Arab emirates royal family. You can't forbid living beautifully: the fabulous life of the Crown Prince of Dubai. Relationships with the opposite sex

Runner, 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 halo of power, fabulous wealth and romance. Chairman of the Dubai City Council, President of the Emirate of Dubai Sports Committee, Honorary Patron of the Dubai Autism Research Center and Youth Business Support League, Sheikh Hamdan has long been an eligible bachelor who is still single. Will someone get this handsome man or is there a place in his heart for one single passion - horses?

Roots and branches

Sheikh Hamdan is one of twenty-three (and their number is constantly growing!) 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 Maktum clan is descended from the Bani Yas group of tribes that inhabited the emirates of Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The dynasty itself dates back 180 years, since its founder, Sheikh Maktoum bin Butta, 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. At the 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 second wife of the sheikh 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, her 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 life guide. 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, despite the fact that I have already grown up. I will never forget the deep devotion and kindness of my mother. I have great respect for her and I think that any society where mothers are not valued is dishonorable 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 - so I was able to develop my poetic gift, and with the help of my father I got a chance to make the impossible possible.

Hamdan bin Mohammed AL Maktoum at YAMAMAH

School years are wonderful ...

Sheikh Hamdan began his studies at the Sheikh Rashid Private Secondary School in Dubai, built on the English model. By the way, it was founded in 1986 by Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid al-Maktoum, so that the boy did not seem to leave the bosom of 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, graduated from Prince Harry, the youngest son of the 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. “School days and college were the most wonderful period of my life, and I still remember my peers and friends. A military academy like Sandhurst not only teaches basic disciplines but also teaches 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 have serious responsibilities.”

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

from the richest and most influential regions in the Middle East

The sands of Time

Already from the statements of the prince, one can see that he is a romantic nature - Hamdan is also known as a talented poet. He publishes his poetry under the pseudonym Fuzza. “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 very impressed with my father's poetry and had the chance to meet many poets who helped me to identify and develop my own style. From an early age, my father listened to my poems and gently advised in which direction to move on. 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 passion - horses.

What is my horse to me...

What is my horse to me? My strength and courage

This is my essence, my blood flesh.

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

Or fall on your back, breaking your anger.

You held me, and the bridle, like rags,

Remained in the hand, as if the heart - in pieces!

I burned and dared, the sultry prairie hunter,

The horse flew like an arrow, his whiskey 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 skill

Passion to the faithful heart, fearless gleam 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 sport, which is a huge part of my life. I ride whenever the opportunity presents itself, because it gives me a feeling of absolute freedom.” Like many members of the al-Maktoum family, Hamdan is not only excellent in the saddle, but also professionally involved in equestrian sports. He has his own stable, where he breeds thoroughbred riding and Arabian horses, and takes part in distance horse race 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 achievement is the team gold medal at the 2006 Asian Summer Games and the gold medal at the FEI World Equestrian Games in Normandy (160 km), which he won in August this year on a purebred Arabian mare Yamamaha (which is translated from Arabic as “little dove"). “The route was extremely technically difficult,” says the prince. - In addition, it was aggravated by the weather and high humidity. I had to make sure that the horse was well protected from the weather all the time. It is not surprising that the number of those who could just 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 United Arab Emirates took the lead, but by the end of the third lap, only one representative of this team remained on the route - Sheikh Hamdan. Many participants in the tournament were injured on the course, and the rider's horse from Costa Rica tragically died on the route from a collision with a tree. So this victory, indeed, was not easy for the prince and once again confirmed his high sports level.

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 in all possible ways. He is engaged in extreme sports - skydiving, flying on a JETLEV-FLYER jetpack (which rises into the air on giant jets of water) and an Xcitor paraglider, driving around the 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 natives 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 still, things do not allow me to be very fond of this sport.”

