Dubai’s ruler is dedicating the 12th anniversary of his accession to the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
It has been almost 12 years since HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum became the ruler of Dubai and Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE.
But ahead of his accession day on January 4, the royal is instead turning his attention to the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
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Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid has used the occasion to highlight the work of Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, who also serves as Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.
Asking UAE residents not to hold any formal celebrations in honour of his accession, Dubai’s ruler instead asked people to send their thanks to Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed.
“As we do every year, we issued out instructions not to allocate celebratory events on the accession day anniversary that falls on January 4,” Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid posted on his social media pages.
“We usually launch a campaign to thank those who had impact on our lives and in serving the nation.
“Today, we urge our Emirati people to thank Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed who devoted his life to raising the stature of the nation and ensuring the happiness of citizens.”
The royal also shared an image of a letter he sent Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince at the start of 2018, saying: “I do not thank him in my name, but in the name of my people.”
وجهت له رسالة مع بداية العام الجديد لأشكره .. لا أشكره باسمي .. ولكن باسم شعبي .. ولا أشكره لشيء شخصي .. بل لوطن يصنعه لأجيال بلدي #شكرا_محمد_بن_زايد pic.twitter.com/DyRxP0OHOV
— HH Sheikh Mohammed (@HHShkMohd) January 2, 2018
“I do not thank him for something personal, but for a nation he is building for future generations,” Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid added.
The royal also shared a short video montage of the pair over the years.
Sheikh Mohammed’s call to action has spurned the hashtag #شكرا_محمد_بن_زايد, which translates to #ThankYouMohammedBinZayed, with many sharing their gratitude to the royal across multiple social media platforms.
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Among those to join the movement was HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, who shared a picture of Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed on Twitter.
#شكرا_محمد_بن_زايد pic.twitter.com/bynGTGBySE
— Hamdan bin Mohammed (@HamdanMohammed) January 2, 2018
Last year, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid announced the launch of the UAE Food Bank around his accession day, a programme which will distribute leftover produce to those in need at both a local and regional level.
Image: Dubai Media Office
