President Rodrigo Duterte extended his deepest condolence over the death of United Arab Emirates (UAE) President Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

In a brief statement Wednesday, Malacanang said :'' The President conveys the Filipino nation's solidarity with the UAE in this period of great loss and bereavement."

Duterte said Sheik Khalifa was a "bold visionary whose leadership was crucial in the UAE's sustained economic transformation and deeper engagement with the international community including the Philippines."

The Palace noted Duterte's sympathy message was conveyed to the UAE through his Special Envoy Secretary Robert E. A. Borje.

UAE reported the death of Sheikh Khalifa last week.

"The President said His Highness Sheikh Khalifa will long be remembered even beyond the UAE for his legacy of leadership, wisdom and benevolence," Malacanang said.

The Philippines has close ties with UAE, one of the top destinations for overseas Filipino workers (OFW).

The Philippine Statistics Authority said 14.6 percent or 258,420 of the 1.77 million OFWs abroad in 2020 are in the UAE. DMS