Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum is the 35-year-old heir to the throne of the Emirate of Dubai. Sheikh Hamdan is a real oriental prince: he is fabulously handsome, owns a huge fortune and is fond of such typical royalty things like falconry, equestrianism and Formula 1 racing. His fortune is estimated at over $18 billion.

Let's tell you about the life of a young billionaire.

1. Arab Sheikh Hamdan has lived in incredible luxury since birth. He was born into the family of the Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, Ruler of the Emirate of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum. He also has 6 brothers and 9 sisters. In the United Arab Emirates, Hamdan is a very popular person due to his versatile image and apparent “closeness to the people.”

2. In fact most Hamdan spent his life not in his native United Arab Emirates, but in Great Britain, where he received an excellent education. At first he studied at an elite military school ground forces in Sandhurst, which is often chosen by English aristocrats for their beloved children. Then the sheikh moved to London, where he studied economics. After several years spent in Foggy Albion, Hamdan still had to return to his homeland - matters of national importance were already awaiting him there.

4. In ordinary life, Sheikh Hamdan looks a little different - he loves baseball caps with Formula 1 symbols, sports T-shirts and shorts. And the prince is to some extent far from politics - he is quite romantic in nature, loves travel, falconry and horse riding.

5. The prince is an excellent rider, he is very interested in equestrian sports, has his own stable and once won the Arabian Olympic Games thanks to his skill in the saddle.

6. Sheikh United Arab Emirates is not at all like the British princes Harry or William, although he lived in England for several years. Very little is known about Hamdan’s personal life, unlike his famous “colleagues,” and what is known is only rumors and guesses. One thing we know for sure is that the image makers of the royal court are constantly working to ensure that the image of the sheikh is impeccable.

7. Judge for yourself - Sheikh Hamdan is constantly photographed with children, his many nephews and nieces and at the same time looks like an absolutely charming and kind uncle. At the same time, the sheikh does not let anyone forget that he lives in luxury - on the Internet you can find a lot of photographs of Hamdan with tiger cubs (he can afford to have a pet tiger instead of a modest cat!), falcons, Arabian horses, luxury cars, in interiors a magnificent palace... In a word, the sheikh is constantly in an aura of power and wealth.

8. Of course, one of the richest people in the world cannot help but engage in charity work - Hamdan oversees several foundations, and sometimes he himself comes to visit people in need of help.

9. His personal life and relationships with women in the UAE are talked about only in whispers. Answering a question about his possible marriage, the prince said that he had been engaged to a relative since birth. maternal line, so there are no problems with choosing a bride - everything was decided long before he even entered conscious age. Several times his photo with an unknown woman appeared in the media, but we will never see her face - Hamdan's alleged bride (or wife?) wears a black burqa, showing the world only her eyes. Everything else is for the husband.

10. However, the sheikh has the right to have as many wives as he wants, so it is quite difficult to talk about the prince’s romantic attachments. By comparison, Hamdan's father, Sheikh Mohammed, is rumored to have around five wives. We say “about” because the exact number is really unknown - there are only eyewitness accounts and guesses.

In a word, even girls from aristocratic families have no opportunity to get closer to the mysterious eastern prince, since everything connected with his personality is confidential information, and the influential Hamdan clan is unlikely to leave the choice of wives to his own discretion. This does not prevent the sheikh from having a lot of fans of his attractive appearance and various talents - after all, no one forbade him to watch and believe!

11. Nowadays, the 32-year-old sheikh works as chairman of the Dubai City Council and president of the Dubai Sports Committee.

12. Like his father, Sheikh Hamdan writes poetry. The main motives of poetry are family, homeland, romantic relationship.

13. The prince is a skilled horseman. He received a gold medal in horse riding at the Asian Games.

14. His Highness is also interested in breeding camels, which requires considerable expenses.

Everyone knows that the ruler of the Emirate of Dubai and Vice President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid bin Said al Maktoum, has many children and wives.

Sheikh Mohammed

Nobody except the Sheikh probably knows the exact number. I will not risk stating any numbers. More than 20 officially recognized children - that's for sure. Two well-known wives: Sheikha Hind al Maktoum - the main wife, the mother of twelve children, whom no one photographed, and the youngest - Princess Haya of Jordan, the mother of two, whom we all know well.

