Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, brother of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has passed away. Sheikh Ahmed served as Deputy Chairman of Dubai Police and Public Services and was President of Al Wasl Sports Club.

Dubai has declared an official 10-day mourning period, beginning on Monday, with flags to be flown at half-mast across the emirate.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, mourned his brother and paid tribute to him in a message shared on social media.

"May God have mercy on Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. May God have mercy on you, my brother. You have settled with a Generous and Great Lord. You are absent from our eyes but not from our prayers and hearts, O Ahmed.

"May God make you dwell in the vast expanses of His Paradise and inspire us and your loved ones with patience and solace. And to God we belong, and to Him we shall return."

The UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan offered his condolences to the Dubai Ruler on the passing of his brother.

He said that Sheikh Ahmed's longstanding contributions to the UAE's development since the country's founding will 'continue to inspire the nation's journey of progress'.

(Source: Khaleej Times)