Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, celebrated the first birthday of his twins Sheikh Rashid and Sheikha Shaikha by sharing a photo taken on the day they were born.
"Feels like just yesterday this picture was taken. It’s been one year today. Happy birthday Rashid & Shaikha and to all the children of the world," Sheikh Hamdan posted on Instagram.
Sheikh Hamdan and Sheikha Shaikha bint Saeed, who married in May 2019, had the twins on May 20 last year.
The Dubai Crown Prince is a popular figure on social media, with more than 14 million followers on Instagram. He announced their birth by sharing an image of a pair of small feet, one pink and one blue, to represent his happy news.
Senior UAE figures were among those to offer warm words to the parents, at the time.
"I congratulate my brother His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, for the arrival of his two children," Sheikh Saif bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, wrote on Twitter after the birth.
Sheikh Rashid and Sheikha Shaikha have since made various appearances on Sheikh Hamdan's Instagram page.
In June last year, a photo of the twins with their grandfather, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, went viral.
In the heart-warming picture shared by Sheikh Hamdan, Sheikh Mohammed is seen cradling the young babies in his arms. The photo has received nearly a million likes.
In August, the Crown Prince of Dubai revealed two new photos of Sheikh Rashid at England's Godolphin, the Maktoum family's private stables.
In the first photo, Sheikh Hamdan is holding his baby boy up close to Adayar, the Irish-bred, British-trained racehorse that won the 2021 Epsom Derby. In a second photo, he can be seen posing with his son in front of the Godolphin logo.
"Training and education should start early on. Rashid and Shaikha came to see Adayar and wish him the best!" he wrote.
In December, to mark the UAE's National Day, Sheikh Hamdan shared a photo of himself cradling Sheikh Rashid and Sheikha Shaikha, both dressed in traditional Emirati attire. The girl can be seen wearing a dress in the colours of the UAE flag.
In March, Sheikh Hamdan shared more pictures of his children taken at his stable, passing on his family's love for horses to the pair.
"The love for horses runs in our blood,” he captioned the post, along with a blue heart and pink heart representing his baby boy and baby girl.
Last month, Sheikh Hamdan shared another touching picture of his father, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, surrounded by several of his grandchildren and family members, including Sheikh Rashid and Sheikha Shaikha.
The touching image, believed to be taken during Eid Al Fitr celebrations, shows Sheikh Mohammed in the centre, surrounded by 24 young members of his family. The boys of the family are lined up together at the back wearing kanduras, while the girls sit at the front wearing colourful traditional outfits.
In the caption, Sheikh Hamdan simply wrote: “#family”.
Scroll through the gallery to see more photos of Sheikh Hamdan's childhood
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Evacuations to France hit by controversy
- Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
- Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
- The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
- Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
- It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
- Since the start of the Gaza war, it has also included 45 Gazan beneficiaries
- Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
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Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
The specs
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Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Company Profile
Name: JustClean
Based: Kuwait with offices in other GCC countries
Launch year: 2016
Number of employees: 130
Sector: online laundry service
Funding: $12.9m from Kuwait-based Faith Capital Holding
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
