Being one of 13 children, and not the eldest, on February 1, 2008 Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum was nevertheless announced Crown Prince of Dubai. The devilishly attractive prince instantly became the object of media attention, and his personal Instagram has not thousands, but millions of subscribers. So who is he, the chosen one of fate?

Hamdan is 34 years old today, and his life is definitely not boring and far from idle. In addition to the official positions that a newly-crowned crown prince is entitled to (chairman of the Executive Council of the City of Dubai, head of the hedge fund HN Capital LLP, head of the Young Entrepreneurs Support League and president of the university), Hamdan has many hobbies to which he devotes his free time.

The Crown Prince manages to practice falconry, cycling, attends horse racing, diving, skydiving, and even writes poetry under the pseudonym Fazza. And at home, on his magnificent estate, the prince is waiting not only for his family, but also for his exotic pets, including camels, white tigers and lions. Hamdan also owns several thoroughbred stallions that regularly win races.

Of course, the Crown Prince is no stranger to the desire for luxury - he often travels around incredible beautiful places planet, stops only in the most best hotels, and also travels on his own yacht or on one of his many expensive cars. Not only is the prince fabulously rich, he is also very attractive and is still unmarried, which makes him one of the most eligible bachelors on the planet. Moreover, Hamdan is known for his excellent education and desire to help those in need - the prince devotes a lot of time to charity, helping sick children, the disabled and sponsoring hospitals.

Jogging athlete, horse owner, poet, heir to the royal family, son of Sheikh Mohammed al-Maktoum, crown prince Hamdan bin Mohammed al-Maktoum is shrouded in an enviable aura of power, fabulous wealth and romance. Chairman of the Dubai City Council, President of the Sports Committee of the Emirate of Dubai, honorary patron of the Dubai Center for Autism Research and the Youth Business Support League, Sheikh Hamdan has long been an eligible bachelor who remains single. Will anyone get this handsome man or does he have a place in his heart for one single passion - horses?

Roots and branches

Sheikh Hamdan is one of the twenty-three (and counting!) children of Sheikh Mohammed, Prime Minister and Vice President of the United Arab Emirates and head of the Emirate of Dubai from the Al Maktoum dynasty. Understanding the intricacies of the family tree of Arab rulers is quite simple. The Maktoum family traces its origins to the Bani Yas tribal group that inhabited the emirates of Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The dynasty itself dates back 180 years, since its founder Sheikh Maktoum bin Butty founded his own emirate in the Dubai Creek area in 1833. Currently, the ruling dynasty is continued by Sheikh Mohammed al-Maktoum, who in 2006 became the tenth ruler of Dubai. On this moment the sheikh has nine sons and fourteen daughters. Mohammed is married to Hind bint Maktoum, who is the mother of twelve children, including Sheikh Hamdan. The sheikh's second wife was the famous (primarily in the world of equestrian sports) Jordanian princess Haya bint al-Hussein, who in 2007 gave birth to Mohammed's girl Al-Jalil, and in January 2012 - a son, Zayed. Thus, Sheikh Hamdan is the Crown Prince of the Emirate of Dubai and the stepson of Princess Haya.

In the spirit of tradition

Hamdan al-Maktoum was born on November 13, 1982. Despite the fact that from the very birth the prince was surrounded by incredible luxury, he was brought up in the spirit of traditional values. “My father, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, is my mentor in life. I always continue to learn from him, and his experience helps me in solving many strategic issues. My mother, Sheikha Hind, is a true example of a loving and caring mother. She raised me in an atmosphere of absolute love and affection and still supports me even though I have grown up. I will never forget my mother's deep devotion and kindness. “I have great respect for her and believe that any society that does not value mothers is dishonest and worthless,” says the prince. - I enjoyed a peaceful childhood surrounded by my family and was raised in an environment that allowed me to realize my purpose in life and reflect on the greatness of God. The beauty of the desert gave me a sense of harmony and helped me merge with nature - this is how I was able to develop my poetic gift, and with the help of my father I got the chance to make the impossible possible.”

Hamdan bin Mohammed AL-MAKTOUM at YAMAMAHA

School years are wonderful...

