Abu Dhabi: President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan is in stable condition following surgery on Friday, the Ministry of Presidential Affairs said on Saturday.

The statement, carried by WAM, said the President had suffered a stroke on Friday morning, and immediately underwent surgery. “His Highness’s health is now stable,” the ministry said. “May God safeguard him and grant him a quick recovery,” the report added.

Citizens and residents wished Shaikh Khalifa good health and a speedy recovery. Soon after WAM broke the news, people took to social media to express their best wishes for the President’s speedy recovery, with many ‘hashtags’ trending across the Twitter sphere. The highest-trending hashtag was #SalamatYaKhalifa (Get well soon Khalifa).

Tweets included pictures of the President with captions seeking the President’s full recovery and good health. Among the well-wishers was Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Foreign Minister, who tweeted on his Twitter account: “May Almighty Allah protect His Highness the President from every evil and grant him good health.”

“We hope and pray that Almighty Allah will supervise over his recovery,” tweeted Asmahan Al Naqbi, a citizen. “O God, subtract from my own lifetime and give it to him,” said Osama Al Ameeri .

“Our prayers are with you,” wrote Abdullah Al Rumaithi, another Twitter user. “Insha’allah you will be fine soon.”

Shaikh Khalifa, born in Al Ain in 1948, was elected by the Federal Supreme Council as President of the UAE, on November 3rd, 2004. On that day, he became the Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.