Sheikha Hessa, mother of United Arab Emirates' ruler, dies

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Sheikha Hessa bint Mohammed Al Nahyan, the mother of the ruler of the United Arab Emirates, has died.

The state-run WAM news agency announced Sheikha Hessa's death on Sunday, without offering any details or giving her age.

WAM said the UAE would observe three days of mourning beginning Sunday.

Sheikha Hessa was the first wife of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the first president of the UAE when the federation of seven sheikhdoms became a country in 1971.

She gave birth in 1948 to Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who became president after Sheikh Zayed's death in 2004. Sheikh Khalifa is also the ruler of oil-rich Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE.