DUBAI DECLARES THREE DAYS OF MOURNING AS RULER'S SON DIES OF A HEART ATTACK

Sheikh Rashid bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum died on Saturday morning of heart attack. A three-day mourning period has now been announced in the UAE.

The 33-year-old was the eldest son of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who is the ruler of Dubai and also the Vice-President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates. He was a graduate of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. Flags at government departments and institutions fly as a mark of respect.

'Today, I lost a best friend and a childhood companion, my dear brother Rashid,' said his brother Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai. 'You will be missed.'

There will be prayers at Zabeel mosque on Saturday evening and he will then be buried in Umm Harir cemetery in Bur Dubai.