The United Arab Emirates' President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan died aged 73 on Friday, state media said, after battling illness for several years.
The president of the oil-rich Gulf state, who was rarely seen in public, is likely to be replaced by his brother, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed, who was already seen as the UAE's de facto ruler.
Sheikh Khalifa took over as the UAE's second president in November 2004, succeeding his father as the 16th ruler of Abu Dhabi, the richest of the federation's seven emirates. The Arab world's second-biggest economy behind Saudi Arabia has also begun to wield growing political influence, filling a space ceded by traditional powers such as Egypt, Iraq and Syria.
"The Emirates has lost its virtuous son and leader of the 'stage of empowerment' and the trustee of its blessed journey," Mohammed bin Zayed tweeted on Friday.
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