UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Dies; Morocco’s King Offers Condolences

Here is the statement from the Royal Cabinet:

"Following the sad news of the passing of HH Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the State, His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God preserve him, expressed in his name and on behalf of the Royal Family and the entire Moroccan people, his sincere condolences and deep feelings of compassion after this loss that has saddened the illustrious princely family of the United Arab Emirates.

On this painful occasion, His Majesty the King, may God preserve him, recalled the deep bonds of sincere affection, mutual esteem and continuous understanding that linked the Sovereign to the deceased and constantly united the princely family and the Royal Family, and which he strove to maintain and strengthen.

His Majesty the King also emphasized that the Kingdom of Morocco remembers, with the esteem due to the late, may God have him in His holy mercy, the affection and the solid bonds of brotherhood and active solidarity, in good times and bad, that the Deceased bore towards Morocco, and his great concern for the consolidation and development of the exceptional and distinguished relations linking the two brotherly countries, as well as for the strengthening of their ties of solidarity and mutual assistance in the face of various crucial issues and common interests.

At this difficult time, His Majesty the King expressed his great esteem for the great achievements accomplished by the venerated Deceased for the brotherly State of the United Arab Emirates, by pursuing the work of his late father, Sheikh Zayed Al Nahyan, and by ensuring its modernization and the development of its economic and political capacities, which has enabled it to occupy a prominent place at the Arab, regional and international levels and to play an active role in defending just Arab causes and consolidating Arab-Islamic solidarity.

The Sovereign implored the Almighty to surround the Deceased with His immense mercy and to reward him abundantly for the praiseworthy services rendered to his country and his Ummah, as well as for his pioneering achievements, and to welcome him in His vast paradise.

On this sad occasion, His Majesty the King, may God assist him, sent a message of condolence and compassion to his brother, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of the United Arab Emirates.

The Sovereign also sent a message of condolence to HH Sheikh Mohamed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, in his capacity as Vice President of the United Arab Emirates, Prime Minister."