Marry a prince

The love question is still open: in his thirties (on November 14 he celebrates his 32nd birthday), the prince is not yet married. The Sheikh's personal life has been the subject of countless speculations over the years - no wonder, because the prince is a "tidbit" for thousands of girls. He was said to have been engaged from birth to a maternal relative, Sheikha al-Maktoum, but was very close to another distant relative (whose name is unknown) from 2008 to 2013. The relationship ended in January 2013 (and the arranged marriage was immediately canceled for reasons that were not made public) when the prince met a new love. Hamdan fell in love so much that he announced his engagement very soon. His chosen one was Kalila Said, a 23-year-old refugee from Palestine, who grew up in the slums of an Arab metropolis. Young people met while working on a charity project in one of the disadvantaged areas of the capital. You can’t call a girl a money hunter: 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 pleased with the choice of the prince and even threatened to deprive his son of his inheritance, 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, fans of Hamdan 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 only about two, and Hamdan's brother, Prince Said Al-Maktoum, also married a girl of low birth, Azerbaijani Natalya Aliyeva. She worked as a waiter in Belarus (where they met), and in the UAE she became Princess Aisha Al Maktoum.

Favorite of the people

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

April 30, 2013 in the Netherlands for the first time in the last 120 years, a king will appear on the throne - so far the kingdom has been ruled by women. 45-year-old Prince Willem-Alexander will inherit from his mother not only the throne and title, but also a considerable fortune. Now Queen Beatrix is ​​ranked seventh in the ranking of the richest monarchs on the planet, compiled at the end of 2012 by the British heraldic almanac Almanach de Gotha. The amount of her fortune, depending on the principles of calculation (with or without taking into account real estate belonging to royal dynasties, family collections of antiques, etc.), fluctuates between $ 300 million and £ 10 billion.

1. Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain
Age: 85 years old
Year of beginning of the board: 1952
Wealth: £60bn ($94.8bn)
The traditional calculation of the British Queen's fortune does not take into account those unique objects that are perceived as state property, and gives a very modest amount of several hundred million dollars. Meanwhile, taking into account the value of Buckingham Palace, Kensington Palace, St. James and Holyrood Palaces, Windsor Castle and other properties owned by the royal family, as well as the royal art collection, the British monarch occupies the first line in the list of the richest colleagues.

Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain visited the hospital. Queen Elizabeth at King's Lynn, Norfolk on February 5, 2013. The hospital installed a new magnetic resonance tomograph. © AFP PHOTO/POOL/PAUL ROGERS

2. King of Saudi Arabia Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
Age: 87 years old
Year of beginning of the board: 2005
Wealth: £40bn ($63.2bn)
The basis of the state of the Saudi king is oil, the sale of which brings this state about $ 1 billion per day. In addition, Abdullah ibn Abdulaziz Al Saud owns a huge stable, which contains the best Arabian horses (the monarch is known as a passionate rider and founder of an equestrian club in Riyadh), and a good garage, most of which cars are exclusive or antique.

King of Saudi Arabia Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud meets with French President Francois Hollande at the Royal Palace in Jeddah on November 4, 2012. © AFP PHOTO/BERTRAND LANGLOIS

3. Emir of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Age: 64
Year of beginning of the board: 2004
Wealth: £30bn ($47.4bn)
The sheikh of Abu Dhabi and the current president of the UAE is also rich thanks to the oil produced in his country. This is not surprising: 80% of the oil reserves of the United Arab Emirates are concentrated in the emirate of Abu Dhabi. In addition, Khalifa receives a good income from investing his own funds in various sectors of the world economy.

Emir of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan at the opening of a container terminal at Khalifa Port in Abu Dhabi on December 12, 2012. © REUTERS/WAM/Handout

4. King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand
Age: 84
Start of reign: 1946
Wealth: £28bn ($44.24bn)
The Thai monarch is not only one of the richest monarchs in the world, but also one of the most prudent: he spent a large part of his fortune on the development and implementation of more than 3,000 agricultural land development projects in the country. However, there is nothing surprising in this: the king “part-time” heads the Royal Thai Real Estate Agency, which owns colossal plots of land in the country. In addition, the royal collection of precious stones is widely known in the world, which seriously affects the size of the monarch's fortune.

