.