Rabat – Prince Moulay Rachid represented his brother King Mohammed VI in Abu Dhabi, attending the condolences of late UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
The Prince was received at the Presidential Airport in Abu Dhabi by Sheikh Hazzaa bin Zayed, Chairman of the Executive Council of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
The occasion also saw the presence of Morocco’s Minister of Islamic Affairs Ahmed Toufiq, in addition to numerous Emirati ministers and officials.
According to Emirati media reports, Sheikh Khalifa passed away on Friday, aged 73, having struggled with health problems since he suffered a stroke in 2014.
Following the news, King Mohammed VI sent his condolences to Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President of the State of the UAE, expressing “deep sorrow and great emotion” with which he received the news.
Morocco announced that it would observe a three-day mourning.
On Saturday, the UAE’s Supreme Federal Council elected the late president’s brother, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, as president. The vote was unanimous, in accordance with Article 51 of the constitution, Emirati news agency WAM reported.
Read also: Mohammed bin Zayed Elected New UAE President
King Mohammed VI sent congratulations to the newly elected leader, expressing hopes that the bilateral relations between Morocco and the UAE can be strengthened under his rule.
