Filed on July 3, 2019 | Last updated on July 3, 2019 at 06.42 am

Sharjah Ruler's son passed away in UK on Monday.

The UAE has declared a three-day mourning after Sheikh Khalid bin Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, the son of the Sharjah Ruler, passed away in the UK on Monday. He was 39.

During this period, the UAE flags across the country will be flown at half-mast.

According to the Ministry of Presidential Affairs, the President, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, mourned the death with "grief and sorrow".

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, also offered his condolences. "My sincere condolences to my brother Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi on the death of Sheikh Khalid bin Sultan. Sincere condolences to the Sons of Sharjah and the people of the Emirates," Sheikh Mohammed tweeted.

His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, also offered his condolences on Twitter.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by HH Shk Dr Sultan AlQasimi (@hhshkdrsultan) on Jul 2, 2019 at 4:25am PDT

Born on April 6, 1980, Sheikh Khalid was a lover of culture, knowledge - and everything art. After all, he grew up in a home surrounded with science, heritage and literature, and his father - His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah - has always been a champion of the arts.

Sheikh Khalid spoke seven languages fluently, aside from his native tongue.

He studied English at the University of London and later took up architecture at the UK's Academy of Engineering. He then went on to become the chairman of the Sharjah Urban Planning Council (SUPC).

With his father as his role model and inspiration, the young man drove the SUPC closer to the Ruler's vision of establishing a unique identity for the emirate - one that embraces both heritage and modernity, culture and science. He led a comprehensive change in urban engineering to further improve community living in Sharjah and boost its economy. He saw major infrastructure projects through - from planning to implementation. He visualised the need for more roads, more transportation options, larger green community spaces - and he prepared for them.

He was a leader in his own right.

The Sharjah Ruler's Court expressed its deepest condolences to the Ruler of Sharjah and the rest of the family. It said it would announce the details of the funeral prayers after the body arrives in the country.

reporters@khaleejtimes.com