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Al Ain: The feeling of emptiness was more than palpable. There was a hushed silence in the streets yesterday. Saif Saeed Al Ka'abi, a national businessman in Al Ain, said the nation has lost another great leader after the death of Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan. "Shaikh Maktoum Bin Rashid Al Maktoum was a great leader with exceptional vision." Al Ka'abi said Shaikh Maktoum's vision and planning transformed Dubai into a modern emirate and helped in the country's overall development. "He was also such a kind person that the entire nation would long mourn his demise," he said.
Abdul Aziz Khalfan, a young national student, said Shaikh Maktoum was a close associate of Shaikh Zayed and one of the main architects of the UAE's modernisation and development. "He was the man with ideas, his demise is a great national loss and nobody can ever take Shaikh Maktoum's place," he said while wiping tears from his eyes. Abdullah Ali, another national, said the nation had lost another beloved leader. He was a man with great kindness and compassion for the nation in his heart. "He gave his full attention to the well-being of UAE to minimise the suffering older generations had earlier suffered from," he said. Ali said it was simply unbelievable that Shaikh Maktoum had passed away. He has, however, left the nation on a strong footing. "His vision, dedication and planning for fast development would keep him alive in the heart of the nation forever," he said. Munir Ahmad Qureshi, a Pakistani businessman in Al Ain, said it is a great loss for UAE. Shaikh Maktoum was a key person behind the phenomenal development of Dubai. In his capacity of Vice-President and Prime Minister of the country he also played an active role in the well-being of nationals and expatriates alike.
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