King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand leaves Sirirai Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand on December 5, 2012. © REUTERS/Kerek Wongsa

5. Emir of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Age: 62
Starting year of board: 2006
Wealth: £25bn ($39.5bn)
The Emir of Dubai is currently also the Prime Minister of the UAE and, like the Saudi king, is known for his horses: his stable is considered one of the largest and most expensive in the world. And of course, a large part of his fortune is made up of oil reserves, which the emirate of Dubai boasts, as well as income from investments in various sectors of the world economy.

The Emir of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, attends the Dubai World Cup at the Meydan Racecourse in Dubai on March 31, 2012. © REUTERS/Caren Firouz

6. Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah
Age: 65 years old
Year of beginning of the board: 1967
Wealth: £24bn ($37.92bn)
The most famous asset of the Sultan of Brunei (besides the oil produced in his country) is a collection of cars, which has from 3,000 to 6,000 cars, many of which were produced in extremely limited batches or even in a single copy. The Sultan's palace Istan Nurul Iman (Palace of Light) with an area of ​​over 200,000 square meters is also famous. m, which contains 1788 apartments and 257 bathrooms.

Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah (right) with his first wife Anak Saleh at the wedding of his daughter, 32-year-old Princess of Brunei Hafiza Sururul, who married Pengiran civil servant Haji Muhammad Ruzaini, 29, September 19, 2012. © STR/AFP/GettyImages

7. Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands
Age: 74
Year of beginning of the board: 1980
Wealth: £10bn ($15.8bn)
Traditionally, the fortune of the Queen of the Netherlands is estimated at $ 300 million - but this does not include the royal stake in Royal Dutch Shell (it is about 25%), as well as the value of the royal collections of art and jewelry. Taking into account all these riches, the total fortune of Beatrix, who recently announced her impending abdication, is 30 times larger and allows her to enter the top ten richest monarchs in the world.

Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands arrived at the Theater. Beatrix in Utrecht, the Netherlands on February 1, 2013. © ROBIN UTRECHT/AFP/Getty Images

8. Emir of Kuwait Sabah al-Ahmed al-Jaber al-Sabah
Age: 82
Starting year of board: 2006
Wealth: £9 billion ($14.22 billion)
Sheikh Sabah's annual “stipend”, which consists of his share of the proceeds from the sale of oil, is $188 million, and these payments are the basis of the state of the Kuwaiti monarch. However, the emir is well aware that oil resources are exhaustible, and therefore he is already trying to prepare his country for life in the post-oil era, initiating economic reforms, which were based on simplifying the rules for land privatization and facilitating conditions for attracting foreign investment.

Emir of Qatar Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani at the Algerian airport. Houari Boumediene, January 7, 2013. © REUTERS/Louafi Larbi

9. Emir of Qatar Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani
Age: 60 years old
Year of beginning of the board: 1995
Wealth: £7bn ($11.06bn)
The current emir of Qatar came to power by overthrowing his father, who imprudently went on vacation to Switzerland. Among his Middle Eastern counterparts, Hamad enjoys a reputation as a progressive leader: under him, Qatar was the first country in the region to grant women the right to vote. And the emir ensured the growth of his already considerable fortune by reforming the country's oil and gas industry, creating ideal conditions for attracting foreign investment from the world's largest mining companies.

10. Sultan of Oman Qaboos bin Said Albusaid
Age: 71
Year of beginning of the board: 1970
Wealth: £6bn ($9.48bn)
The creator of the Sultanate of Oman, which arose after the unification of the Sultanate of Muscat and the Imamate of Oman, is the owner of another "oil" fortune. In addition, a significant share of the wealth of Qaboos is the royal palace of Qasr al-Alam, built in 1972, overlooking the main harbor of Muscat, and several yachts (including the 155-meter Al-Said, named after the owner), consolidated into a division royal yachts of the Omani Navy.