Sheikh Hamdan began his studies at a Dubai private high school named after Sheikh Rashid, created according to the English model. By the way, it was founded in 1986 by Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid al-Maktoum, so the boy seemed to never leave the family. The young man continued his studies at the Faculty of Public Administration at the Dubai Government School, and then went to the UK. There he became a student and then a graduate of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (which, by the way, Prince Harry also graduated from younger son British Prince Charles and Princess Diana). Later, Sheikh Hamdan attended specialized courses at the London School of Economics and finally, armed with knowledge, returned to his native Emirates. “My school days and college days were the most wonderful time of my life and I still remember my peers and friends. A military academy such as Sandhurst teaches not only the basic disciplines, but also virtue, responsibility and commitment to one's country. These are very important values ​​that people need both in Everyday life, and at the state level, when they are entrusted with serious responsibilities.”

From his father, Sheikh Mohammed, (left), Prince Hamdan bin Mohammed will inherit power over one

one of the richest and most influential regions in the Middle East

The sands of Time

Already from the prince’s statements one can notice that he is a romantic person - Hamdan is also known as a talented poet. He publishes his poetry under the pseudonym Fazza. “Fazza represents my poetic personality and personality. This word in the Emirati dialect means a person who selflessly rushes to the aid of all those who are in trouble. My poetry can fill people's hearts with happiness and help ease their suffering. I was greatly impressed by my father's passion for poetry, and I also had the chance to meet many poets who helped me discover and develop my own style. WITH early years my father listened to my poems and gently advised me in which direction to move forward.” Once at a press conference, the prince was asked why he chose such a pseudonym for himself. Hamdan replied that he once met an old man in the desert whose car was stuck in the sand. He helped pull out the car and was about to leave, without waiting for words of gratitude, but then the old man called out to him and said: “You are Fazza.” The prince liked this nickname so much that it became his middle name and poetic pseudonym. Hamdan's poems are mostly romantic and patriotic and, of course, many are dedicated to his main hobby - horses.

What is my horse to me...

What is my horse to me? My strength and courage

This is my essence, my blood flesh.

More than once or twice I wanted to soar into the sky

Or fall backwards, exploding your anger.

You held me, and the bridle is like rags,

It remained in your hand, as if your heart was in pieces!

I burned and dared, a hunter of the sultry prairies,

The horse flew like an arrow, his temples ached.

What is my horse to me? My prowess and dexterity,

The pride of my ancestors, their victories in battles.

My Arabian horse gave me a knack,

Passion to a faithful heart, fearless sparkle in the eyes!

On the wings of the wind

“I come from a family that loves horses,” the prince admits. - There is a strong spiritual connection between me and the world of equestrian sports, which is a huge part of my life. I ride whenever the opportunity arises because it gives me a feeling of absolute freedom.” Like many members of the al-Maktoum family, Hamdan not only excels in the saddle, but is also a professional equestrian. He has his own stable, where he breeds thoroughbred saddle horses and Arabian horses, and takes part in distance racing competitions. The prince performs very, very successfully: he mainly has first and second places in tournaments with the highest distance of 160 km. His main horses are Ainhoa ​​Aksom, Intisar and Yamamah.

The list of Hamdan's victories is endless - for example, he won four tournaments in a row (all in which he took part) at a distance of 120 km in 2014. The prince's main achievements are team gold at the 2006 Summer Asian Games and a gold medal at the FEI World Equestrian Games in Normandy (160 km), which he won in August this year on the purebred Arabian mare Yamamaha (which translates from Arabic as “little dove"). “The route was unusually difficult technically,” says the prince. “In addition, it was aggravated by the weather and high humidity. It was necessary to ensure that the horse was well protected from the weather at all times. It’s not surprising that the number of those who were able to simply finish was small for a championship of this level.” 165 athletes from 47 countries took part in the tournament. At first, the team from the UAE took the lead, but by the end of the third lap, only one representative of this team remained on the route - Sheikh Hamdan. Many of the tournament's competitors were injured along the course, and a Costa Rican rider's horse tragically died on the route after colliding with a tree. So this victory was indeed not easy for the prince and once again confirmed his high level of sports.

Prince Hamdan AL-MAKTOUM

with his potential bride Kalila Said

Adrenaline Rush

The prince is not afraid of danger - on the contrary, he is chasing adrenaline with everyone possible ways. He engages in extreme sports - jumps with a parachute, flies on a JETLEV-FLYER jetpack (which rises into the air on giant jets of water) and an Xcitor paraglider, races across Persian Gulf on water scooters and skis and scuba diving. Hamdan also loves to travel: for example, he has been to Africa, where he met with aborigines and hunted lions with a photo gun, and to Russia, where he participated in falconry. “I swim regularly and just walk a lot at any time of the day,” says the prince. “I also sometimes play football, but things don’t allow me to get too involved in this sport.”

