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Happy 40th birthday, Sheikh Hamdan: 7 times Dubai Crown Prince’s viral posts inspired the world

From meeting hero residents to taking selfies with people he met on the street, the royal has won hearts throughout the year

Published: Mon 14 Nov 2022, 2:29 PM

Updated: Mon 14 Nov 2022, 7:38 PM

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The Dubai Crown Prince shares an incredible bond with the people — both online and in-person. He has to be among the most popular leaders on social media, who, despite his taxing schedule, interacts with his millions of followers almost on a daily basis.

As Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum turns 40 today, we list out the instances when he won hearts, inspired people with his kindness or just wowed the world with his tech savviness.

1. Royal recognition for goodness

In August 2022, Pakistani delivery boy Abdul Ghafoor had the meeting of a lifetime when Sheikh Hamdan invited him. Ghafoor had removed two concrete blocks from a busy road — potentially preventing accidents. A video of his act went viral on social media, with the Dubai Crown Prince seeking public help to locate him.

“An honour to meet you Abdul Ghafoor, a true example to be followed,” Sheikh Hamdan posted, as he shared a photo of the meeting.

2. A royal touch to normal

A photo showing the Dubai Crown Prince taking a ride on the famous London Underground went viral. Just Sheikh Hamdan doing regular, everyday things.

3. As tech-savvy as it gets

In September, Sheikh Hamdan left many of his followers puzzled with a one-word tweet: “Dubai”. The Dubai Crown Prince had joined the social media fad that saw prominent accounts — including those of celebrities — tweet just a single word which means something to them. Well, to our Crown Prince, Dubai means the world and more!

4. A selfie to remember

Earlier this year, a video of Sheikh Hamdan posing for a selfie with two Dubai residents he met in London went viral. In the video posted by Ahmed Jaber Al Harbi — a close friend of Sheikh Hamdan — the Dubai Crown Prince is seen posing for the selfie as he waits in his car. He even helped the woman with her phone when she struggled to take the photo.

5. Giving wings to a 4-year-old’s singing dreams

A Filipino boy, 4-year-old Kael Lim, shot to fame when Sheikh Hamdan posted a video of his rendition of the classic Bee Gees hit How Deep is Your Love as an Instagram Story.

“I was surprised when a friend from Dubai messaged that the prince had posted it,” his mother Manel Lim had told Khaleej Times after her boy became a viral sensation. “In fact, I didn’t believe her. Kael and I were doing some schoolwork when I got the message. I quickly logged on social media and saw that it was indeed true.”

6. The balancing act

UAE residents got the perfect motivation to begin their 30-day fitness challenge from the city’s biggest fitness enthusiast: the Dubai Crown Prince. On day 1 of the challenge, Sheikh Hamdan posted an incredibly difficult workout routine that showed his body strength and balancing skills.

7. Helping document a pod of rare killer whales

Sheikh Hamdan’s social media posts have helped document a pod of rare killer whales off the Emirate. He had posted details about spotting an Orca in Dubai, and a rare whale in the Dubai Harbour. His sightings have helped the UAE Dolphin Project team document six females, one male and a calf.

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