UAE residents, government figures and members of the royal family paid tribute to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, who celebrated his 71st birthday on Wednesday.
The Dubai Ruler’s children greeted their father on social media, with Sheikha Latifa Bint Mohammed posting a photo of Sheikh Mohammed as a child. “Happiest Birthday to the best Dad anyone could ever wish for,” Sheikha Latifa wrote in the caption.
Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council, shared his birthday message to his father on Twitter.
Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, also posted his wishes on Twitter, paying tribute to the Dubai Ruler’s “bold vision”.
Residents also expressed their greetings in various creative ways and from different places, including an Indian teenager from the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, who created a portrait of Sheikh Mohammed on an almond.
“I am very thankful to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed for doing a lot of great work for the Indian community in the UAE,” the artist, Aman Singh Gulati, 19, told Gulf News. “In this portrait, I have showcased the warm relationship between India and the UAE.”
Born on July 15, 1949, Sheikh Mohammed ascended the throne as Ruler of Dubai in 2006 after the death of his brother Sheikh Maktoum, continuing his work to transform the emirate as a global tourist and business hub. Sheikh Mohammed previously served as the UAE’s first Minister of Defence.
