THE Crown Prince of Dubai has been appointed as Minister of Defence for the United Arab Emirates as part of a broader Cabinet reshuffle, Dubai ruler and UAE Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum posted on X. The 41-year-old Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, who has served as Dubai’s Crown Prince since 2008, was also named as one of the UAE’s deputy prime ministers.
Sheikh Hamdan, who goes by the nickname Fazza, is a popular member of Dubai’s ruling family and has 16.4 million followers on Instagram. These changes and additional appointments were made after consultations with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed to “boost operational efficiency across various sectors”, according to Khaleej Times. “Sheikh Hamdan is a leader who loves his people and his people love him. We have immense confidence that he will be a great addition to the UAE government and a major contributor to shaping the country’s future,” Sheikh Mohammed posted on X.
Taking to X, Sheikh Hamdan thanked the UAE leaders for their trust and vowed to help build a better future for our country and our people. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan has been named Deputy Prime Minister as he retains his Minister of Foreign Affairs role.
Dr Abdul Rahman Al Awar, who is Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation, will also serve as the acting Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research. Ahmed Belhoul, who was the Minister of Education, will now serve the Sports Ministry.
Alia Abdullah Al Mazroui has been appointed Minister of State for Entrepreneurship. “Alia has a distinguished experience in the private and government sectors. Her role is to create economic opportunities for Emiratis,” said Sheikh Mohammed.