Sheikh Hamdan at 41: Crown Prince of Dubai celebrates birthday with throwback photos

He is known for his love of travel, adventure, poetry and nature

A young Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, with his brother, Sheikh Maktoum. All photos: Instagram / @faz3 (unless stated otherwise)

Sheikh Hamdan looks ready for royal duty as a youngster

The Crown Prince posted old photos on his Instagram to celebrate his 40th birthday in 2022

Sheikh Hamdan as a child

A young Sheikh Hamdan showing his playful side

The young sheikh with his father, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai

Sheikh Hamdan with UAE Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan

A young Sheikh Hamdan shares a laugh with his father

Watching camel racing as a child

As an adult, Sheikh Hamdan is popularly known as Fazza, the name under which he publishes his poetry

He often shares photos of his childhood on social media

A screenshot from a video posted by Sheikh Hamdan for Sheikh Mohammed on Father's Day

Sheikh Hamdan skiing as a child

Sheikh Rashid, left, and Sheikh Hamdan with Miss Lebanon 1998 Joelle Behlok at Dubai World Cup in 2000. AFP

Sheikh Hamdan during a falconry trip in Uzbekistan

Flying a kite

Sheikh Hamdan in Yorkshire

Sheikh Hamdan posts a photo of him riding the Tube in London and going unrecognised

Having tea in Mongolia

Sheikh Hamdan with King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla

The Crown Prince of Dubai shared a picture with his twins, Rashid and Shaikha, taken right after they were born, to mark their first birthday on May 20, 2022

Sheikh Hamdan with footballer Cristiano Ronaldo at SushiSamba in Dubai

Taking a solo flight above the desert

Clicking a selfie at Expo 2020

Striking a pose during his holiday in Yorkshire

Taking part in the Dubai Run on Sheikh Zayed Road, during Dubai Fitness Challenge

The Crown Prince of Dubai is a keen shutterbug; seen here during a trip to the Isle of May in Scotland

A shot from his skiing holiday on Instagram

Sheikh Hamdan in Japan

The classic Leaning Tower of Pisa shot

Out for a walk in New York City

Participating in the Dubai Ride Challenge. Photo: Dubai Media Office

During training at Royal Military College, Sandhurst in the UK

With one of the sea turtles he helped release into the wild

Sheikh Hamdan posted a video on Instagram showing him wing-walking over the city

Sheikh Hamdan at the Government Summit in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National

Touring Bustanica, the world’s largest vertical farm in Dubai. Photo: Dubai Media Office

At the Dubai Metaverse Assembly at Museum of the Future. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

Sheikh Hamdan is passionate about poetry. WAM

Sheikh Hamdan launching the Dubai Future Experts Programme in 2020

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, is celebrating his 41st birthday on Tuesday.

Sheikh Hamdan, popularly known as Fazza, has been Crown Prince since 2008.

On his birthday, he reposted photos shared by his family members on Instagram Stories.

Sheikh Hamdan also shared a photo of him kissing one of his children.

In May 2021, he became a father, welcoming twins Sheikh Rashid bin Hamdan and Sheikha Sheikha bint Hamdan with his wife, Sheikha Sheikha bint Saeed. They welcomed a third child, a baby boy named Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamdan, in February.

Sheikh Hamdan stands on top of the Burj Khalifa. AFP

Known for his adventurous side, Sheikh Hamdan often completes adrenalin-pumping activities such as skydiving, free diving and scaling Burj Khalifa.

In summer, he shared a video of himself conquering the perilous Half Dome hike in Yosemite National Park in California. Rising more than 1,500 metres above Yosemite Valley and 2,682 metres above sea level, Half Dome is one of the most challenging hikes in Yosemite.

His passion for fitness also led to the creation of Dubai Fitness Challenge in 2017. The month-long annual event, which is under way at the moment, aims to transform Dubai into one of the world's most active cities by encouraging everyone to commit to doing physical activity for 30 minutes a day for 30 days. Free citywide activities have been launched for everyone, irrespective of their age or fitness levels.

He regularly takes part in the Dubai Fitness Challenge, including the flagship Dubai Run, which is on November 26 this year.

Sheikh Hamdan took part in the Dubai Run last year. Photo: Dubai Media Office

Sheikh Hamdan is also known for his love of animals, his forward-thinking nature and his passion for the country. He has a loyal social media following, as well as countless celebrity friends.

He has shared several glimpses into fatherhood with his 16 million Instagram followers, including introducing his children to his beloved horses at F3 Stables during a summer trip to the UK and taking them for a bike ride alongside his father, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai.

Sheikh Hamdan shared a series of old family photos on Instagram, including this one with UAE Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. All photos: @faz3

In this childhood photo, Sheikh Hamdan and his brother, Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed, hold a camel racing trophy.

A young Sheikh Hamdan stands with Zayed Hamdan.

Sheikh Hamdan's father, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, greets him through the car window.

Sheikh Hamdan gets a smile from Sheikh Zayed.

A young Sheikh Hamdan stands with his father.

Sheikh Hamdan sits with his father in the front of a car.

Sheikh Mohammed and Sheikh Hamdan watch the camel racing.

A black-and-white snap of Sheikh Mohammed and Sheikh Hamdan.

Sheikh Hamdan in a brown suede jacket.

Sheikh Hamdan often shares throwbacks to his childhood on Instagram too, stressing the importance of family to him. From ski trips to desert adventures, his feed is full of nostalgic childhood memories from the UAE and afar.

His devotion to his family and siblings is also clear from his social media posts, while he frequently praises his father Sheikh Mohammed both as a ruler and a mentor.

He has also spoken publicly about the death of his brother, Sheikh Rashid, from a heart attack at 33, paying tribute to him on the anniversary of his passing.

Education

Sheikh Hamdan received his elementary education at Rashid Private School in Dubai. He then followed his father for officer training in the UK, graduating from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in 2001, a few months before his 20th birthday.

The experience, Sheikh Hamdan said in a 2012 interview with a Dubai magazine, “showed me the importance of self-discipline, commitment, virtue, responsibility, endurance, understanding, teamwork and friendship … and the benefits of hard work".

After Sandhurst, the Crown Prince continued his education at the London School of Economics. “Continuing my studies overseas was important,” he said in the same interview. “It provided me with new skills and taught me how to apply them.”

Four years later, Sheikh Hamdan assumed his first official position, as Chairman of Dubai’s Executive Council in September 2006. Two years later, he was named by Sheikh Mohammed as Crown Prince of Dubai, an appointment that added more responsibilities and his own staff and office.

Why do many call Sheikh Hamdan 'Fazza'?

Like his father, Sheikh Hamdan writes poetry, which he sometimes shares online.

Fazza means "a person who speeds to the help and support of others". From the Emirati dialect, it's a term often used in Nabati poetry, which is a common art form in the UAE.

Sheikh Hamdan has described his poetry as "my identity and poetic character through which I humbly attempt to rekindle joy in the hearts of people, alleviate their suffering in my own simple way. I express their hopes and aspirations".