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Dubai: The final farewell is always traumatic. It is then that realisation dawns the loved one shall never return. Grief enveloped the nation yesterday as the hour drew near to lay Shaikh Maktoum Bin Rashid Al Maktoum to rest. With a prayer on their lips and warm memories rushing by, thousands of you-ng and old people thronged the roads leading to Zabeel Mosque and the Umm Hurair cemetery to say goodbye. And it was those memories that had made it so difficult to come to terms with his demise. Residents, UAE nationals and expatriates spoke of a leader who only had their interests in his mind. They reminisced about how he played a pivotal role in the development of the UAE and Dubai. Saif Thani, a UAE national, said: "The whole nation is crying for him ... Shaikh Maktoum meant everything to us. May God bless his soul."
"I came here at 10am," said Mohammad Arif, an Indian who waited two hours to to get into the cemetery and offer prayers at Shaikh Maktoum's grave. The city was unusually quiet yesterday. The people's ruler had gone, but his memories will stay etched in hearts forever.
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