UAE President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan left the country today on a private visit, state news agency WAM reported on Saturday.

He was seen off by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and a number of Sheikhs,said the report.

However, it did not give any details on where he was travelling or for what purpose.

The pro-Western moderniser and head of the ruling family of Abu Dhabi, the largest of the federation's seven emirates, has been president since the death of his father, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al-Nahyan, in 2004.

For much of the past decade, Sheikh Khalifa's younger brother Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, has led negotiations on behalf of the UAE in sectors ranging from energy and defence to investment and politics.

On the military front, the UAE has, since last year, been playing an important role in a Saudi-led Arab coalition fighting in Yemen, reflecting the Gulf country's growing role in Arab politics and its increasing military clout.-Reuters