Marry a prince

The love question remains open for now: at just over thirty (he celebrates his 32nd birthday on November 14), the prince is not yet married. The personal life of the sheikh has been the subject of countless speculations for many years - not surprising, since the prince is a “tidbit” for thousands of girls. It was said that from birth he was engaged to a maternal relative, Sheikha al-Maktoum, but at the same time he had very close contact with another distant relative (whose name is unknown) from 2008 to 2013. The relationship ended in January 2013 (the arranged marriage was immediately called off for reasons that were not made public), when the prince met new love. Hamdan fell in love so much that he very soon announced his engagement. His chosen one was Kalila Said, a 23-year-old refugee from Palestine who grew up in the slums of an Arab metropolis. The young people met while working on a charity project in one of the disadvantaged areas of the capital. The girl cannot be called a gold digger: the prince had to seek her attention for more than three months before she agreed to go on a date, but soon the couple became inseparable. According to rumors circulating in the country, Sheikh Mohammed was not very happy with the choice of the prince and even threatened to disinherit his son, but to no avail. The young man chose love, as a result of which the father reconsidered his position, resigned himself and, it seems, even gave the couple his blessing. However, Hamdan’s fans should not despair: in the UAE, the sheikh has the right to have as many wives as he wants. So, Hamdan’s father, Sheikh Mohammed, is rumored to have about five wives (hence so many children), and the world knows about only two, and Hamdan’s brother, Prince Said Al-Maktoum, also married a girl of low origin, Azerbaijani Natalia Aliyeva. She worked as a waitress in Belarus (where they met), and in the UAE she became Princess Aisha Al-Maktoum.

People's Favorite

In September 2006, Hamdan Al Maktoum was appointed Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council, where he was tasked with overseeing the emirate's government facilities. It was thanks to him that the “Dubai Strategic Plan until 2015” was put forward. As President, Sheikh Hamdan led the Dubai Sports Council, the Dubai Autism Center, and the Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Institute for Young Business Leaders. Despite his fame and billion-dollar fortune, the prince remains very modest - he is actively involved in charity work, personally overseeing several funds for helping children and animals. “The fact that I am the son of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid does not give me an absolute right to refuse my duties,” says Hamdan. “On the contrary, I feel that my brothers and I have an obligation to be more responsible and should take every job as seriously as possible.” From my point of view, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed is an ideal head of family who always strives to give time to everyone despite the enormous worries. At the same time, he teaches us that we must always remain close to the people.”

The state of the United Arab Emirates is a union of seven kingdoms (emirates), each of which has its own ruler or monarch. Moreover, the king of the emirate of Abu Dhabi, where the capital of the federation is located, holds the post of president of the country. And the head of Dubai, the second largest autonomous region by area, is the chairman of the government. In each emirate, the form of government remains an absolute monarchy.

Prince Hamdan and Sheikh Mohammed

Dubai has been ruled by the Al Maktoum dynasty since 1833, and power is inherited by sons or brothers in the male line. In 2006, Sheikh Mohammed, whose son is Prince Hamdan, became Emir of Dubai. In total, the current ruler of the kingdom has more than 20 children and 7 wives. His first-born son Rashid, born in 1981, and Hamdan was born second, in November 1982. Both children were given to Sheikh Mohammed by his first wife, Hind Bint Maktoum.

According to the line of succession, the royal throne was intended for the eldest, Rashid. However, he officially renounced his title, and on February 1, 2008, Prince Hamdan took the official oath of office as the Sheikh's successor in his place. By the way, the reasons for the abdication were discussed in secret documents published by the Wikileaks website. Allegedly, Rashid committed a serious crime - he killed one of the employees in his father’s palace, which aroused his anger and prompted him to decide to change the order of succession. In 2015, the first-born son of the ruler of Dubai died. According to some sources, the cause of death was cardiac arrest, according to others, he was killed as a result of shelling in Yemen.

The future ruler has an excellent education behind him. After studying at the Dubai Government School, Hamdan went to the UK. Members of Arab royal families are traditionally sent to the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. Hamdan then studied at the London School of Economics, which is ranked among the top five best universities peace.