Prince Hamdan, the second son of Sheikh Mohammed and Hind, has been declared the official heir to the emirate. For some reason, the eldest son Rashid was removed from inheritance, whether he was rude to dad, or loves women too much, it is not known. However, it turned out that this is not entirely true.

There is very little information on the Internet. But the Maktoum family members themselves are extremely active in in social networks, almost all the sheikh’s children have their own accounts, which they constantly update. Many echo each other. Actually, it was only thanks to this that we managed to find out something.

It is known for certain that Muhammad’s first-born daughter, Sheikha Manal, was born in 1977. Presumably from his Lebanese wife. She is happily married, she has children, a million photos with all her relatives on the Internet. But this is not about her.

In 1979, the Sheikh married his 17-year-old cousin and, at the same time, second cousin, Sheikha Hind al Maktoum.

Lyrical digression: it is unknown when she received the title of main/senior wife, but she is definitely not the first (these are different concepts).

On Arab forums, Dubai residents themselves (mostly women, of course) explain that since a child has the title of sheikh or sheikh, this means that Sheikh Mohammed definitely married the child’s mother, even if he later quickly divorced. I suspect this is some kind of law in the Emirates, because a Muslim does not have to get married in order to officially recognize the child. Maybe it’s just the sheikh status for the child. Don't know . Just in case, I will call everyone wives.

So, before Hind there was a Lebanese wife, Manal's mother.

In March 1980, Sheikha Maitha was born to a sheikh from a Moroccan wife, you have seen her many times, this is the same famous athlete. And she participates always and everywhere, and carried the UAE flag at the Olympics in London, and won a lot of things.

At the time of Mayta's birth, Sheikha Hind was already pregnant with her first child and gave birth to her daughter Hessa in November 1980. Everything is fine with her too, married, children, everything is fine.

But the sheikh still does not have a son. And, at the moment when Hind was wearing Hessa, the sheikh starts a relationship with, as rumors say, a German girl. In any case, the girl was of the Northern European type. And in March 1981 she gave birth to a boy.

The long-awaited son of his Arab father turned out to be unusual. They named him Marwan. One of the traditional names in the Maktoum clan. Sheikh Marwan bin Mohammed bin Rashid bin Saeed al Maktoum. Which literally means "Sheikh Marwan, son of Muhammad, son of Rashid, son of Said of the Maktoum family." The name is also the pedigree. The sheikh recognized the boy because his name is on all the lists of the sheikh’s official children.

In August 1981, the Sheikh's Moroccan wife gave birth to a second daughter, Shamsa. And only in November 1981 Hind gave birth to a son, Rashid. So he is the second son of Sheikh Mohammed, and not the first, as they write everywhere.

There are no photographs of Marwan on my father’s website. The other seven sons are there, but Marwan is not. I think this is due to the fact that he is not an Arab, although he is a Muslim. And also with his appearance. It's very different from everyone else.

I would like to draw your attention to the fact that many people confuse the son of a sheikh with the son of his second cousin, they are almost full namesakes, the name is only different in the fourth generation. And they rarely write until the fourth. So, the man in the photo below is not the same Marwan! This is easy to check on his page, where the man constantly posts photos of his real father and brothers.

Also Marwan, also a sheikh, but a second cousin, not the son of a ruler.

Currently, Marwan al Maktoum lives in London. He is married to Dalal al Marzougi, a girl from a very old and wealthy sultanal family that ruled for a thousand years just across the bay from Dubai, now Iran. My wife has been a development director at a large oil company for many years.

They have two sons, Muhammad and Rashid (in honor of their father and grandfather). These are the first grandchildren of Sheikh Mohammed in the male line!! The other sons have no children yet, only daughters.

Marwan served in the Dubai Army. Happens periodically in the emirate. He communicates with relatives. Sorry, there are not enough photos. I didn’t find a single adult photo with my father.

Sheikh Marwan is a head taller and larger than all his relatives. He's blond with blue eyes!

Marwan with grandfather Rashid, cousin and dad

with dad Mohammed

In the army. 1990.

with Hamdan

Khalid bin Maktoum with his cousin Sheikh Marwan.

In Mecca in 2013

11/10/14 Sheikh Marwan and his eldest son Mohammed

About childhood and youth Rashida little is known: 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- 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 - the Jordanian princess Hayy bint al-Hussein. Children Mohammed And Hind, according to brother's recollections Rashid Hamdan, were brought up in the spirit of traditional values.

