Until now, the cause of the mysterious death of 33-year-old Sheikh Rashid remains shrouded in mystery. Let us recall that the eldest son of the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Rashid bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, passed away at the age of 33. According to media reports, on September 19, 2015, Sheikh Rashid, who had a reputation as a handsome playboy with a brilliant future, died at home due to a sudden heart attack.

Despite the fact that the official version of his death is a myocardial infarction, there have long been rumors in the United Arab Emirates that the young Sheikh Rashid abused drugs and, due to his addiction, repeatedly ended up in a rehabilitation center. In 2008, he was stripped of his legal title as Crown Prince of Dubai.

In recent years, especially before his death, Sheikh Rashid somehow gradually and smoothly withdrew from social life and went into the shadows, while becoming one of the most mysterious influential figures in the emirate of Dubai. His father, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, had only two wives and 24 children. Through his efforts, he transformed a dull and mediocre emirate into a dazzling modern metropolis and a global high-tech and tourism center.

There are many versions of the death of the 33-year-old Sheikh of Dubai. For example, the Iranian Fars news agency stated that Rashid did not die from suffering a “sudden heart attack,” as the official statement said, but during the fighting in Yemen. Iranian media unanimously claim that Sheikh Rashid bin Mohammed al-Maktoum and several other UAE soldiers were killed during artillery shelling by rebel forces in the Yemeni province of Marib. False information about the death of the Crown Prince of Dubai as a result of a heart attack was published in order to mislead residents of the United Arab Emirates, who are in favor of withdrawing troops from Yemen.

Another version of the prince’s death in the form of a diplomatic message was published on the Wikileaks website. It contains a fascinating description of events that really took place in the palace and were carefully hidden from prying eyes. A certain diplomat from one of the Western countries shared information that Sheikh Rashid lost his title of Crown Prince of Dubai and all prospects of legitimate power due to the fact that he allegedly killed his father’s assistant in a state of passion. Although the assistant's name is never mentioned, analysts have suggested that the murder was committed as a result of a steroid-induced rage attack.

Another leak, provided by a Saudi Arabian diplomat, suggests that drugs and mass sexual orgies are commonplace in the palace of the ruler of Dubai, as well as in the emirate of Dubai as a whole. However, access to such events is open only to wealthy Arabs.

If we weigh the pros and cons, analysts agree that the heart attack that ended the life of 33-year-old Sheikh Rashid is nothing more than a beautiful excuse that does not cast a shadow on the sheikh’s reputation.

Dubai, one of the key emirates in the UAE, is in mourning. Sheikh Rashid ibn Mohammed al-Maktoum, the eldest son of Mohammed ibn Rashid al-Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, and concurrently the second most influential person in the United Arab Emirates, prime minister, vice president and minister of defense of the country, has died. Sheikh Rashid died of a heart attack, less than a month and a half shy of his 34th birthday. His younger brother and Crown Prince Hamdan wrote: “Today I lost my best friend and childhood companion, dear brother Rashid. We will miss you." Lenta.ru tried to figure out what made the eldest son of the Dubai emir famous.

According to British standard

Little is known about Rashid’s childhood and youth: Instagram did not yet exist at that time, and Arab emirs and their heirs had not yet acquired the habit of posting scenes of a rich life with geotags for public viewing.

Rashid is the eldest son of the emir from his eldest and main wife Hind bint Maktoum and, accordingly, the stepson of the emir's second wife, the Jordanian princess Haya bint al-Hussein. The children of Mohammed and Hind, according to the memoirs of brother Rashid Hamdan, were brought up in the spirit of traditional values.

In Dubai, the heir graduated from a school for boys named after Sheikh Rashid - education there was conducted according to the English model. After which his father sent Rashid to the UK - to the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst, where Arab sheikhs traditionally send their children (the current emir of Qatar, the king of Bahrain, the sultans of Brunei and Oman graduated from it).

Disinherited

Rashid ibn Mohammed was preparing to become his father's successor: the emir introduced him to state affairs and entrusted him with control over various economic projects. But on February 1, 2008, everything suddenly changed: Rashid’s younger brother, Sheikh Mohammed’s second son, Hamdan, was appointed Crown Prince of Dubai. His younger brother Maktoum received the post of Deputy Ruler of Dubai. The emir's eldest son officially abdicated the throne, and moreover, there was no place for him among the leadership of the emirate.

This step, however, can only be called unexpected: diplomats and Arabic experts, long before the emir’s decree, noticed that Hamdan was increasingly appearing in front of cameras next to his father and that the emirate’s press was writing about him more and more often. What happened, why was Rashid out of work?

