The body of Sheikh Ahmed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has been recovered from the glider crash site in Morocco, it was announced on Tuesday.
According to the Morocco News Agency, his body was found on Tuesday morning from the Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdallah dam, near Rabat. The younger brother of the president of the UAE was also managing director of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) and chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Zayed Foundation for Charity and Humanitarian Works.
The Ministry of Presidential Affairs announced a three-day mourning period starting from Wednesday during which flags will fly half mast, news agency WAM reported.
The prayers will be held on the body of deceased at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi after Asr Prayers on Thursday, following the arrival of a plane carrying the body from Morocco.
King Mohammed VI of Morocco sent a condolence message to the UAE president in which he extended heartfelt sympathies following this “great loss”.
He also sent a condolence message to General Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.
The aircraft of Sheikh Ahmed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the younger brother of the ruler of Abu Dhabi, who is also president of the UAE, crashed into a reservoir 10km (6 miles) south of the Moroccan capital Rabat on Friday.
The pilot of the glider who was rescued after the crash is now in a stable condition.
Sheikh Ahmed was in his early 40s and was ranked No 27 on Forbes list of the world’s most powerful people last year.
His sovereign wealth fund is believed to have assets of around $500 to $700 billion, ranging from Citigroup bonds to a stake in Britain’s Gatwick airport to residential property in major cities.
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