DUBAI: The health of the UAE president is “stable and reassuring,” following a stroke he suffered last month, according to a top official in the Gulf federation.

The comments by Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, are a rare update on the health of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, who underwent surgery shortly after falling ill on Jan. 24.

“The president’s state of health is stable and reassuring,” the Abu Dhabi crown prince, Sheikh Mohammed, was quoted as saying. “His Highness Sheikh Khalifa is fine. Yes, we have passed through difficult moments, but we have been able, thanks to God, to pass beyond them.”

Khalifa, 66, has not been seen in public since his illness was reported by state media a day after he fell ill. His condition has been described as stable, though officials have not disclosed the severity of his illness.