Sultan Qaboos bin Said Albusaid of Oman at the opening of the meeting of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf in Doha, December 3, 2007. © REUTERS/Fadi Al-Assaad/Files

11. King of Bahrain Hamad ibn Isa al-Khalifa
Age: 62
Year of beginning of the board: 2002
Wealth: £3.5bn ($5.53bn)
Another passionate lover of Arabian horses in the ranking of the richest monarchs. Created by Hamad in 1977, the Amiri stable was included in the list of the World Arabian Horse Organization a year later and today is one of the largest and most expensive in the world. The basis of the state of the King of Bahrain is oil, like that of his other Middle Eastern colleagues, as well as income from international investments, which are handled by a special royal fund.

King of Bahrain Hamad ibn Isa al-Khalifa at a meeting of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Persian Gulf. Sakhir Palace, south of Manama, December 24, 2012. © REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed

12. Hans-Adam II, Prince of Liechtenstein
Age: 67 years old
Year of beginning of the board: 1989
Wealth: £4bn ($6.32bn)
The main source of wealth for the current ruler of a small Alpine state is the LGT family bank. In addition to financial income, when calculating the fortune of Hans-Adam, several palaces of the 17th century in Vienna, a unique collection of works of art collected by the princely family over 400 years, as well as over 20,000 hectares of land were taken into account.

Hans-Adam II, Prince of Liechtenstein at the Monaco Day celebration at the Prince's Palace in Monaco, November 19, 2012. © Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

13. Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg
Age: 56 years old
Year of beginning of the board: 2000
Wealth: £3bn ($4.74bn)
Unlike the Middle Eastern monarchs who built their fortunes on oil, their European counterparts cannot boast of such a highly profitable source of savings. So the Duke of Luxembourg Henri, nephew of the reigning King of Belgium Albert II, manages a fortune that consists of bank deposits, gold reserves and real estate, as well as shares of various industrial companies. It is noteworthy that Henri spends part of his income on protecting wildlife, primarily the unique Galapagos Islands.

Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg and Marie-Thérèse Mestre (Grand Duchess Marie-Thérèse) enter Notre Dame de Luxembourg Cathedral before the wedding ceremony of Prince Guillaume of Luxembourg and Belgian Countess Stephanie de Lannoy. October 20, 2012, Luxembourg. © Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

14. Prince Albert II of Monaco
Age: 53
Year of beginning of the board: 2005
Wealth: £2.5bn ($3.95bn)
The collection of works of art collected by the princely family is the basis of the state of the ruling prince of Monaco. In addition to her, he owns an expensive collection of antique cars and a collection of stamps and receives a substantial income from the activities of the casino in Monte Carlo.

Prince Albert II of Monaco at a party in West Hollywood, California on February 26, 2012. © Craig Barritt/Getty Images for TWC

15. Nizari Ismaili Imam Aga Khan IV
Age: 75 years old
Year of beginning of the board: 1957
Wealth: £2bn ($3.16bn)
Imam Aga Khan is the head of a huge Nizari Ismaili community (an offshoot of the Ismaili branch of Shiite Islam) living in India, Oman, Syria, Tajikistan and Zanzibar. Despite the fact that the Nizari do not have their own state, their current head is equated with the monarch: since 1957, he has the title of "His Highness", bestowed on him by Queen Elizabeth II. The Aga Khan IV is the owner of a herd of 900 purebred Arabian horses, which, together with a stake in one of the British horse auction houses, provides him with an annual income of $ 300 million. Added to this are income from the management of several hotels and airlines, as well as investments in the tourism business in Sardinia (it was through the efforts of the Aga Khan that the Emerald Coast of the island turned into a zone of fashionable recreation since the 1960s) and shares of the largest industrial companies.

The Nizari Ismaili Imam Aga Khan IV visits the Prix de Diane horse riding, Chantilly, France, June 17, 2012. © THOMAS SAMSON/AFP/GettyImages

A well-known Arab poet and sportsman, he is also the Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, he is also the Minister of Defense and the ruler of the Emirate of Dubai.