The Crown Prince is a darling of the press in his homeland, and adoring fans have given him the nickname Aladdin. He runs a popular Instagram account with 7.5 million followers. On its pages, Hamdan demonstrates his luxurious life- yachts, expensive cars, thoroughbred horses. He enjoys diving, parachuting, falconry, and snowboarding. The prince achieved considerable success in equestrian sports. For example, I won gold medal World Equestrian Games 2014, which were held in France, and many other tournaments.

He is not alien to the love of beauty. Hamdan writes poems dedicated to his native country and family. For this case, he even has a creative pseudonym - Fazza. Among the exotic hobbies of the Dubai heir is keeping a menagerie with dangerous predators. Lions, tigers, and alligators live in it. The people also love their future ruler for his generosity and many good deeds. He helps sick children, disabled people, and medical institutions. By the way, as of 2011, Forbes magazine estimated Hamdan’s personal fortune at $18 billion.

Fake engagement

The personal life of the heir is a topic of endless speculation in the press. It was mentioned that the prince was engaged to a distant relative from an early age, but this arranged marriage was canceled for unknown reasons. Moreover, he allegedly belonged to romantic relationships with an unknown girl, also indirectly belonging to the royal dynasty. The young people dated for five years.

In June 2014 in social network News of Hamdan's engagement to a simple girl, Kalila Said, who fled to Dubai from Palestine and grew up in the slums near the Arab metropolis, quickly spread on Facebook. Beautiful story love said that the prince met his chosen one while working on another charity project. He sought her attention for several months, unsuccessfully inviting her on dates. When Kalila agreed to the meeting, Hamdan did everything possible to win her heart. Of course, he succeeded. True, the father did not approve of his son’s choice, but he had to come to terms with it, seeing the sincerity and perseverance of the heir.

The story, in the spirit of the best love melodramas, shocked people so much that most did not even think about its verisimilitude. Although there were many inconsistencies. For example, there are no slums near Dubai that are mentioned in the report. The photo included as evidence looked very strange: the girl had loose hair and inappropriate clothing to match the royal status of the groom. Later, the stranger was identified as Iranian singer Rahma Riad. Also, the prince himself, who actively uses social networks, did not tell his audience anything.

However, few have heard a refutation of this story, so there are still many who want to know how Hamdan and Kalila’s engagement ended.

The prince's personal life according to Wikileaks

In 2010, Wikileaks exposed many secrets of royal families around the world. This information was transmitted by American diplomats to the US State Department. The Dubai Prince Hamdan was also mentioned in them. In particular, the documents spoke about the heir’s drug addiction and bisexual preferences.

He asks his family, friends and lovers to call themselves Fazza. Sheikh Mohammed looks condescendingly at the weaknesses of the heir, although Dubai laws are extremely harsh regarding drug use or homosexuality. By the way, rumors about Hamdan are far from the only mention of addictions in royal family. For example, former servants from the royal palace previously spoke about the drug addiction of the deceased Sheikh Rashid, when, during an unprecedented trial, they tried to accuse members of the ruling dynasty of discrimination in the workplace.

Officially, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Commander-in-Chief of the UAE Armed Forces.

In fact, the Emir of Abu Dhabi, the President of the UAE.

Third son of Sheikh Zayed. An interesting point is that he and Khalifa are half-brothers. Khalifa was born to his first wife, Hassa bint Mohammed ibn Khalifa. Sheikh Mohammed ibn Zayed was born to his third wife, Fatima bint Mubarak Al-Ketbi.

Sheikhin Fatima bint-Mubarak Al-Ketbi had only 6 sons: Muhammad, Hamdan, Hazza, Tanun, Mansur and Abdula. They are called “Bani Fatima” or “sons of Fatima”, they form the most influential bloc in the Al-Nahyan family.

Fatima's sons have always been influential; some political scientists even assign them a leading role in the changes in Abu Dhabi that have occurred since 2004. They received full power only in 2014, when Sheikh Khalifa suffered a stroke. Now it’s difficult to say whether the vector of their internal and foreign policy. Wait and see.

Mohammed ibn Zayed studied at school in Al Ain, then in Abu Dhabi. Entered Sandhurst Academy (UK) in 1979. Trained in military skills of helicopter piloting, driving armored vehicles, and parachute jumping. After returning from England, he underwent military training in Sharjah and became an officer in the UAE Armed Forces.

He was an officer in the Amiri Guards (an elite unit), a pilot in the UAE Air Force, and eventually became the Commander-in-Chief of the UAE Armed Forces.

In 2003, he was proclaimed the second Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi. After the death of his father on November 2, 2004, he became crown prince. Since December 2004, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, member of the Supreme Petroleum Council.

