KUALA LUMPUR: Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah has met the new United Arab Emirates (UAE) President Sheikh Mohamed Zayed Al Nahyan at Mushrif Place, Abu Dhabi at around noon local time.

       According to Comptroller of the Royal Household for Istana Negara Datuk Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin, His Majesty was received by Sheikh Mohamed.

       "During the face-to-face meeting that lasted almost an hour, His Majesty conveyed his condolences to the President and the UAE government, and congratulated Sheikh Mohamed on his appointment as the new President and head of state of the UAE," he said in a statement posted on the Istana Negara Facebook account on Monday (May 16).

       According to Ahmad Fadil, the King also expressed his sadness over the death of Sheikh Khalifa Zayed Al Nahyan, the former UAE president and ruler of Abu Dhabi, and prayed that he would be blessed by Allah SWT and placed among the faithful.

       He said the King viewed the death of Sheikh Khalifa as a great loss for UAE citizens and other Arab nations and expressed his hope that his family would remain strong in dealing with such a loss.

       UAE Prime Minister and Dubai ruler, Sheikh Mohammed Rashid Al Maktoum, Fujarah ruler, Sheikh Hamad Mohammed Al Sharqi and Syarjah ruler, Sheikh Sultan Al Mohamed Al Qasimi and other UAE Cabinet ministers were also present at the meeting.

       According to Ahmad Fadil, His Majesty's entourage to Mushrif Place included Comptroller of the Royal Household for Istana Negara Datuk Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin, Foreign Ministry Chief of Protocol Datuk Wan Zaidi Wan Abdullah and Chief Protocol Officer of the Malaysian Government Datuk Rozainor Ramli.

       He said Malaysia and UAE had very cordial and close bilateral relations at all levels, including between leaders and their people, adding that the King said that the existing ties should be improved especially in economic, commerce and investment matters.

       "His Majesty's visit to Abu Dhabi was at the personal invitation of Sheikh Mohamed," he added.

       Other heads of state also visited the Mushrif Palace today to meet Sheikh Mohamed and pay their last respects to Sheikh Khalifa. – Bernama