Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum: Who He Is and What He Does
In 2006, a 23-year-old Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum became chairman of Dubai’s Executive Council. Eighteen years later, he joined the UAE federal cabinet as Minister of Defence.
Born on 14 November 1982, he is the Crown Prince of Dubai, the Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE and the second son of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Ruler of Dubai. Most people know him as Fazza, the name he uses for his poetry and on Instagram. This guide covers how he reached those roles and what each one involves. It also covers the less obvious details, from a city-wide fitness drive to his Sandhurst training, that explain why he gets so much attention.
Who Is Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum?
He was born in Dubai to Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Sheikha Hind bint Maktoum bin Juma Al Maktoum. He began school at Rashid Private School in Dubai. He then went to the United Kingdom for officer training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, graduating in the early 2000s.
The military route was a familiar one. His father was given responsibility for Dubai’s armed forces at 19, so a son expected to take on public duties followed a similar path. MEED’s profile adds that he later studied at the London School of Economics, which gave him a civilian academic side alongside the Sandhurst training.
How He Became the Crown Prince of Dubai?
His public career started early. In 2006, at 23, he was appointed chairman of the Dubai Executive Council, the body that oversees how the emirate’s government carries out its strategic plans. On 1 February 2008, he was named Crown Prince.
The title needs some context. Dubai is one of the UAE’s seven emirates, and its ruler is Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid. A crown prince is next in line within Dubai’s leadership, but the title carries no claim to the federal presidency, which has traditionally been held by Abu Dhabi’s ruler. From 2008 to 2024, his work stayed focused on Dubai itself, until a federal appointment widened it.
What the Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE Does
On 14 July 2024, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid announced a federal cabinet reshuffle after President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed approved it. It named Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, his first role in the national government. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, the foreign minister, was also named a Deputy Prime Minister.
The defence portfolio is the most visible part of the job. He chairs the Defence Council, which, according to WAM and Gulf News, had met at least three times in 2026 by the time of writing. One meeting, on 9 June, reviewed programmes to improve the defence system’s efficiency and readiness, and the Chief of Staff of the UAE Armed Forces attended it. He has also attended graduation ceremonies for new officers, including at the Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum Naval College.
He has kept his Dubai post as well. Gulf News described him in January 2026 as chairman of the Dubai Executive Council alongside his federal titles, so he holds both jobs at once.
Why the Dubai Future Foundation Matters to His Role?
He also chairs the board of trustees of the Dubai Future Foundation, the government-backed body behind the Museum of the Future. The foundation’s programmes aim to test new technology inside real government and city services rather than leave it in a lab.
Few people connect that work to defence. Together with the Executive Council, though, Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum has a hand in security, day-to-day administration and long-term planning at once.
The Dubai Fitness Challenge: A Prince Who Asked a City to Move
The Dubai Fitness Challenge began in October 2017 with a simple request: 30 minutes of exercise a day for 30 days, so the routine would turn into a habit. Free activities were organised across the city for people of every age and fitness level. The event has since become an annual fixture, with the Dubai Run as its flagship.
Fitness is personal for Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum too. He takes part in the challenge himself, and The National has noted his hike up Yosemite’s Half Dome, a climb that rises more than 1,500 metres above the valley floor.
Fazza: Poet, Horseman and Social Media Regular
Fazza is the pen name he uses for his poetry, and it has become the name most people use for him. Official profiles also list equestrian sports and falconry among his interests, both tied to Emirati heritage.
His Instagram account, @faz3, had more than 16 million followers when he joined the cabinet in 2024. On New Year’s Day 2026, he posted a video of the Burj Khalifa fireworks with a message about unity and limitless ambition. For many followers outside the UAE, the account is the most direct way to follow the Crown Prince of Dubai.
Quick Answers
How old is he? He is 43 and turns 44 on 14 November 2026.
Will he become Ruler of Dubai? The Crown Prince title points to him as next in line in Dubai. No change in leadership has been announced, and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid remains Ruler in the most recent official reports.
Is he the same person as Hamdan bin Rashid? No. Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum was his late uncle, and several Maktoum family members share the first name.
Conclusion
Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum now works at three levels: the Dubai Executive Council, the Dubai Future Foundation and the federal Ministry of Defence. Each came at a different stage, from the 2006 appointment, through the title of Crown Prince of Dubai in 2008, to the 2024 cabinet post that made him Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE. Each also has its own audience.
Titles can change, so the details here reflect public information as of November 2026. For the latest, the UAE Cabinet website and the Dubai Media Office publish official updates.