DUBAI — Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, deputy ruler of Dubai and minister of finance of the United Arab Emirates, passed away this morning. The Dubai Ruler"s Court said that in view of current exceptional circumstances and due to precautionary measures in place, funeral prayer for the deceased will be limited to family members only. The Ministry of Presidential Affairs has expressed its condolences on the death of Sheikh Hamdan, who passed away on Wednesday. In a statement Wednesday, President Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan expressed his sincere condolences and sympathies to Al Maktoum family, asking Allah Almighty to grant them patience and solace to bear their loss. The UAE President has announced a three-day mourning period and ordered that the UAE national flag be flown at half-mast starting Wednesday and be raised next Saturday, March 27. — SAP/WAM