Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, on Thursday led tributes to the late Easa Al Gurg.
Al Gurg was one of the UAE's pioneering businessmen, bankers and also a key diplomat as the country emerged on the world stage. His death was announced on Thursday.
The businessman was also known for his dedication to humanitarian causes.
"He was one of the most important men of our national economy," Sheikh Mohammed said on Thursday.
"May God have mercy on him."
Al Gurg was among the group of visionary people who helped to oversee the rise of Dubai and the modern-day UAE. Even before the country was formed, he was a member of the Trucial States Development Board, which sought to improve the lives of people who lived in the Trucial States.
He went on to serve beside Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed, Ruler of Dubai, as it was transformed from a small town to the global metropolis it is today.
Al Gurg was one of a dwindling number of people who could remember the city before the boom and just how difficult the journey was.
He later founded the Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group that grew to become a huge conglomerate spanning retail, building and construction, industrial and property.
"It is with profound sadness we announce the passing of our beloved chairman and founder," the Al Gurg Group said.
Abdul Ghafar Hussain, a prominent Emirati writer, also paid tribute to Al Gurg, pointing out his early role in the 1950s with the British Bank in Dubai.
"He worked in the diplomatic sector as the UAE’s ambassador to the UK and was a prominent businessman. May God have mercy on him," he wrote on social media.
Mahmood Al Awadi, a publisher in Dubai, said he was honoured to have been involved in the publication of Al Gurg's 1988 autobiography, The Wells of Memory.
Sultan Al Ameemi, president of the Emirates Writers Union, also expressed his condolences.
Al Gurg had a distinguished history of service to the country, said Mr Al Ameemi.
His role in the UAE's growth was not limited to business and he also sought to enhance the country's reputation on the global stage. He served as ambassador to the UK and Ireland in this regard.
His contribution to charitable causes was also important and he created a legacy of philanthropy. Today the Al Gurg Charity Foundation is a testament to his humanitarianism and numerous foundation scholarships have helped young students.
He was honoured by the UAE Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who awarded him the Order of Zayed II in 1997.
The Order of Zayed is the UAE's highest civilian honour.
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1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
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5 minutes – the average time that staff have to eat
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
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NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, last-16. first leg
Atletico Madrid v Juventus, midnight (Thursday), BeIN Sports
THE SPECS
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Top New Zealand cop on policing the virtual world
New Zealand police began closer scrutiny of social media and online communities after the attacks on two mosques in March, the country's top officer said.
The killing of 51 people in Christchurch and wounding of more than 40 others shocked the world. Brenton Tarrant, a suspected white supremacist, was accused of the killings. His trial is ongoing and he denies the charges.
Mike Bush, commissioner of New Zealand Police, said officers looked closely at how they monitored social media in the wake of the tragedy to see if lessons could be learned.
“We decided that it was fit for purpose but we need to deepen it in terms of community relationships, extending them not only with the traditional community but the virtual one as well," he told The National.
"We want to get ahead of attacks like we suffered in New Zealand so we have to challenge ourselves to be better."
How has net migration to UK changed?
The figure was broadly flat immediately before the Covid-19 pandemic, standing at 216,000 in the year to June 2018 and 224,000 in the year to June 2019.
It then dropped to an estimated 111,000 in the year to June 2020 when restrictions introduced during the pandemic limited travel and movement.
The total rose to 254,000 in the year to June 2021, followed by steep jumps to 634,000 in the year to June 2022 and 906,000 in the year to June 2023.
The latest available figure of 728,000 for the 12 months to June 2024 suggests levels are starting to decrease.
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2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