Start

Residents of the Emirate of Dubai are very proud of their leader and love him - as part of the celebration of the next anniversary of his reign, there was even an action called "Thank you, Sheikh Mohammed, for your kindness." As a token of gratitude, everyone brought bouquets of flowers to the Dubai Mall in the center of the capital. (Presumably, everything was littered with flowers). And for the preparation of treats for the guests of the Sheikh on January 4, 2013. brought together the largest team of chefs in the world, thanks to which the Emirate has already entered the Guinness Book of Records for the first time. 2847 chefs from hotels and restaurants of the emirate did their best for their beloved sheikh, showing their skills and wanting everyone to eat deliciously and beautifully, so that both the sheikh and his guests were probably satisfied. And once again it does not interfere with becoming famous, especially since the Emirate of Dubai with its sights and amazing events constantly gets into the Book of Records.

The ancestors of the sheikh are also notorious - the ruling dynasty of Al Maktoum was founded by Sheikh Maktoum bin Butty, who in 1833. decided to create his own emirate, for which he moved from the emirate of Abu Dhabi to the area of ​​​​Dubai Bay. You can’t say anything - he founded it so he founded it ... And so it turned out that the UAE is a republic for seven monarchs, each of whom rules in his own emirate ... not just as he wants, but not without it.

Power, as you know, in this country is inherited, and in 2006. Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum has become the tenth ruler of the emirate of Dubai. Mohammed's father, the late Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, helped the first president of the UAE, the legendary Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan in every possible way in the creation and development of the UAE, and in general, all the other sheikhs also tried.

The golden childhood of Sheikh Mohammed took place in the ancestral home in Shindag (Bar Dubai), and judging by what poems the adult son dedicates to his mother, Sheikha Latifa bint Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who belongs to the family of the rulers of the emirate of Abu Dhabi and is cousin of the legendary Sheikh Zayed, he was dearly loved by his mother.

Little Mohammed was passionately fond of falconry, horse riding, swimming, shooting, and also listened to and silently analyzed those wise sayings, practical advice and other wisdom at the meetings of his grandfather Sheikh Zayed with fellow tribesmen. Could the famous grandfather, looking at the dark-eyed inquisitive boy spinning nearby - his beloved grandson, foresee what role he would play in the future for the whole country, and how he would be loved by his people? ..

At school, Mohammed was a prosperous student, not a trailing one among the underachievers, and today the small private school where he received his primary education, Al Ahmadiyya in Deira, has become a museum.

In 1958 His father, Sheikh Rashid bin Said, became the ruler of Dubai by inheritance. Sheikh Rashid understood that one of his sons would also take his place in the future, so he immediately began to seriously prepare his sons so that they understood politics, economics, psychology - in a word, they could solve any issues related to the present and future of the Emirate of Dubai. And here Muhammad was also present at the meetings of prominent figures - bankers, builders, merchants, intellectuals ...

Then the grown up future ruler of Dubai studied at an elite language school in the UK, at the Mons Military College. In Cambridge, Sheikh Mohammed communicated with young people from different countries, learning about the traditions and culture of many other nationalities. A great lover of horses (Arab men have it in their blood), he attended horse races in London, missing and longing for his homeland. Abroad, as they say, it’s good, but at home it’s still better ...

The future ruler of Dubai was not even twenty years old then, but, despite his green age, he already understood how important his hobbies would be in his future adult life - politics, military knowledge, sports and literature.

Women, horses, yachts

Sheikh Mohammed, as curious media representatives calculated, has 14 daughters and 9 sons, such a rather large family - 23 children, many of the children are already quite old. However, there is no “yellow press” in the Emirates, so not much is known about the Sheikh’s personal life. In particular, everyone knows the names of only two of his wives - this is the eldest wife Hind bint Maktoum bin Jumaa Al Maktoum, the mother of 12 children of the sheikh (one of the sons is the young handsome Sheikh Hamdan - the crown prince of the Emirate) and the former Jordanian princess Haya bint Al Hussein, in whose veins flow the blood of the Prophet Muhammad (the herald of Islam). In December 2007 Haya gave birth to a daughter, Al-Jalil, and in January 2012, a son, Zayed.

