Sharjah:
His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, met the six-year-old girl who mimicked one of his speeches in a video that has gone viral. Shaikh Mohammad visited the home of Mahra Al Shehi in Sharjah yesterday.
On Thursday, Shaikh Mohammad retweeted a video of a little Emirati girl mimicking one of the sentences of his speech, and expressed his desire to meet her. “This little girl impressed me, God bless her. I want to visit her, does anyone know who she is?” said Shaikh Mohammad’s tweet.
A large number of people responded to his tweet and guided him to her house in Sharjah.
Meanwhile, the family of the little girl described the visit of Shaikh Mohammad as “historic” and said they could not describe their happiness.
Mahra’s mother, Mariam Al Shurafa, told Gulf News that she was shocked when she received a call from the office of His Highness and informed her about his visit. “I did not even know that His Highness had noticed the video.
“This visit reflects the interest of the [UAE] Rulers in every issue [big and small] in this country of security and safety as well as the sustainability of their wise leadership to communicate with citizens,” Mahra’s mother said. “When I informed Mahra that Shaikh Mohammad would visit her, she jumped up and hugged me. She was very happy, she kept all time asking me when he would visit.”
Mahra Ahmad Al Shehi, 6, is a grade 1 student at the Sharjah Model School for Girls. A smart student, she gets full marks in her subjects, her mother said.She has two siblings, Abdullah, 5, and Asmaa, 3.
Mahra told Gulf News by phone and said she wishes to be a dental surgeon when she grows up.
About Shaikh Mohammad’s visit, Mahra said, “I cannot express how happy I am” pointing out that meeting him and getting an opportunity to be seated with him is a dream come true.
About the video, Mahra’s mother said that she was practicing for a school activity. Mahra has an Instagram account her family set up on May 31, 2016. She has 65,000 followers. She also has a Snapchat account.
Shaikh Mohammed also posted a longer video of his meeting with Mahra on Instagram, which also captures their interaction. The Ruler can be seen telling her about how she has grabbed people’s attention with her video and also compliments her dress.
Shaikh Mohammed tweeted about his meeting with the little Mahra, calling her the ‘queen of children’:
“With my daughter Mahra Al Shehi — an Emirati angel and the queen of children.”
Mahra said that she also wishes to meet His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.
Referring to her daughter’s small size, she said it is due to a liver condition that has affected her growth but this has only made Mahra more determined to distinguish herself, she said.
