Dubai: His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, celebrated his 71st birthday on Wednesday – with scores of wishes from family members, government institutions and members of the public.
Sheikha Latifa Bint Mohammed took to Instagram to wish her father best wishes on this special day by posting a throwback photo of Sheikh Mohammed as a child, accompanied with the caption: “Happiest Birthday to the best Dad anyone could ever wish for.”
Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council, also posted a birthday message for his father, which gathered over 1,000 likes within the first hour it was published online.
Sheikh Mohammed was born on July 15, 1949, in the Al Maktoum home in Shindagha near the Dubai Creek. He is the third of four sons for Shaikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum.
On Wednesday, the Arabic hashtag #Sheikh_Mohammed_Bin_Rashid was a trending topic on UAE Twitter, as UAE residents seized the morning to send out their well wishes.
Shaikh Mohammad is one of the most influential leaders in the world, with 5.2m followers on his @hhshkmohd Instagram account and 10.3 million followers on his @HHShkMohd Twitter account.
The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation congratulated Sheikh Mohammed on social media, and took the occasion to wish the best of luck on the upcoming launch mission to Mars, scheduled to take place soon.
“Today, we live in a place that is a source of pride for us all, and today we mark a date of achievement and excellence. It is the birthday of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, which coincides with the approaching launch of the Hope Probe to Mars, which bears the UAE’s name that strives for excellence.”
