While the 36-year-old’s political charisma has made him popular among Emiratis, his adventurous lifestyle has earned him millions of social media followers from across the globe.
Dubai is known throughout the globe for many things – its booming business sector, awe-inspiring architecture and thriving tourism industry, for starters. This is due in part to one important member of the Emirati royal family: Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Mouktoum.
Fondly known as Fazza, Sheikh Hamzan is the third of his father’s 23 children. He was appointed Crown Prince of Dubai on his 25th birthday, skipping his late brother, Sheikh Rashid bin Mohammed, because he was allegedly a better fit for the role. From then on, he has been an instrumental figure in the progress of the state, mainly focusing on the areas of youth development, health care, social services and sports.
While 36-year-old’s political charisma has made him popular among Emiratis, his adventurous lifestyle has earned him millions of social media followers from across the globe. We’re talking 8.4 million Instagram followers and counting, to be exact.
What is it like to be the Crown Prince of the fourth most visited city in the world? Here’s a closer look at Fazza’s grid for an idea.
Fazza’s boyish good looks aren’t the only thing that attracts followers; he has many talents up his sleeve, too. For one, he’s a natural athlete, having won multiple sports competitions – including a gold medal in a 160km endurance ride against 227 riders in 2016.
He also loves an adrenaline rush, as you’ll observe from his frequent snowboarding, freediving, flyboarding and ziplining trips.
Fun fact: he has plans to revive the cultural sport of falconry in the United Arab Emirates by encouraging participation in ‘captive bred falcon’ race competitions.
Sports aside, the prince has an obvious affinity for photography. In 2011, he founded the Hamdan International Photography Award (HIPA) to provide recognition (and attractive prize money) for talented photographers around the world.
We think he’s got a flair behind the camera as well, and these shots are proof:
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It’s happening! #Dubai #Supermoon #Bluemoon #Bloodmoon #Totallunareclipse
It would seem that animals are among his favourite things to photograph…
…or simply to make his companions…
…but he also captures the most spectacular shots of his beloved city.
A family guy at heart, Fazza often shares moments spent with his large household, especially his younger siblings, nieces and nephews.
And here’s a photo of his younger self for good measure.
Arguably the most fascinating posts on his feed, however, are of his travels. From riding a horse through the postcard-worthy forests of Estonia to trekking on the serene mountains of Scotland, this prince has seen and done it all.
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Riding in the beautiful forests of #Estonia 🇪🇪 #Endurance #160km #iphoneonly
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Follow Sheikh Hamdan on Instagram @faz3 to keep up with his life and times.
