United Arab Emirates vice president body arrives today

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) official news agency said that the body of the deputy of the United Arab Emirates, Vice President and ruler of Dubai, the late Maktoum Bin Rashed al-Maktoum, will be arriving today from Australia to the UAE.

Maktoum died on Tuesday in Australia after a severe heard attack while he was on a private visit. The Australian mass media said that Maktoum died of a heart attack in a hotel in Persbian city in Queensland estate, northeast of the country, where he had arrived by the end of December 2005 to attend a horse race.

The President of the UAE, Sheikh Khaleifa Bin Zayed al-Nahyan, eulogized his deputy in an official statement broadcast by the official news agency.

A statement by the ministry of the presidential affairs indicated that official mourning was announced in the country and flags are half mast for 40 days while ministries and government establishments will be closed for seven days as from Wednesday.

Al-Jazeera satellite correspondent said that Maktoum ( 63 year old) died during a vacation, noting thathe had heart surgery several years ago.

It was announced in Dubai later in the day that the crown prince of Dubai and the younger brother of Maktoum, Muhammad Bin Rashed, assumed the post of the ruler.

News reports quoted a UAE official source that Sheikh Muhammad assuming the post of the minister of defense "is made automatically" in Dubai after the death of its ruler.