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Dubai: Thousands of grief-stricken citizens and residents bade farewell yesterday to Shaikh Maktoum Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who was laid to rest at the Umm Hurair cemetery in Bur Dubai. President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, with other UAE leaders, heads of states and delegations from Arab and Muslim countries, performed the funeral prayers at Zabeel Mosque earlier. Shortly thereafter, His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai, was elected by members of the Supreme Council as Vice-President. The council also approved the proposal of the President to appoint Shaikh Mohammad as a Prime Minister, WAM reported.
Shaikh Mohammad will form a new Cabinet as the current government is considered resigned, according to the constitution, following the death of Shaikh Maktoum. The President has issued a decree mandating members of the current Cabinet to continue running the affairs of the government until a new Cabinet is formed. The ministers are to discharge urgent duties, the decree said. The new Cabinet will be the seventh since independence in 1971. At Zabeel Palace, the President, the Vice-President, Their Highnesses Rulers of the Emirates, Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance and Industry and Al Maktoum family members began receiving condolences from heads of states, dignitaries and citizens. Among the leaders present were His Majesty King Hamad Bin Eisa Al Khalifa of Bahrain, His Highness Shaikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani of Qatar, King Abdullah of Jordan, Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, and Prince Salman bin Abdul Aziz, the Governor of Riyadh. A British delegation led by the Duke of Gloucester was also there, representing Queen Elizabeth. Reactions to the death of Shaikh Maktoum continued to pour in from all over the world. US President George W. Bush said he was "saddened" by the death. Shaikh Maktoum was "a friend ? and a generous contributor to international humanitarian causes," he said in a White House statement, a copy of which was sent to Gulf News. Bush said he was looking forward to working with Shaikh Mohammad "in building on the close ties with Dubai".
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