Obituary: A prince remembered (1943-2006) Sheikh Al-Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai since 1990 as well as vice-president and prime minister of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), died Wednesday in Australia at the age of 62. The crown prince, the architect of the city state's development boom, succeeded his older brother as ruler of the emirate, one of the seven that form the UAE federation. The accession of Sheikh Mohamed, who is defence minister of the UAE, was automatic, officials said. Forty days of national mourning have been declared, with government offices closed for a week and private businesses for three days. As flags were brought down across official buildings, lavish celebrations, including spectacular fireworks, which had been scheduled for late Wednesday to mark the start of the annual "Dubai Shopping Festival", were cancelled. There was still no official confirmation on who will succeed Sheikh Al-Maktoum as vice-president and prime minister of the UAE. The Supreme Federal Council, which groups the leaders of the seven emirates, is expected to meet "soon" to elect a new vice-president -- a position customarily held by the ruler of Dubai, a UAE official said. It is also still not known whether Sheikh Mohamed would remain defence minister.
