The grandest celebration of Indian Cinema, the International Indian Film Academy and Awards, was set to thrill fans with its 22nd edition in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi on May 20 and 21, 2022. But, due to the death of UAE President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the event has been postponed.

The president passed away at the age of 73 after battling illness for several years. “The Ministry of Presidential Affairs has mourned to the UAE people, Arab and Islamic nations and the world the death of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan," the official WAM news agency tweeted.

Since UAE has announced 40 days of mourning, with flags at half-mast from Friday and work has been suspended for the first three days in the public and private sectors, IIFA has decided to postpone the award ceremony. It will now take place in July 2022 and the dates are 14th, 15th and 16th.

Hosted by Salman Khan and Riteish Deshmukh, the highly anticipated event promises to be a mélange of glitz and glamour with stunning performances from Bollywood’s superstars including Varun Dhawan, Ananya Panday among others.

Also Read: Salman Khan reveals Devi Sri Prasad, Shreya Ghoshal, and Tanishk Bagchi along with Varun Dhawan and Ananya Panday will be performing at IIFA 2022