Sheikh Hamdan drives Elon Musk in Dubai, hosts high-level talks

Dubai: Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, has surprised social media followers with photos of a personal meeting with Elon Musk in Dubai, where the Crown Prince was seen driving the tech mogul and the world's richest man in the city.

In images shared on his Instagram account @faz3 on Sunday, Sheikh Hamdan revealed glimpses of what he described as a "multifaceted discussion" with Musk covering space exploration, cutting-edge technology and the future of humanity.

"I very much enjoyed a multifaceted discussion with Elon Musk on space, technology and humanity. Excited to see what the future holds," the Crown Prince wrote.

Personal touch

The photos showed Sheikh Hamdan and Musk seated on what appears to be a private jet cabin. The Crown Prince can also be seen shaking hands with Musk and driving him in a car. Both have also been captured from behind while walking into a majlis, holding the hands of their sons.

Those who received Musk also include Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, First Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance.

The significant rendezvous took place at a majlis that overlooks the beautiful skyline of Dubai.

It underscores the increasingly close relationship between Dubai's leadership and Musk's portfolio of companies, which span space exploration, electric vehicles, artificial intelligence and revolutionary urban transportation solutions.

The photographs showing Sheikh Hamdan personally hosting and driving Musk in Dubai signal the importance the emirate places on its partnership with the entrepreneur's ventures. Such personal engagement from the Crown Prince is typically reserved for relationships of strategic significance to Dubai's future.

The timing of the meeting is particularly notable as it comes amid accelerating collaboration between Dubai and multiple Musk-led enterprises, including SpaceX, Tesla, and The Boring Company.

Deepening ties with Musk

Dubai is advancing its landmark collaboration with Elon Musk’s ventures, notably The Boring Company, to develop the Dubai Loop, an underground transit system announced in February 2025 at the World Government Summit.

The 17km network will feature 11 stations and transport over 20,000 passengers per hour at speeds up to 160 km/h.

Beyond transport, Dubai has deep space collaborations with SpaceX. In 2025, the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) launched the PHI-1 satellite on a Falcon 9, expanding access for technology testing in orbit. Earlier, SpaceX deployed Etihad-SAT, enhancing disaster monitoring and environmental observation.

In 2023, SpaceX also facilitated Emirati astronaut and current minister Dr Sultan Al Neyadi’s six-month mission, the longest Arab space mission, to the International Space Station.

Musk has participated in Dubai’s World Government Summit in 2017, 2023, and 2025, discussing urban infrastructure, artificial intelligence, and government efficiency.

This week, Musk’s net worth surged to $749 billion, and he became the first person to ever cross $700 billion in net worth.