President Sheikh Mohamed on Friday received condolences over the death of Sheikh Tahnoon bin Mohammed, Ruler’s Representative in Al Ain Region, who died on Wednesday.
King Hamad of Bahrain visited Qasr Al Mushrif in Abu Dhabi alongside Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, representative of Sheikh Tamim, Emir of Qatar, as they both paid their respects.
Jassim Mohamed Albudaiwi, Secretary General of the GCC also attended, as well as Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, Luigi Di Maio, the EU’s special representative for the Gulf region, and Abiy Ahmed, the Prime Minister of Ethiopia.
Sheikh Tahnoon’s brothers were alongside Sheikh Mohamed, accepting condolences, as was Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court.
Sheikh Mohamed also received telephone calls on Friday from King Abdullah II of Jordan, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati, all expressing their condolences on the passing of Sheikh Tahnoon.
Further messages of support were sent to the UAE leader by Saudi Arabia's King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Sultan Haitham of Oman, Sheikh Tamim, the Emir of Qatar, Kuwait’s Emir Sheikh Meshal and Bahrain's Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad.
Sheikh Tahnoon was a close adviser to UAE Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and was an uncle of Sheikh Mohamed.
In tribute, Sheikh Mohamed wrote on X earlier this week: “May God grant eternal rest to my uncle, Sheikh Tahnoon bin Mohammed, who was a close companion of the late Sheikh Zayed and dedicated his life in loyal service to our nation and its people, continuing the vision of our Founding Father.
“We pray that God bestows His mercy on Sheikh Tahnoon and blesses us with patience and solace at this time.”
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Mohammed – in pictures
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD)
What is THAAD?
It is considered to be the US' most superior missile defence system.
Production:
It was first created in 2008.
Speed:
THAAD missiles can travel at over Mach 8, so fast that it is hypersonic.
Abilities:
THAAD is designed to take out projectiles, namely ballistic missiles, as they are on their downward trajectory towards their target, otherwise known as the "terminal phase".
Purpose:
To protect high-value strategic sites, such as airfields or population centres.
Range:
THAAD can target projectiles both inside and outside of the Earth's atmosphere, at an altitude of 93 miles above the Earth's surface.
Creators:
Lockheed Martin was originally granted the contract to develop the system in 1992. Defence company Raytheon sub-contracts to develop other major parts of the system, such as ground-based radar.
UAE and THAAD:
In 2011, the UAE became the first country outside of the US to buy two THAAD missile defence systems. It then deployed them in 2016, becoming the first Gulf country to do so.
Fixtures and results:
Wed, Aug 29:
- Malaysia bt Hong Kong by 3 wickets
- Oman bt Nepal by 7 wickets
- UAE bt Singapore by 215 runs
Thu, Aug 30: UAE v Nepal; Hong Kong v Singapore; Malaysia v Oman
Sat, Sep 1: UAE v Hong Kong; Oman v Singapore; Malaysia v Nepal
Sun, Sep 2: Hong Kong v Oman; Malaysia v UAE; Nepal v Singapore
Tue, Sep 4: Malaysia v Singapore; UAE v Oman; Nepal v Hong Kong
Thu, Sep 6: Final
