Mohammed wins hearts with desert barbecue photo

Saudis poured praise on His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, after seeing a picture showing him dressed in simple clothes and stoking barbecue in the middle of the desert. One described him as a “noble man” while others said he embodies modesty and desert fondness.

The Saudi Arabic language newspaper Ajel on Thursday carried the picture which it said was published on Twitter this week by Khalifa Saeed Suleiman, Director General of the Dubai protocol department.

The photo showed Sheikh Mohammed without his head cover kneeling on the sand and stoking a barbecue fire by a stick. He wore a dark trousers and white jumpers, which was tied by a thick belt around his waist. Ajel published the photo under the title “The Ruler of Dubai has barbecue in the desert.”

“I swear to God I love this man…his face features show he is a noble man,” a Saudi identified as Huweilan said in a written comment to the paper.

“By God, you are a real man, who came from a real man… may God the Almighty give you a long age,” said another who was not identified.

“Look at how modest this man is….and those who are modest will always be preserved by God,” said another reader, calling himself Abu Saleh.

Another reader who did not identify himself said: ”What I like in the Emirati Sheikhs is that they adopt the principle ‘God give me so I give my people.”

One reader named Hamdi said: ”May God protect you and your right hand.”
 
A woman calling herself Sali said: ”You are a just ruler and for this I love you from all my heart… I pray to God to protect and safeguard you always.”

A reader identified as Abu Ali Al Otaibi said: ”Your Highness has so much loved the desert that you succeeded in achieving miracles that has amazed the entire world and attracted admiration from all.”

Otaibi added: ”But I have just one remark which I pray will reach your highness… I have seen skyscrapers dotting Sheikh Zayed Road in a well-planned design that adds to your miraculous accomplishments….but these magnificent buildings lack just one thing-- mosques…..we need to see some mosques so foreigners visiting the emirate will see by themselves how much we are concerned about our religion and culture.”

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