IN Dubai the heir graduated from the Sheikh School for Boys Rashida- training there was conducted according to the English model. After which the father sent Rashida to UK- to the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst where they traditionally send their children Arab sheikhs(the current emir graduated from it Qatar, king Bahrain, sultans Brunei And Oman).

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 1 February 2008 year everything suddenly changed: crown prince Dubai younger brother was appointed Rashida, second son of the sheikh Mohammed - Hamdan. His younger brother Maktoum received the post of deputy ruler Dubai. The emir's eldest son officially abdicated the throne, and moreover, there was no place for him among the leadership of the emirate.

Rashid (center) with his father (right) and brother Ahmed, 2006

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

The publication of WikiLeaks documents brought some clarity to this issue. Among the published dispatches there is telegram Consul General USA V Dubai by David Williams, in which he reports on the change in the order of inheritance and the reasons for it. Without revealing your 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 has borne fruit: a new crown prince Hamdan quickly became a press darling. Diver and skydiver, falconry enthusiast with a menagerie of lions and white tigers, snowboarder and pseudonymous poet Fazza. An excellent rider, multiple winner of equestrian competitions, owner of expensive cars and yachts - all this luxury Hamdan ibn Mohammed willingly demonstrates it on her Instagram account. Hamdan 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 quite pale (especially considering the difference in their capitals - less than two billion dollars Rashida against 18 billions Hamdana), and he doesn’t have an Instagram account. Although it cannot be said that the press did not spoil him with their attention. WITH 2005 For five years in a row, he has consistently been included in the list of “20 sexiest Arab men”, in 2010 magazine " Esq" recognized him as "one of the 20 most enviable persons royal blood", and a year later " Forbes"included in the twenty "most desirable royals."

Three sons of the emir: from left to right - Hamdan, Rashid, Maktoum

Having lost the right to the throne, Rashid ibn Mohammed focused on sports. The whole family al-Maktoum famous for his love of horses, and Rashid- not an exception. He owned a racing corporation Zabeel Racing International, and he has repeatedly won various competitions both in UAE, and abroad. In total he won 428 medals. Vertex sporting achievements Rashid ibn Mohammed- two gold medals for Asian games in Doha V 2006 year. IN 2008 By 2010 year Rashid was even president Olympic Committee UAE, 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. So it happened with Rashid.

IN 2011 year, a black employee from the staff of the British Emir's Palace appealed to the British court Olantunji Faleye. 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.

Hamdan (right) and Maktoum carry their brother's body

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

However, it is unlikely that such scandals can shake the reputation of the royal house Dubai, investing millions of dollars in its PR in the media and social networks. Judging by the number of responses on the page Rashida on Facebook, 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.

Article taken from LENTA.RU

The current ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, was born on July 15, 1949. He assumed the position of ruler only after the death of his brother in 2006. It was with his coming to power that many transformations in the United Arab Emirates, which became known throughout the world, are associated. Let's get to know this famous personality.

Ruler of Dubai

In the family of Sheikh Rashid ibn Saeed Al Maktoum, a youngest son was born back in 1949. Sheikh Rashid himself was one of the founders of the state. Therefore, his son’s share was immediately predetermined; at birth it was clear that sooner or later he would become the ruler of one of the UAE emirates.

The elder brother of the current ruler of Dubai named his younger brother as his future successor back in 1995. And in fact, from that moment on, it was Mohammed who began to stand at the origins and helm of power in this region.

It is he who is considered the founder of the changes that have occurred in this country over the past few decades.

The famous islands in the shape of a palm tree, the world-famous airline Fly Emirates, the architecture of the city and its unique, one of the most luxurious and safe skyscrapers in the world - all this happened with the support and leadership of Mohammed.

Personal life of the ruler

Arab rulers leave their personal lives in the shadows. It is closed from prying prying eyes, but not as much as, for example, in Saudi Arabia.

The general public knows that Mohammed’s first wife was his cousin, Hind Bint Maktoum ibn Juma Al Maktoum. This marriage produced 7 girls and 5 boys.

According to Islamic law, it was Sheikh Mohammed's eldest son who should have become crown prince, but he later renounced the succession to the throne. Therefore this right passed to him younger brother Sheikh Hamdan.