For now, world leaders and political scientists are keeping an eye on Sheikh Mohammed. He is known to believe that the UAE should play a much larger role in world politics. He loves falconry, like his father. He is interested in poetry and writes poetry himself in the Nabati style.

Sheikhin Fatima bint Mubarak Al-Ketbi

Third wife of Sheikh Zayed, mother of six of his sons, including Crown Prince Mohammed (de facto ruler of Abu Dhabi and President of the UAE).

This woman played a large role in UAE politics during the reign of her husband Sheikh Zayed, and remains very influential to this day. She is called “Mother of the Nation”.

The exact date of her birth is unknown. She was probably born in the mid-40s in . In the 60s she married Zaid Al-Nahyan, becoming his third wife.

In 1973, she founded the Abu Dhabi Women's Awakening Society, the first women's public organization in the UAE. In 1975, she created and headed the UAE Women's Main Union. The main area of ​​interest of these organizations was education, because at that time girls in the UAE did not study at all. In 2004, Fatima facilitated the appointment of the first female minister.

Now she still heads the Main Women's Union, the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, the Family Development Foundation and several other organizations. And this despite his advanced age! Naturally, Fatima has a gigantic influence on the policies of Sheikh Mohammed and the affairs of Bani Fatima.

Dubai

The Emirate of Dubai is ruled by the Al Muktoum family.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Muktum

Ruling Emir (officially since January 4, 2006, actually since January 3, 1995), Prime Minister and Vice President of the UAE since February 11, 2006.

Sheikh Mohammed is called “The Architect of Modern Dubai”. He is a very well-rounded man and is now the most famous leader in the UAE.

Mohammed became the third son of the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Rashid ibn Saeed Al-Muktum. His mother Lafita was the daughter of the ruler of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Hamadan ibn Zayed Al Nahyan. As a child, Muhammad received both secular and traditional Islamic education. In 1966 (at the age of 18) he studied in the UK at the Mons Cadet Corps and in Italy to become a pilot.

In 1968, Mohammed attended his father's meeting with Sheikh Zayed at Argub al-Sedira, where the rulers of Dubai and Abu Dhabi agreed on the imminent creation of the UAE. After the formation of the UAE, he was Minister of Defense and head of the Dubai Police.

On October 7, 1990, Muhammad's father and ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Rashid ibn Said, died. Power passed to the eldest son, Sheikh Muktum ibn Rashid, who was very fond of equestrian sports and was an excellent athlete, but was not drawn to politics and management.

On January 4, 1995, Muktum ibn Rashid appoints Mohammed as crown prince and, in fact, transfers power to him in the emirate of Dubai. On January 4, 2006, Muktum ibn Rashid died of a heart attack, Mohammed ibn Rashid became the official ruler of Dubai.

The list of achievements of Muhammad ibn Rashid is enormous. He diversified the economy of Dubai, now oil revenues account for only 4% of the emirate’s GDP, Dubai has become a shopping “mecca”, second only to London, the largest trading and financial center.

With his support or on his initiative, the following were created: Emirates airline, the artificial islands of Palm and World, the world's largest artificial harbor of Jebel Ali, the Dubai Internet City zone and hundreds of other projects.

He became famous for his raids on enterprises, where he personally checked whether employees were in their places and fired those who were absent. Sheikh Mohammed ibn Rashid is famous for his intolerance of corruption; during his rule, hundreds of officials caught in bribes and using their positions for personal gain were sent to prison.

Now (note: the article was updated in the fall of 2019) he is already 70 years old, but he is full of energy and is successfully implementing his Dubai development plan until 2021. He recently took part in the Arab Strategic Forum, and you can't tell he's 70.

Dubai, one of the key emirates in the UAE, is in mourning. Sheikh Rashid ibn Mohammed al-Maktoum, the eldest son of Mohammed ibn Rashid al-Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, and concurrently the second most influential person in the United Arab Emirates, prime minister, vice president and minister of defense of the country, has died. Sheikh Rashid died of a heart attack, less than a month and a half shy of his 34th birthday. His younger brother and Crown Prince Hamdan wrote: “Today I lost my best friend and childhood friend, dear brother Rashid. We will miss you." Lenta.ru tried to figure out what made the eldest son of the Dubai emir famous.

British standard

Little is known about Rashid’s childhood and youth: at that time there was no Instagram yet, and the Arab emirs and their heirs had not yet acquired the habit of posting scenes for everyone to see rich life with geotags.

