Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan, the President of United Arab Emirates has died at the age of 73.
Sheikh Khalifa was president of the UAE since 2004 and is credited for transforming the nation into an economic powerhouse.
Al-Nahyan had however been undertaking ceremonial role since he suffered a stroke in 2014.
His half-brother, Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, is now in charge of state affairs.
The al-Nahyan family is believed to have a fortune of $150bn (£123bn).
Besides being president of the UAE, Sheikh Khalifa was also the ruler of Abu Dhabi, the oil-rich capital of the seven emirates which comprise the UAE.
News of his death was announced by the official WAM news agency.
The ministry of presidential affairs declared 40 days of mourning with flags at half-mast from Friday, and work was suspended in the public and private sectors fot three days.
Sheikh Khalifa took over as the UAE's second president in November 2004, succeeding his father as the 16th ruler of Abu Dhabi.