Subsequently, information appeared in the press that Crown Prince Rashid, who abdicated the throne, died of a heart attack in 2015. Although the press considered these data contradictory, rumors began to appear that he had died at the hands of a Yemeni terrorist. But neither a refutation of this nor further evidence followed.

In 2004, Sheikh Mohammed married for the second time. His second wife was a more public person. Haya bint Al-Hussein gave birth to Mohamed two children: the eldest daughter Al Jalila and youngest son Zayeda.

The press also discussed for a long time the information that in addition to two wives, the sheikh had four more wives: with whom he managed to be in a relationship between his first and second marriages, which are known. But information about them is not available to the general public.

But from all the marriages together, Sheikh Mohammed has a lot of children:

• 12 children from his first marriage;
• 11 children from 4 marriages, about whom practically nothing is known;
• 2 children from his last marriage to Princess Haya.

The strange case of the sheikh's daughter

In March 2018, information became publicly available on social networks that caused a lot of noise and scandal. In the video, Latifa, one of Sheikh Mohammad's daughters, claimed that her family is quite cruel and involved in some murders. She wanted to escape from the United Arab Emirates, but she was caught and returned.

Public organizations expressed their concern about the fate of the girl. But later that year, Latifa was visited by Mary Robinson (who oversees human rights at the UN). She stated that Latifa is being monitored mental disorders. But this only caused more mistrust from the public.

Interesting facts about his second wife - Princess Haya

The sheikh’s second wife is the sister of the ruler of the state of Jordan. She was born on May 3, 1974.

This young girl led a fairly active and secular lifestyle. Graduated from the Faculty of Politics at Oxford in the UK. Took Active participation in various events, for example, in the opening of the Olympics, in equestrian competitions, where she was a direct participant.

After the wedding, little changed in her lifestyle. Only when absolutely necessary can she throw a Muslim scarf over her luxurious hair, and even then she never covers her face. In all other respects, she cannot be distinguished from real secular European women.

Despite the seemingly heavenly life, back in the spring of 2019, rumors began to appear in the press that the princess had run away from her husband. And then in the summer these rumors were confirmed.

Princess Haya flew to Germany with her two children, also taking almost $40 million. Having asked for political asylum in this country, she filed for divorce.

And, despite the fact that the sheikh remained outwardly unperturbed, all these events caused some tension between the two countries. After all, the Sheikh of Dubai is also the Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates. Therefore, the UAE demanded that Germany hand over the princess, but European country, citing freedom of choice, gently refused to Muslims.

Born July 22, 1949. In 2006, he became Prime Minister and Vice President of the UAE. Studied at Bella Language School. Became ruler of Dubai by inheritance in 1995. His goal is to transform the UAE into a “green” and attractive place for doing business. Participated in the construction of the Palm Islands, the Burj Al Arab hotel, and the Burj Khalifa skyscraper. Established the Dubai World Cup Horse Racing Championship and created the Godolphin Stables. Has 16 children.

Biography

The Prime Minister and Vice President of the UAE, as well as the head of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed was born in 1949, the third of four sons. He studied at home before entering university. Graduated from the Bell Language School at the University of Cambridge. In 1995, Sheikh Mohammed became Crown Prince of the UAE, main goal which was the transformation of a small piece of desert into the most luxurious place for recreation and business on earth.

Thus, he participated in the construction of the Palm Islands, the Burj Al Arab Hotel, the Burj Khalifa skyscraper, and also established the Dubai World Cup Horse Racing and Godolphin Stables.

Known as a poet, Sheikh Mohammed has always been interested in poetry, especially the Nabati poetry (folk poetry of the peoples of the Arabian Peninsula and the Syrian Desert), which originated in the same places where the Sheikh came from. His hobbies include hunting, shooting, horse racing, and camel racing.
With a net worth of over US$4 billion, Sheikh Mohammed spares no expense on charities such as cultural literacy and education.

After the death of his elder brother in 2006, Sheikh Mohammed became the ruler of Dubai, as well as the prime minister and vice president of the UAE.

Sheikh Mohammed, known to many expats as Sheikh Mo, got married for the first time in 1979. His wife was Sheikha Hind bint Maktoum bin Yuma al-Maktoum. His second wife was Princess Haya bint al-Hussein, daughter of Hussein of Jordan (King of Jordan). Sheikh Mohammed has 16 children.