The publication of WikiLeaks documents brought some clarity to this issue. Among the released cables is a telegram from the US Consul General in Dubai, David Williams, in which he reports on the change in the order of succession and the reasons for it. Without disclosing his sources, Williams reported that Rashid killed one of the workers in the emir's palace, this angered the sheikh, and he revised the line of succession.

Solace in sports

The PR campaign in the emirate and around the world bore fruit: the new Crown Prince Hamdan quickly became a darling of the press. A diver and paratrooper, a falconer who keeps a menagerie of lions and white tigers, a snowboarder and a poet who writes under the pseudonym Fazza. An excellent rider, multiple winner of equestrian competitions, owner of expensive cars and yachts - Hamdan ibn Mohammed willingly demonstrates all this luxury on his Instagram account. Hamdan is known as a philanthropist and philanthropist, generously distributing donations to the disabled and sick children, and also as one of the most eligible bachelors in the world. Admiring fans gave him the nickname “Aladdin”.

Against this background, his older brother Rashid looked rather pale (especially considering the difference in their capital - less than two billion dollars for Rashid versus 18 billion for Hamdan), and he does not have an Instagram account. Although it cannot be said that the press did not spoil him with their attention. Since 2005, he has consistently been included in the list of “20 Sexiest Arab Men” for five years in a row; in 2010, Esquire magazine recognized him as “one of the 20 most enviable royals,” and a year later, Forbes included him in the top 20 “most desirable.” persons of royal blood."

Having lost his right to the throne, Rashid ibn Mohammed focused on sports. The entire Al Maktoum family is famous for its love of horses, and Rashid is no exception. He owned the Zabeel Racing International racing corporation and won numerous competitions both in the UAE and abroad. In total he won 428 medals. The pinnacle of Rashid ibn Mohammed's sporting achievements was two gold medals at the Asian Games in Doha in 2006. From 2008 to 2010, Rashid was even the president of the UAE Olympic Committee, but left this post, as he explained, due to lack of time.

Scandal in a noble family

Arab sheikhs try not to make their internal affairs public, but sometimes, when the traditional values ​​of oil emirs collide with European realities, leaks occur. This is what happened with Rashid.

In 2011, a black employee from the staff of the British palace of Emir Olantunji Faleye appealed to the British court. He claimed that he was discriminated against on racial and religious grounds: members of the sheikh's family addressed him as "al-abd al-aswad" - "black slave", and repeatedly insulted Christianity (Faleye is an Anglican), calling him "bad, low and disgusting faith,” convincing his “black slave” to convert to Islam.

During the hearings, another service employee, Ejil Mohammed Ali, was summoned as a witness to the court, who, among other things, stated under oath that Sheikh Rashid was a drug addict who had recently completed a rehabilitation course.

However, it is unlikely that such scandals can shake the reputation of the Royal House of Dubai, which invests millions of dollars in its PR in the media and social networks. Judging by the number of responses on Rashid's Facebook page, many people, including from the poorest countries in the world, perceive the death of the eldest son of the Dubai emir as a personal tragedy.

Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum is the 35-year-old heir to the throne of the Emirate of Dubai. Sheikh Hamdan is a true eastern prince: he is fabulously handsome, owns a huge fortune and enjoys such typical royal things as falconry, equestrianism and Formula 1 racing. His fortune is estimated at over $18 billion.

Let's tell you about the life of a young billionaire.

1. Arab Sheikh Hamdan has lived in incredible luxury since birth. He was born into the family of the Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, Ruler of the Emirate of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum. He also has 6 brothers and 9 sisters. In the United Arab Emirates, Hamdan is a very popular person due to his versatile image and apparent “closeness to the people.”

2. In fact, Hamdan spent most of his life not in his native United Arab Emirates, but in Great Britain, where he received an excellent education. First, he studied at the elite military school of the ground forces at Sandhurst, which is often chosen by English aristocrats for their beloved children. Then the sheikh moved to London, where he studied economics. After several years spent in Foggy Albion, Hamdan still had to return to his homeland - matters of national importance were already awaiting him there.

4. In ordinary life, Sheikh Hamdan looks a little different - he loves baseball caps with Formula 1 symbols, sports T-shirts and shorts. And the prince is to some extent far from politics - he is quite romantic in nature, loves travel, falconry and horse riding.

5. The prince is an excellent rider, he is very interested in equestrian sports, has his own stable and once won the Arab Olympic Games thanks to his skill in the saddle.

