Egypt holds full-honours military funeral for former president Mubarak

Egypt held a full-honours military funeral in Cairo on Wednesday to bury its former president Hosni Mubarak, who ruled for 30 years.

Horses drew Mubarak's coffin draped in the Egyptian flag at a mosque complex, followed by a procession led by President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi, Egypt's top military brass, Mubarak's sons Alaa and Gamal and other Egyptian and Arab dignitaries.

Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak passes away

Mubarak died on Tuesday in intensive care weeks after undergoing surgery.

UAE President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan sent a cable of condolences to Sisi on the death of Hosni Mubarak.

President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi (C) and the sons of Hosni Mubarak, Alaa (2nd R) and Gamal (R), attend Mubarak's funeral ceremony in Cairo. AFP

In the cable, Sheikh Khalifa expressed his heartfelt condolences and solace on the death of Hosni Mubarak.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, also dispatched similar cables of condolences to the Egyptian President.

The UAE's Ministry of Presidential Affairs has mourned the death of Hosni Mubarak.

Egypt's presidency and armed forces mourned the former air force officer as a hero for his role in the 1973 Arab-Israeli war. The presidency declared three days of national mourning.

Mourners attend the funeral of Hosni Mubarak, east of Cairo. Reuters

Mubarak's coffin was to be airlifted from the Field Marshall Tantawi mosque to the family burial grounds, state television reported.

Dozens of Mubarak supporters, some from his home village Kafr Al Meselha in the Nile Delta, gathered outside the mosque, where the military funeral will take place.

"I am happy that his pride was restored" after his removal, "and for the state's appreciation for him after his death," said Zeenat Touhami, a 35-year old woman from Cairo. "This is the history of 30 years, the farewell of 30 years."

Former parliament speaker Ahmad Fathi Sorour condoles Omar Alaa Mubarak, the grandson of Hosni Mubarak, near his father Alaa (2nd R) and uncle Gamal (2nd L), at Mubarak's funeral ceremony. AFP

Egyptian state and private newspapers ran front page pictures of Mubarak, while state TV showed excerpts of previous speeches.

The UAE's Ministry of Presidential Affairs has mourned the death of Hosni Mubarak.

The ministry issued a statement saying, "Today, the Arab world has lost a prominent leader who devoted his life to the service of his country and the Arab world. Hosni Mubarak had a special relationship with the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan and a strong bond with The President, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who together helped bolster ties between the two countries further."

According to the statement, the UAE President has ordered for the UAE flag to be flown at half-mast across the country's government bodies and diplomatic missions abroad for a one-day period.