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UAE President Sheikh Mohamed's Father's Day message goes viral; Emiratis share rare photos, videos of Sheikh Zayed

Sheikh Hamdan also wished the world with a heartwarming video of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid

Published: Wed 21 Jun 2023, 12:37 PM

Updated: Wed 21 Jun 2023, 11:21 PM

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Social media is buzzing with videos and photos of the UAE’s founding father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. This is in response to a tweet by the UAE President, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

The UAE leader has nearly 5 million followers on microblogging platform Twitter. In the tweet, Sheikh Mohamed posted #FathersDay in Arabic and a simple message: “Do you remember?” His tweet went viral within a couple of hours, amassing nearly a million views and thousands of likes and responses. Such is the popularity of the tweet that the hashtag is among the top trends in the UAE on Wednesday.

Later in the day, Sheikh Mohamed posted this touching tribute to his father and dedicated the day to the late ruler:

In response to Sheikh Mohamed's earlier post, Emiratis offered prayers for the late Sheikh Zayed, highlighting how his memories live on. “We will never forget our father, Sheikh Zayed. He will live in our hearts forever,” an Emirati posted, sharing a collage of rare photos of Sheikh Zayed.

Another Emirati posted a photo of Sheikh Mohamed with Sheikh Zayed. “We remember our late father as the builder of our homeland.”

The first UAE President, Sheikh Zayed, is called ‘Father of the Nation’ for his role in unifying the emirates. He served as President from 1971 till he passed away in 2004.

Netizens remembered the beloved leader as an epitome of humility:

One Emirati shared a video of Sheikh Zayed helping a child with his headgear:

Sheikh Hamdan posts heartwarming video

Father's Day is celebrated on different dates. In the UAE, it is marked on June 21. Though it is not a holiday in the Emirates, UAE residents use the occasion to express their love for their fathers.

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, posted a video as a tribute to his father, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. The video shows Sheikh Hamdan as a toddler on his father's lap as they share a tender moment.

Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, First Deputy Ruler of Dubai, and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, posted a beautiful video and highlighted the lessons he learned from Sheikh Mohammed:

A father is the most important teacher for his children, Sheikh Maktoum wrote. He supports the family, is its pride and instrumental in ensuring their safety. “I learned from Sheikh Mohammed that the love of fathers is strength and their belief in the dreams of their children is empowerment.”

An out-of-this-world wish

This post is out of this world. Literally. Tweeting from the International Space Station (ISS), Emirati astronaut Sultan AlNeyadi has shared his most prized possession, a photo of Sheikh Mohamed interacting with his father.

“Today, we honour the father of our nation, Sheikh Zayed, whose dreams we're privileged to live and salute our inspirational leader Sheikh Mohamed, whose footsteps we strive to follow. To my inspiration, my dad Saif AlNeyadi, thank you for being my guiding light,” the astronaut tweeted.

The photo was taken when Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed visited AlNeyadi’s home in Umm Ghafa, ​​Al Ain, in September 2022 — months before the astronaut blasted off to the ISS.

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