Sheikh Hamdan celebrates the first birthday of twins Rashid and Shaikha

Crown Prince of Dubai shares a photo of his children taken on the day they were born

Sheikh Hamdan and his wife Sheikha Shaikha bint Saeed had the twins on May 20 last year. Photo: Instagram / faz3

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, celebrated the first birthday of his twins Sheikh Rashid and Sheikha Shaikha by sharing a photo taken on the day they were born.

"Feels like just yesterday this picture was taken. It’s been one year today. Happy birthday Rashid & Shaikha and to all the children of the world," Sheikh Hamdan posted on Instagram.

Sheikh Hamdan and Sheikha Shaikha bint Saeed, who married in May 2019, had the twins on May 20 last year.

The Dubai Crown Prince is a popular figure on social media, with more than 14 million followers on Instagram. He announced their birth by sharing an image of a pair of small feet, one pink and one blue, to represent his happy news.

Senior UAE figures were among those to offer warm words to the parents, at the time.

"I congratulate my brother His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, for the arrival of his two children," Sheikh Saif bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, wrote on Twitter after the birth.

Sheikh Rashid and Sheikha Shaikha have since made various appearances on Sheikh Hamdan's Instagram page.

In June last year, a photo of the twins with their grandfather, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, went viral.

In the heart-warming picture shared by Sheikh Hamdan, Sheikh Mohammed is seen cradling the young babies in his arms. The photo has received nearly a million likes.

In August, the Crown Prince of Dubai revealed two new photos of Sheikh Rashid at England's Godolphin, the Maktoum family's private stables.

In the first photo, Sheikh Hamdan is holding his baby boy up close to Adayar, the Irish-bred, British-trained racehorse that won the 2021 Epsom Derby. In a second photo, he can be seen posing with his son in front of the Godolphin logo.

"Training and education should start early on. Rashid and Shaikha came to see Adayar and wish him the best!" he wrote.

In December, to mark the UAE's National Day, Sheikh Hamdan shared a photo of himself cradling Sheikh Rashid and Sheikha Shaikha, both dressed in traditional Emirati attire. The girl can be seen wearing a dress in the colours of the UAE flag.

In March, Sheikh Hamdan shared more pictures of his children taken at his stable, passing on his family's love for horses to the pair.

"The love for horses runs in our blood,” he captioned the post, along with a blue heart and pink heart representing his baby boy and baby girl.

Last month, Sheikh Hamdan shared another touching picture of his father, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, surrounded by several of his grandchildren and family members, including Sheikh Rashid and Sheikha Shaikha.

The touching image, believed to be taken during Eid Al Fitr celebrations, shows Sheikh Mohammed in the centre, surrounded by 24 young members of his family. The boys of the family are lined up together at the back wearing kanduras, while the girls sit at the front wearing colourful traditional outfits.

In the caption, Sheikh Hamdan simply wrote: “#family”.

Scroll through the gallery to see more photos of Sheikh Hamdan's childhood