UAE ruler leaves country on private trip abroad

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – The ruler of the United Arab Emirates has left the country on a private trip.

The state-run WAM news agency reported Saturday that Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan had travelled abroad. It provided no other details.

Sheikh Khalifa was born in 1948 and became president after his father, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, died in 2004. He is also the ruler of Abu Dhabi, the oil-rich capital of the seven UAE sheikhdoms.

Sheikh Khalifa suffered a stroke on Jan. 24, 2014, and underwent emergency surgery. He has taken several private trips abroad since then.

In late June, he made a rare public appearance on state media to mark the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The video showed him speaking, but carried no sound.