Sheikh Hamdan turns 42: 5 ways the Dubai Crown Prince proves he's one of us

Think of royals and, instantly, you'll imagine people wearing bejewelled crowns, surrounded by a huge entourage. But the Crown Prince of Dubai is nothing like that — in fact, in some ways, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum is just like any of us.

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As Sheikh Hamdan turns 42 today, we look back at some 'ordinary' moments from the prince's extraordinary life as he leads the emirate's transformation.

1. His day starts with coffee

On the morning of his birthday today, he posted a story on Instagram. And while some would have done a breakfast party, Sheikh Hamdan kept it simple. He started the day with coffee.

He shared a photo of Arabic coffee being brewed in a traditional dallah (coffee pot):

Soon after, he went to the gym and ran on the treadmill to hit his fitness goals for the day (Remember? It's Day 20 of the Dubai Fitness Challenge, an initiative he has helmed since 2017 to make the emirate the most active city in the world).

2. He shops for groceries with his kids

Any parent would know that going to the grocery store with young children could be a lot of work. There could be non-stop running across the shop, plus the possibility of meltdowns over candies they are not allowed to have. Yet, families do it anyway — because it's a fun learning experience for kids.

Sheikh Hamdan did just that some time in August, when he and his family were on a holiday abroad.

Check out this photo of the Dubai Crown Prince in a hoodie, filling up a shopping cart with his kids (one of them seated right in the cart):

3. He loves the viral Dubai chocolate

With everyone talking about the viral pistachio kunafa chocolate of Fix, of course, Sheikh Hamdan knew about it, too. And he loved it.

But since he's the crown prince, he went beyond the trend and collaborated with the chocolate's makers to come up with his own flavour. How cool is that?

4. He jumps on trends for the 'Gram

Remember when Netflix released a template where Netizens can insert an image and share it as if it's a new show titled 'My Best Day'?

• Sheikh Hamdan visits employee who helped wheelchair-bound elderly woman