The UAE President and Vice-President led tributes as the country mourned the passing of Queen Elizabeth II. Britain's longest-reigning monarch and the nation's figurehead for seven decades died aged 96 on Thursday.

The UAE President, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, extended his sincere condolences to the family of Queen Elizabeth II and the people of the UK. Calling her a “close friend of the UAE”, he said the Queen was a “beloved and respected leader whose long reign was characterised by dignity, compassion and a tireless commitment to serving her country”.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, called Queen Elizabeth “a global icon who represented the finest qualities of her nation and people”.

“Her incredible lifetime of service and duty to the United Kingdom is unparalleled in our modern world,” he posted on Twitter.

The UAE and UK share a close bilateral relationship covering economic, strategic and cultural interests. Queen Elizabeth had built the foundation for the friendship when she visited the Emirates back in the late 1970s.

The most travelled monarch in the world, Queen Elizabeth has visited the UAE twice – in 1979 and 2010.

Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, posted his condolences on the Queen’s passing. Calling her a “remarkable Queen”, he said her reign spanned the past six decades, “a time of amazing turbulence and change”.

“She stood unique as an icon of service and national duty,” he posted.