As UAE President, Sheikh Khalifa oversaw years of progress and development, including major advances in infrastructure, housing and marine policies.
From 2004 until his death last Friday, Sheikh Khalifa guided the UAE towards huge achievements, including about Dh40 billion in developments overseen by the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, state news agency Wam reported.
In addition, Sheikh Khalifa expanded the country's ports, which encouraged a surge in container traffic.
Here are some of Sheikh Khalifa's achievements.
Infrastructure and housing
During Sheikh Khalifa's presidency, the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure enacted projects worth more than Dh40bn, including the establishment, completion and upgrading of more than 230 public schools, the development of a world-class system of hospitals and 32 federal government health facilities, and the establishment of 24 fishing ports.
The ministry achieved considerable progress in terms of roads, with the total length of federal roads reaching more than 900 kilometres through the completion of more than 140 projects.
The total length of traffic lanes on federal roads grew to 4,300km over the past 18 years, linking the country's regions and cities.
More than 106 dams have been constructed and maintained over the past 20 years, with the capacity of the country’s dams and reservoirs increasing to more than 200 million cubic metres, strengthening its water security system, Wam reported.
And the Sheikh Zayed Housing Programme has contributed to the stability of more than 33,838 Emirati families by providing housing support and establishing integrated residential districts.
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Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Ahmed Nasser Al Mohammed Al Sabah writes in the book of condolences. AFP -
Heads of diplomatic missions to Saudi Arabia visited the embassy to sign the condolence book and offer their tributes to the late Sheikh Khalifa. Photo: UAE embassy KSA -
Mohammad Sadiq Sanjrani, Chairman of the Senate of Pakistan, visits the UAE Embassy in Islamabad to offers condolences. Photo: UAE Embassy in Islamabad -
In Rome, ambassador Omar Obaid Al Shamsi accepted the condolences of Sheikh Azzam Al Sabah, ambassador of Kuwait to Italy, and Dr Ahmed Baomar, Oman’s ambassador to Italy. Photo: UAE Embassy in Rome -
The UAE's ambassador to the UK, Mansoor Abulhoul, and fellow diplomats received visitors who came to express their condolences. Photo: UAE embassy in the UK -
Badr Al Awadi, ambassador of Kuwait to Korea and Dean of the Diplomatic Corps for Arab countries in Korea, offers his condolences. Photo: UAE Embassy in Seoul -
Representatives of Peru's government and heads of missions to Peru offered their condolences, including María Del Pilar Cordero Jon Tay, a member of the Peruvian parliament, pictured. Photo: UAE Embassy in Peru -
Several ambassadors to Malaysia and Malaysian officials and journalists attended the funeral ceremony in absentia of Sheikh Khalifa. Photo: UAE Embassy in Kuala Lumpur -
Sheikh Dr Muhammad Khater Issa, Chairman of the Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs in Chad, offered his condolences. Photo: UAE Embassy in Chad -
Mikhail Bogdanov, special envoy of the Russian president for the Middle East and Africa and deputy minister of foreign affairs, offers his condolences at the UAE embassy in Moscow. Photo: UAE Embassy, Moscow -
Since Friday, the US Embassy has received friends from the diplomatic community in Washington to express condolences, including ambassador Salem Al Sabah and diplomats from Kuwait, and former US ambassador to the UAE, David Mack. Photo: UAE embassy in the US -
Mini Arkoi Minawi, governor of the Darfur region in Sudan, offered his condolences. Photo: UAE embassy, Sudan -
Park Jin, South Korea's foreign minister, attended UAE Embassy in Seoul to offer his condolences. Photo: UAE embassy Seoul -
Dr S. Jaishankar, India’s external affairs minister, visited the UAE Embassy in India to sign the condolence book and extend his deepest condolences on the death of Sheikh Khalifa and to convey the condolences of Indian government to the leadership and people of UAE. Photo: UAE embassy India -
Ambassador Khalil Yaqoob AlKhayat, Assistant Undersecretary for Consular Affairs of Bahrain's Foreign Ministry, offered his condolences. Photo: UAE embassy Manama -
Ambassador Lana Nusseibeh and UAE diplomats received ambassadors and diplomats from friendly nations including GCC and Arab states, who offered their condolences. Photo: UAE embassy Mission to UN -
The UAE Embassy to the People’s Republic of China received heads of missions, officials and members of the diplomatic community to offer their condolences. Photo: UAE embassy China -
Ambassadors and representatives of diplomatic missions in New Zealand extended their condolences. Photo: UAE embassy New Zealand -
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, foreign minister of Pakistan, visits the UAE Embassy in Islamabad and offers his condolences, writing "may Allah rest his soul in peace". Photo: UAE embassy Islamabad -
Marzouq Al Ghanim, speaker of the Kuwaiti National Assembly, offered his condolences at the UAE’s embassy in Kuwait. Photo: UAE embassy Kuwait -
Amer bin Ali Al Shehri, ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Chad, expressed his condolences. Photo: UAE embassy Chad -
The UAE Embassy in Argentina received a number of ambassadors of sister Arab countries, accredited diplomats and a number of dignitaries, to offer their condolences. Photo: UAE embassy Argentina -
Hind Al Otaiba, ambassador of the UAE in France, receives several diplomats and guests at the embassy in Paris to offer their condolences. Photo: UAE embassy France -
UAE Ambassador to Poland Dr Iman Al Salami and representatives from the mission received mourners to offer their condolences. Photo: UAE embassy Warsaw -
Wael Hamed, Egypt's ambassador to India, and Muhammad Jabal, the Egyptian military attaché, visited the UAE Embassy in India to offer condolences. Photo: UAE embassy India
Marine policies
The UAE also became a leader in several global competitiveness indicators in the maritime sector during Sheikh Khalifa's presidency.
Last year, for example, the UAE was re-elected to the Council of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) in the B membership category for the third time, receiving international praise for its pivotal role in developing strategies, policies and agreements that enhance maritime safety standards, protect the marine environment and enhance the efficiency of global industry.
The UAE made huge strides within the marine sector locally, with a focus on catering to regional and global maritime needs in terms of providing the best infrastructure and top-class services.
The country's competencies have helped it gain the status as a key global maritime hub.
The sector’s contribution to the country’s gross domestic product is Dh90bn annually.
The UAE's ports rank among the top 10 internationally in the volume of container handling and there are more 27,000 maritime companies in the UAE.
Its ports handled more than 19 million “20-foot equivalent units” in 2021, Wam said, and there were more than 25,000 port calls in the country during the same year.
The country's national fleet capacity stands at 21 million deadweight tonnage and the national fleet in 2020 consisted of 970 vessels.