Rashid is the eldest son of the emir from his eldest and main wife Hind bint Maktoum and, accordingly, the stepson of the emir's second wife - Jordanian princess Haya bint al-Hussein. The children of Mohammed and Hind, according to the memoirs of brother Rashid Hamdan, were brought up in the spirit of traditional values.

In Dubai, the heir graduated from a school for boys named after Sheikh Rashid - education there was conducted according to the English model. After which his father sent Rashid to the UK - to the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst, where they traditionally send their children Arab sheikhs(the current emir of Qatar, the king of Bahrain, and the sultans of Brunei and Oman graduated from it).

Disinherited

Rashid ibn Mohammed was preparing to become his father's successor: the emir introduced him to state affairs and entrusted him with control over various economic projects. But on February 1, 2008, everything suddenly changed: Rashid’s younger brother, Sheikh Mohammed’s second son, Hamdan, was appointed Crown Prince of Dubai. His younger brother Maktoum received the post of Deputy Ruler of Dubai. The emir's eldest son officially abdicated the throne, and moreover, there was no place for him among the leadership of the emirate.

This step, however, can only be called unexpected: diplomats and Arabic experts, long before the emir’s decree, noticed that Hamdan was increasingly appearing in front of cameras next to his father and that the emirate’s press was writing about him more and more often. What happened, why was Rashid out of work?

The publication of WikiLeaks documents brought some clarity to this issue. Among the released cables is a telegram from the US Consul General in Dubai, David Williams, in which he reports on the change in the order of succession and the reasons for it. Without disclosing his sources, Williams reported that Rashid killed one of the workers in the emir's palace, this angered the sheikh, and he revised the line of succession.

Solace in sports

The PR campaign in the emirate and around the world bore fruit: the new Crown Prince Hamdan quickly became a darling of the press. A diver and paratrooper, a falconer who keeps a menagerie of lions and white tigers, a snowboarder and a poet who writes under the pseudonym Fazza. An excellent rider, multiple winner of equestrian competitions, owner of expensive cars and yachts - Hamdan ibn Mohammed willingly demonstrates all this luxury on his Instagram account. Hamdan is known as a philanthropist and philanthropist, generously distributing donations to the disabled and sick children, and also as one of the most eligible bachelors in the world. Admiring fans gave him the nickname “Aladdin”.

Against this background, his older brother Rashid looked rather pale (especially considering the difference in their capital - less than two billion dollars for Rashid versus 18 billion for Hamdan), and he does not have an Instagram account. Although it cannot be said that the press did not spoil him with their attention. Since 2005, he has consistently been included in the list of “20 Sexiest Arab Men” for five years in a row; in 2010, Esquire magazine recognized him as “one of the 20 most enviable royals,” and a year later, Forbes included him in the top 20 “most desirable.” persons of royal blood."

Having lost his right to the throne, Rashid ibn Mohammed focused on sports. The entire Al Maktoum family is famous for its love of horses, and Rashid is no exception. He owned the Zabeel Racing International racing corporation and won numerous competitions both in the UAE and abroad. In total he won 428 medals. The pinnacle of Rashid ibn Mohammed's sporting achievements was two gold medals at the Asian Games in Doha in 2006. From 2008 to 2010, Rashid was even the president of the UAE Olympic Committee, but left this post, as he explained, due to lack of time.

Scandal in a noble family

Arab sheikhs try not to make their internal affairs public, but sometimes, when the traditional values ​​of oil emirs collide with European realities, leaks occur. This is what happened with Rashid.

In 2011, a black employee from the staff of the British palace of Emir Olantunji Faleye appealed to the British court. He claimed that he was discriminated against on racial and religious grounds: members of the sheikh's family addressed him as "al-abd al-aswad" - "black slave", and repeatedly insulted Christianity (Faleye is an Anglican), calling him "bad, low and disgusting faith,” convincing his “black slave” to convert to Islam.

During the hearings, another service employee, Ejil Mohammed Ali, was summoned as a witness to the court, who, among other things, stated under oath that Sheikh Rashid was a drug addict who had recently completed a rehabilitation course.

However, it is unlikely that such scandals can shake the reputation of the Royal House of Dubai, which invests millions of dollars in its PR in the media and social networks. Judging by the number of responses on Rashid's Facebook page, many people, including from the poorest countries in the world, perceive the death of the eldest son of the Dubai emir as a personal tragedy.