Princess Haya is a beauty, younger than her husband, is a public person. Sheikh, apparently, loves and pampers her so much that he allows a lot - she founded the Arab charity organization Tikyet Um Ali, which fights against poverty and hunger in her native Jordan. She is a member of the boards of many non-profit public organizations, heads the World Equestrian Federation, is a member of the International Olympic Committee, takes part in international equestrian competitions, which is surprising and uncharacteristic for women in this country. The princess also, like her husband, loves horses very much, and keeps well in the saddle (at the age of 13 she successfully represented her country at the international level).

She is also chairperson of the Dubai International Humanitarian City, the world's largest emergency relief centre.

In the UAE, at official events, Haya wears discreet outfits, and a light beautiful airy scarf covers her luxurious and well-groomed hair, and when traveling to other countries, her suits and dresses often surpass the insanely expensive toilets of other secular ladies. The husband allows her to be interviewed and photographed, which she willingly does. Judging by the photographs, Haya is happy with her husband (who takes her with him on "business trips" abroad), and does not regret at all that she married the sheikh, although she is not his only wife.

An excellent rider, able to cope with any, even the most skittish horse, the Sheikh maintains several hundred thoroughbred horses in his stables in the UAE and abroad, many of which win prestigious international races. The Sheikh himself competes at the races as an athlete and is the captain of the desert endurance horse race team - Arab horsemen led by Sheikh Mohammed always win these competitions. Sheikh's sons and even daughters also compete in equestrian competitions.

In 2001, the Sheikh received a special Bookplate Award as the world's recognized owner of purebred Arabian horses.

Apart from the happy possession of a palace, Arabian and English thoroughbred very expensive horses, cars, golden utensils in the palace, etc. etc., Sheikh of Dubai in 2012 became the owner of one of the largest and most luxurious yachts in the world, which aroused the envy of shipowners who were equally rich and proud of the symbols of their prestige. The press announced the news that now his Dubai yacht was considered the largest in the world, and the sheikh, in this status indicator of well-being, famously jumped Roman Abramovich, as his yacht turned out to be 15 cm longer. They say that Roman Arkadyevich, having recognized this unpleasant and shocking news to himself, was furious. There would be other times - maybe he would cut off the head of a messenger with bad news, as they did in the old days, but ... now he just needs to think about how to make his yacht the largest in the world again. It is not in vain that 500 million dollars were spent (the cost of "Eclipse"), now it is necessary to puzzle the engineers - what would they hang to lengthen it at least half a meter ...

The yacht of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum is also estimated at several hundred million dollars, famous for its own submarine, helipad, huge glass staircase and many dining rooms and pools.

authoritative person

Sheikh Mohammed enjoys well-deserved authority in his country and in the world. Since the beginning of his reign (in 1995 he was solemnly proclaimed the Crown Prince of the Emirate), the economic rise of Dubai began and its appearance changed dramatically. In Dubai, with the assistance of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, a chic ski complex was built
Ski Dubai Snow Park - having the opportunity to visit other countries, Sheikh Mohammed saw real snow, and, most likely, went skiing. Now Arab kids can play snowballs and slides at any time of their year-round summer, and finally find out what skiing and skating are.

Also among the implemented grandiose projects of Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum:

Artificial palm islands - Palm Jumeirah, Palm Jebel Ali, Palm Deira.

Aquarium, considered the largest in the world (in the Dubai Mall), filled with water, algae and various live fish.

Also considered the most expensive and luxurious in the world, the sail-shaped hotel - Burj al-Arab, with a heliport at the top - for hotel guests arriving by personal helicopters, is trimmed with gold inside.

