DUBAI: Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai's deputy ruler and the United Arab Emirates' long-serving finance minister, has died, Dubai's ruler said on Wednesday. Sheikh Hamdan, 75, was the brother of the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum. He had been unwell for some months and had surgery abroad in October. Dubai's ruler bid farewell to "my brother, my support, my lifelong friend". The UAE's de facto ruler, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nayhan, tweeted: "Today we lost one of the UAE's faithful men after a life rich with giving and true patriotic work."

Funeral prayers will be restricted to family members due to the (Covid-19) pandemic.