Khalid Al Qasimi, a fashion designer and son of the Sharjahruler has died in London, officials have announced.
Khalid Al Qasimi, the second son of Sheikh Mohammed AlQasimi, was found dead in an apartment in the British capital on Monday. Londonpolice say his death is being treated as unexplained, the BBC reported.
The 39-year-old had forged a career for himself as a fashiondesigner. Clothes from his label, Qasimi, were shown at London Fashion Week.
The label said in a statement that he had “unexpectedlypassed away” but no details of the circumstances of his death werereleased.
It added that “Khalid was praised for his tenacious yetsensitive exploration of social-political issues” and continued: “Thedesign world has lost a great philosopher and artist”.
Funeral prayers were held on Wednesday in the United ArabEmirates, where three days of national mourning were declared. Flags were flownat half-mast to mark the death.
His father, who has ruled Sharjah since 1972, expressed hissorrow in an Instagram post on Tuesday, saying his son was “in the care ofGod”.
The President of the UAE and ruler of Abu Dhabi, SheikhKhalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, offered his condolences to Sheikh Sultan and hisfamily.
Khalid Al Qasimi’s body was discovered by emergency servicesat an address in Knightbridge in central London. The cause of death was unknownafter an autopsy on Tuesday gave inconclusive results, Scotland Yard said.
Al Qasimi moved to the UK when he was nine years old, wherehe attended Tonbridge School in Kent and University College London, where hestudied French and Spanish.
He continued his education in architecture and fashion atthe Central Saint Martins art college in London. Al Qasimi released his firstcollection in 2008.
A statement on the Qasimi website said: “Khalid waspraised for his tenacious yet sensitive exploration of social-political issues,particularly pertaining to the Middle East and its sometimes strainedrelationship with the West, a subject very close to his heart and upbringing.
“His goal was to create ‘a world of beautifully craftedproducts infused with cultural, social and political undertones to inform andinspire’.”
“The design world has lost a great philosopher andartist.”