6. The Sheikh of the United Arab Emirates is not at all like the British princes Harry or William, although he lived in England for several years. Very little is known about Hamdan’s personal life, unlike his famous “colleagues,” and what is known is only rumors and guesses. One thing we know for sure is that the image makers of the royal court are constantly working to ensure that the image of the sheikh is impeccable.

7. Judge for yourself - Sheikh Hamdan is constantly photographed with children, his many nephews and nieces and at the same time looks like an absolutely charming and kind uncle. At the same time, the sheikh does not let anyone forget that he lives in luxury - on the Internet you can find a lot of photographs of Hamdan with tiger cubs (he can afford to have a pet tiger instead of a modest cat!), falcons, Arabian horses, luxury cars, in interiors a magnificent palace... In a word, the sheikh is constantly in an aura of power and wealth.

8. Of course, one of the richest people in the world cannot help but engage in charity work - Hamdan oversees several foundations, and sometimes he himself comes to visit people in need of help.

9. His personal life and relationships with women in the UAE are talked about only in whispers. Answering a question about his possible marriage, the prince said that he had been engaged to a maternal relative since birth, so there were no problems with choosing a bride - everything was decided long before he even entered conscious age. Several times his photo with an unknown woman appeared in the media, but we will never see her face - Hamdan's alleged bride (or wife?) wears a black burqa, showing the world only her eyes. Everything else is for the husband.

10. However, the sheikh has the right to have as many wives as he wants, so it is quite difficult to talk about the prince’s romantic attachments. By comparison, Hamdan's father, Sheikh Mohammed, is rumored to have around five wives. We say “about” because the exact number is really unknown - there are only eyewitness accounts and guesses.

In a word, even girls from aristocratic families have no opportunity to get closer to the mysterious eastern prince, since everything connected with his personality is confidential information, and the influential Hamdan clan is unlikely to leave the choice of wives to his own discretion. This does not prevent the sheikh from having a lot of fans of his attractive appearance and various talents - after all, no one forbade him to watch and believe!

11. Nowadays, the 32-year-old sheikh works as chairman of the Dubai City Council and president of the Dubai Sports Committee.

12. Like his father, Sheikh Hamdan writes poetry. The main motives of poetry are family, homeland, romantic relationships.

13. The prince is a skilled horseman. He received a gold medal in horse riding at the Asian Games.

14. His Highness is also interested in breeding camels, which requires considerable expenses.

Some consider him handsome and an athlete, and some consider him crazy. After watching one video from his Instagram, I was very surprised - how can the heir risk himself like that? However, he does this all the time.

He is only one of thirteen children and not the oldest, but in early February 2008 he was announced as the Prince of Dubai. His name is Hamdan ibn Mohammed Al Maktoum. Athlete, poet and just an extreme sports enthusiast. He has 4.6 million subscribers on Instagram. Some consider him a darling of fate, and some envy him.

In general, I became interested in his personality after flying on such a device. It's called "Jetman" and is the brainchild of a Swiss pilot-inventor.

Here's a video of Hamdan flying around the city on a jet wing.

Today he is 34 years old and he definitely has a fun life. He has official positions such as chairman of the Dubai City Executive Council, head of the hedge fund HN Capital LLP, and president of the newest university named after him - Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University.

The prince has many hobbies. It's enough for everything at once. If you look at his photos, you can see that he loves to skydive, hunt with a falcon and even dive with a spear gun. He has exotic animals at home. In the photo you can see white tigers, lions and camels. He is also a horse breeder and owns breeding stallions that often win races.

Quadcopter and sports car racing.

It seems that extreme sports is his main hobby.

Luxury is only a small part of his life. Hamdan travels constantly and sometimes on his yacht. Stays in the best hotels and goes to the most colorful places on the planet.

His passion for photography attracts a huge audience.

Everything you need for a good photo:
- Good topic
- Good lens
- And a little patience

With friends

The prince is incredibly rich, and still does not have a wife. In general, all aspects of the royal family's private life are hidden from the general public.

On falconry.

The prince's favorite brand is Mercedes-Benz G-Class

In such a car he moves across the sands

Hamdan himself is well educated, because... studied first at the Dubai Government School, and later in the UK at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.

However, he constantly participates in charity events and tries to help those in need.
He sponsors hospitals and helps disabled people and sick children.

On a water hoverboard

With animals

Guest

In addition to beautiful cars, the prince also prefers to ride horses.

This is probably one of the most popular photos.

In training

There are a lot of photographs from spearfishing.

Hunting takes place with the help of an underwater gun.

Sometimes I consider him similar to the actor Eric Bana, known for the films: Black Hawk, Hulk, Troy.

Instagram Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum