Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai. Photo: Wam
Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai. Photo: Wam
Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai. Photo: Wam
Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai. Photo: Wam

UAE

Sheikh Hamdan shares hopes for safe return of passengers on missing Titanic submersible

Crown Prince of Dubai says we are 'unified in our prayers for them and their families'

The National

June 20, 2023

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LATEST: Time running out as search for missing Titanic submarine goes on

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, said the people of the emirate are praying for the safe and “hopeful return home” of the five people on board the missing submersible that had been travelling to view the wreck of the RMS Titanic.

“While search teams are working hard to rescue passengers of the OceanGate Submarine: Hamish Harding, Shahzada Dawood, his son Suleman, Paul-Henry Nargeolet, and Stockton Rush; Dubai and its people pray for their safety and hopeful return home,” Sheikh Hamdan wrote on Twitter on Tuesday evening.

“We are following the updates anxiously and are unified in our prayers for them and their families during these difficult times.”

Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman were confirmed to be two of the passengers on board. A third is Hamish Harding, a British billionaire who lives in Dubai.

A French Navy pilot, Paul-Henry Nargeolet, and the boss of tour company OceanGate, Stockton Rush, were believed to be the other members of the voyage.

The Titanic wreck is located about 700km off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada.

Titanic tourist submersible goes missing – in pictures

  • The pilot of a Royal Canadian Air Force maritime surveillance aircraft flies over the Atlantic during the search for the missing OceanGate submersible. Reuters
    The pilot of a Royal Canadian Air Force maritime surveillance aircraft flies over the Atlantic during the search for the missing OceanGate submersible. Reuters
  • A Royal Canadian Air Force serviceman drops sonar buoys from a surveillance aircraft. Reuters
    A Royal Canadian Air Force serviceman drops sonar buoys from a surveillance aircraft. Reuters
  • Capt Jamie Frederick of the US coastguard speaks to reporters about the search for the submersible, during a press conference in Boston, Massachusetts. AFP
    Capt Jamie Frederick of the US coastguard speaks to reporters about the search for the submersible, during a press conference in Boston, Massachusetts. AFP
  • Carl Hartsfield, director and senior programme manager Oceanographic Systems Laboratory, faces reporters as Royal Navy Lt Cdr Rich Kantharia, left, and Capt Frederick look on during the news conference. AP
    Carl Hartsfield, director and senior programme manager Oceanographic Systems Laboratory, faces reporters as Royal Navy Lt Cdr Rich Kantharia, left, and Capt Frederick look on during the news conference. AP
  • Inside the submersible vessel Titan on a previous dive. The vessel is used to visit the wreckage site of the Titanic. PA
    Inside the submersible vessel Titan on a previous dive. The vessel is used to visit the wreckage site of the Titanic. PA
  • Titan went missing on a dive to the Titanic wreck site this week. PA
    Titan went missing on a dive to the Titanic wreck site this week. PA
  • Businessman Shahzada Dawood, the vice-chairman of Karachi conglomerate Engro, and his son Suleman are on board the missing sub. AFP
    Businessman Shahzada Dawood, the vice-chairman of Karachi conglomerate Engro, and his son Suleman are on board the missing sub. AFP
  • Paul-Henri Nargeolet, French explorer and director of a company that owns the rights to the Titanic wreck, is on board the submarine. Reuters
    Paul-Henri Nargeolet, French explorer and director of a company that owns the rights to the Titanic wreck, is on board the submarine. Reuters
  • The Titan submersible was taking five people to view the wreck of the Titanic when it went missing. AP
    The Titan submersible was taking five people to view the wreck of the Titanic when it went missing. AP
  • UAE-based British space explorer Hamish Harding posted this image of himself in Canada a day before the expedition. Photo: Instagram
    UAE-based British space explorer Hamish Harding posted this image of himself in Canada a day before the expedition. Photo: Instagram
  • Mr Harding, a businessman, receives his Blue Origin astronaut pin after a successful flight to space in June 2022. AP
    Mr Harding, a businessman, receives his Blue Origin astronaut pin after a successful flight to space in June 2022. AP
  • The submersible usually carries a pilot, three paying guests and a 'content expert'. It has enough oxygen for up to 96 hours. AP
    The submersible usually carries a pilot, three paying guests and a 'content expert'. It has enough oxygen for up to 96 hours. AP
  • The Titanic sank on April 15, 1912, during its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York, killing more than 1,500 of the 2,200 passengers on board. Getty
    The Titanic sank on April 15, 1912, during its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York, killing more than 1,500 of the 2,200 passengers on board. Getty
  • The wreck, which was located in 1985, sits 3,800 metres at the bottom of the Atlantic, about 600km off Newfoundland. AFP
    The wreck, which was located in 1985, sits 3,800 metres at the bottom of the Atlantic, about 600km off Newfoundland. AFP

On Tuesday evening, the US Coast Guard and its Canadian counterpart said that the submersible has about 40 hours of air left.

Authorities are scouring a 20,000-square-kilometre area in the North Atlantic Ocean for the small vessel which has five people aboard.

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'Worse than a prison sentence'

Marie Byrne, a counsellor who volunteers at the UAE government's mental health crisis helpline, said the ordeal the crew had been through would take time to overcome.

“It was worse than a prison sentence, where at least someone can deal with a set amount of time incarcerated," she said.

“They were living in perpetual mystery as to how their futures would pan out, and what that would be.

“Because of coronavirus, the world is very different now to the one they left, that will also have an impact.

“It will not fully register until they are on dry land. Some have not seen their young children grow up while others will have to rebuild relationships.

“It will be a challenge mentally, and to find other work to support their families as they have been out of circulation for so long. Hopefully they will get the care they need when they get home.”

How the bonus system works

The two riders are among several riders in the UAE to receive the top payment of £10,000 under the Thank You Fund of £16 million (Dh80m), which was announced in conjunction with Deliveroo's £8 billion (Dh40bn) stock market listing earlier this year.

The £10,000 (Dh50,000) payment is made to those riders who have completed the highest number of orders in each market.

There are also riders who will receive payments of £1,000 (Dh5,000) and £500 (Dh2,500).

All riders who have worked with Deliveroo for at least one year and completed 2,000 orders will receive £200 (Dh1,000), the company said when it announced the scheme.

Islamophobia definition

A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.

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Updated: June 22, 2023, 6:18 AM
UAEDubaiSheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed