UAE | Government
Condolences pour in from the region
Condolences poured in from around the Arab world on the death of President His Highness Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the popular leader, who transformed Abu Dhabi from a desert outpost into an oasis of high-rises and parks.
- Staff Report,
- Published: 00:00 November 3, 2004
Condolences poured in from around the Arab world on the death of President His Highness Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the popular leader, who transformed Abu Dhabi from a desert outpost into an oasis of high-rises and parks.
"The death of Shaikh Zayed is a loss for all the Arab world because he displayed wisdom, courage and support at difficult times," Yemeni Foreign Minister Abubakr Al Qirbi said. Yemeni television switched to Quranic readings after the news.
"Today we lost the sage of the Arab world," Kuwait Energy Minister Shaikh Ahmad Al Fahd Al Sabah said. "He called for justice and through it tried to unite the Arab nation."
Bahrain said its government sector would close for three days starting Tuesday and Oman said government offices would remain shut for three days starting today.
Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Abdullah offered condolences by telephone. Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa said Shaikh Zayed was "a true Arab leader with faith in Arab nationalism".
Bahrain has lost “a dear father and a great leader” with the sad demise of President Shaikh Zayed, His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa said last night.
Shaikh Zayed’s “memory will live on as he was an example of leadership, generosity and solidarity,” the King said in an obituary statement issued by the royal court, which announced 40 days of official mourning.
“It is a great loss not only for the people of the UAE but for the entire Arab and Muslim nations,” Shaikh Khalifa bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, undersecretary for foreign media in Bahrain said.
"His death is a big loss for the Arab and Islamic nations and to humanity," Oman's Foreign Minister Youssef bin Alawi told Dubai-based Al Arabiya TV.
Kuwait's information minister, Mohammad Abul Hassan, credited Shaikh Zayed with helping Kuwaitis who fled to the UAE after Iraqi President Saddam Hussain ordered his forces to invade Kuwait in 1990, a move that led to the US-led 1991 Gulf War.
Alluding to the UAE's incredible economic growth, Abul-Hassan said Shaikh Zayed was an "example to be followed in his ability to turn the impossible into a truth." He said: "We are confident the United Arab Emirates will follow in his footsteps."
Lebanese President Emile Lahoud expressed in Beirut his "deep sadness" at the passing of Shaikh Zayed, saying it was a "loss for his people, for Lebanon, for the Arab states and for the entire world."
"Lebanon, which occupied a special place in the heart and spirit of Shaikh Zayed, is today full of sadness" because the UAE leader was always a "supporter and fierce defender of its rights, notably over the Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon."
Jordan's King Abdullah II decreed a 40-day mourning period at the royal court and the government called for three days nationwide.
"The Arab and Muslim nation has lost a great and wise leader who spent his lifetime working for the good of his country and his (Muslim and Arab) nation," a statement from the royal palace said.
In the West Bank, Prime Minister Ahmad Qorei announced that the Palestinians would also observe three days of mourning.
A statement issued in Cairo by the office of President Hosni Mubarak called Shaikh Zayed "a very dear friend, a leader and the best of men" and announced a three-day period of mourning.
It said he had "dedicated his life to his country and had sacrificed himself for his nation," a reference to the Arab world.
The Presidential Court also announced yesterday the official mourning on the death of Shaikh Zayed.
Flags will be flown at half mast for 40 days as of yesterday, and federal and local ministries, departments and establishments will remain closed for eight days as of Wednesday, a court statement said.
The statement stated that the private sector will observe mourning for three days from today to Friday.
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