A funeral service was held in Abu Dhabi on Monday for a young Emirati army recruit who died earlier this week.

State news agency WAM reported that 17-year-old Ali Khalil Abdullah Al Hosani, who was part of the fourth batch of national service cadets in training, suffered cardiac arrest on Sunday night.

Representatives from the UAE Armed Forces expressed their condolences to Al Hosani's family, and the government cited an editorial in The National on Monday describing his death as “sad news not only for his family, but for the country as a whole.

“The young man, like fellow recruit Mohammed Khalid Al Risi who died last year, perished while serving his country.”

Al Hosani’s funeral service and cremation was attended by around 500 people, including his family, friends and relatives, and several dignitaries and government officials.

His brother-in-law Waleed commented that he was “too young and energetic” to have died.

“Initially I did not believe this news, I thought they were joking with me,” he told The National.

Ali was the youngest of three brothers and four sisters. Their mother and father died only seven months ago, it was reported.