Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum (L) and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan (C) at the funeral for Sheikh Mohammed’s son Sheikh Rashid Bin Mohammed, at the Zabeel Grand Mosque in Dubai, on September 19, 2015. (WAM)
Dubai, Asharq Al-Awsat—Dubai’s Sheikh Rashid Bin Mohammed, the eldest son of the Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, was buried on Saturday at the Umm Hurayr Cemetery in Dubai, according to state news agency WAM.
Sheikh Rashid died on Saturday morning at age 33 following a heart attack.
His father Sheikh Mohammed, as well as younger brother and Crown Prince of Dubai Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed, were present at the funeral ceremony in the city’s Zabeel Grand Mosque.
A three-day mourning period has been declared by the UAE and all flags at government buildings throughout the country have been flown at half-mast as a sign of respect.
Sheikh Mohammed received messages of condolences from rulers throughout the Arab world, including Saudi Arabia’s King Salman Bin Abdulaziz who spoke to Sheikh Mohammed on Satuday via telephone to express his sympathies.
A graduate of the UK’s Sandhurst Military Academy, Sheikh Rashid was an avid sportsman who was especially keen on horse-riding and soccer. He was a member of the UAE’s equestrian team and won two gold medals at the 2006 Asian Games.