An international golf club, famous far beyond Dubai, a hippodrome was built, and in 2004 the Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC) was founded.

Yes, and much, much more...

A courageous and independent politician, Sheikh Mohammed is an example for the leaders of other states in the region. He does a lot not only in politics, but also in charity, invests in the development of culture, art, and science.

In addition, the sheikh, almost from infancy, is fond of literature, which, of course, characterizes him as a diversified and educated person. The work of Sheikh Mohammed as a poet is known throughout the Arab region, and beyond its borders too. Collections of poems and poems of the Sheikh have been translated into many languages, Sheikh Mohammed dedicates the most tender verses to his mother. Based on the poetry of Sheikh Mohammed in Morocco in 2008. the shooting of the television series "Battle in the Sand" took place.

Here is a rough translation of one of the Sheikh's poems:

How many nights will not fall

The memory lives on in my chest.

Better than the moon will not rise.

The song your heart sings.

There is no you, mother, dear,

Closer, dearer, dearer,

I don't know more with my heart

Names than yours.

You are the cradle of warmth

Caress, peace, dreams.

Time, no matter how ashamed,

The feeling won't go away.

You brighten my day

You are my best shadow

I'm in a hurry to your canopy,

As soon as the day comes.

You are alone in my heart

When waking up from sleep

And when going to sleep

Forever, all my life ahead.

(translated by Viktor Lebedev)

However, despite his kindness and thin strings of the soul, as a boss, for example, Sheikh Mohammed is very tough and organized: “…. There were cases when at 8 o'clock in the morning he personally traveled around his departments. If someone from the heads of departments of his government was not found on the spot, he fired him within 15 minutes” (Vladimir Bekesh, an expert on the Middle East).

In 2009, the Sheikh arrived in Moscow and met with Dmitry Medvedev, who then held the post of President, as well as Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, after which the Sheikh invited Vladimir Putin to visit the United Arab Emirates. A very far-sighted and intelligent eastern sheikh ....

The beautiful deeds and deeds of the Sheikh of Dubai - Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, a beautiful way of thinking suggest that such people were born to be the rulers of a happy and rich country. The ruler of Dubai - Sheikh Mohammed - is a man who, prospering, does everything for his people, and for his land on which he lives.

Many people remember the handsome, young and very rich crown prince from the Emirates. Hundreds of thousands of users posted his photos on LiveJournal, Facebook.
http://miss-tramell.livejournal.com/704090.html

And suddenly I came across this article .. How sad. The elder brother of the promoted prince from the Emirates died .. Also handsome and athlete ..

In Dubai, one of the key emirates in the UAE, mourning. Sheikh Rashid bin Mohammed al-Maktoum, the eldest son of Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, and concurrently the second most influential person in the United Arab Emirates, the country's prime minister, vice president and minister of defense, has died. Sheikh Rashid died of a heart attack, less than a month and a half before his 34 years. His younger brother and Crown Prince Hamdan wrote: “Today I lost my best friend and childhood comrade, dear brother Rashid. We will miss you"

However, there is an alternative version, according to which the sheikh did not die of a heart attack, but died during the fighting in Yemen. This statement was made by the Iranian Fars agency, citing statements from informed sources and eyewitness accounts. "Sheikh Rashid and several other UAE soldiers were killed as a result of artillery fire from (supporters of the Shiite movement) Ansar Allah in the Yemeni province of Marib," the agency notes. The same news is confirmed by eyewitnesses who participated in the hostilities in the specified region of Yemen.

In Dubai, one of

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

Rashid is the eldest son of the emir from his eldest and main wife Hind bint Maktoum and, accordingly, the stepson of the second wife of the emir, the 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 the Sheikh Rashid School for Boys - teaching there was carried out according to the English model. After that, his father sent Rashid to the UK - to the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst, where Arab sheikhs traditionally send their children (the current Emir of Qatar, the King of Bahrain, 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, the second son of Sheikh Mohammed, Hamdan, was appointed Crown Prince of Dubai. His younger brother Maktoum received the post of Deputy Ruler of Dubai. The eldest son of the emir officially abdicated, and moreover: there was no place for him at all among the leadership of the emirate.

