Berlin (ANTARA News/IRNA) - Former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak has reportedly left his homeland on Friday to head to the Persian Gulf sheikdom of United Arab Emirates where he has been granted refuge, the website of the weekly Hamburg-based stern news magazine said on Sunday.

It quoted several sources as saying that a plane belonging to the private Air Arabia airline company, had flown the 82-year-old Mubarak from the Egyptian seaside resort of Sharm al-Sheikh to Sharjah where a 19-vehicle convoy had been waiting for him.

Mubarak`s family, including his wife, had already left Egypt on Tuesday for Sharjah which is one of the UAE emirates.

His family is reportedly residing in one of the palaces of the UAE rulers who have in the past been one of the close allies of the ex-Egyptian dictator.

Mubarak stepped down from his presidential post on Friday as a result of the worst political unrest in his country during his 30-year tenure as head of the Arab state.(*)

Editor: Ruslan Burhani
Copyright © ANTARA 2011