However, this step can be called unexpected only conditionally: long before the emir's decree, diplomats and Arab experts 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 Rashid was out of work?

The publication of Wikileaks documents has brought some clarity to this issue. Among the dispatches made public is a telegram from the US Consul General in Dubai, David Williams, in which he informs about the change in the order of succession and about its reasons. Without disclosing his sources, Williams reported that Rashid killed one of the workers in the emir's palace, this caused the sheikh's anger, and he revised the line of inheritance.

Sports consolation

A public relations campaign in the emirate and around the world has paid off: the new crown prince Hamdan quickly became the darling of the press. A diver and skydiver, a falconer who keeps lions and white tigers in his menagerie, a snowboarder and a poet who writes under the pseudonym Fazza. A wonderful 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 disabled and sick children, and also as one of the most enviable suitors 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 capitals - less than two billion dollars of Rashid against 18 billion of Hamdan), and he does not have an Instagram account. Although it cannot be said that the press did not indulge him with their attention. Since 2005, he has consistently been on 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 twenty "most desirable persons of royal blood.

Deprived of the right to the throne, Rashid ibn Mohammed focused on sports. The whole al-Maktoum family is famous for their love of horses, and Rashid is no exception. He owned the racing corporation Zabeel Racing International, and he has repeatedly won in various competitions both in the UAE and abroad. In total, he won 428 medals. The pinnacle of Rashid ibn Mohammed's sporting achievements is two gold medals at the Asian Games in Doha in 2006. In 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 the oil emirs clash with European realities, leaks happen. So it was with Rashid.

In 2011, a black employee from the staff of the British palace of Emir Olantunji Faley applied to a 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 (Faleiye is an Anglican), calling him "bad, low and disgusting faith”, convincing his “black slave” to convert to Islam.

Sheikh Hamdan Mohammed al-Maktoum has many virtues - a horse owner, poet, athlete, heir to the royal family, and even a bachelor. Sheikh Hamdan's wife is still missing in his personal life, however, last summer the media leaked information that he was going to marry a Palestinian refugee Kalila Said, whom he met at one of the charity events. It is said that this marriage was approved even by the prince's parents, although at first they were disappointed with their son's choice.

In the photo - Sheikh Hamdan

Sheikh Hamdan is one of the many children of Sheikh Mohammed, Prime Minister and Vice President of the United Arab Emirates and head of the emirate of Dubai. He was born thirty-three years ago and raised in incredible luxury. Sheikh Hamdan received an excellent education, first at the Sheikh Rashid Private School, created on the English model, then at the Dubai Government School at the Faculty of Public Administration. Hamdan Mohammed al-Maktoum graduated from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in the UK, where the offspring of English aristocrats study, specialized courses at the London School of Economics.

From childhood, the sheikh's father prepared his son for participation in the political life of his native state, and now Hamdan is a regular participant in various congresses and summits. Sheikh Hamdan attends all these political events out of necessity, and in private life he prefers travel, horseback riding, falconry. He is a very romantic person and even writes poetry under the pseudonym Fazzaa.

In general, almost nothing is known about Sheikh Hamdan's personal life, and the image makers of the court are constantly working to create an impeccable image for him, and this can be judged by the numerous photos in which he is depicted with relatives and looks very nice. Hamdan devotes a lot of time to charity - manages the work of several foundations, personally helps people in need.

When asked if he was going to end his bachelor life, the prince always answered that he had been engaged for a long time - the future wife of Sheikh Hamdan should be a maternal relative, however, in connection with recent events, when he met Kalila Said, everything can change. In general, a sheikh, according to the laws of his country, can have not one, but several wives - his father Sheikh Mohammed, for example, according to some reports, has as many as five wives, and time will tell how many wives Sheikh Hamdan will have.