Sheikh Mohammed: The best holiday investment is moments with family

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, shared a photo with his grandchildren on social media on Monday, accompanied by a message about the value of time spent with family.

"Life has taught me that the greatest investment during holidays is not the number of cities we visit, but the moments we create with our families," Sheikh Mohammed wrote. "Beautiful memories bring happiness and give us the energy to keep working, achieving and succeeding."

The post quickly drew widespread engagement, with many users praising the message and the family moment it captured. Sheikh Mohammed has often shared personal glimpses of his life beyond official duties, reflecting the importance he places on family and close relationships.

A message set against the summer travel season

The post came at the height of the summer holidays, when many UAE residents travel abroad. Dubai International Airport had expected about three million passengers in the first half of July, with the surge starting on 2 July. Daily numbers were forecast to regularly exceed 200,000, and 12 July was projected to be the busiest day, with more than 225,000 travellers. These were forecasts from Dubai Airports, and transfer passengers make up about half of the traffic, so the figures do not represent residents alone.

The airport also set a benchmark last year, handling 24.2 million passengers between July and September 2025, which Dubai Airports described as the busiest quarter in its 65-year history.

The national Year of the Family

The message was also shared during 2026, which the UAE designated as the Year of the Family. President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed announced the designation on 6 November 2025 to advance the National Family Growth Agenda 2031, which includes a national task force and a Ministry of Family.

A pattern of family moments

Family photos are not new for the Dubai Ruler. In 2018, he posted an Instagram photo of a day out with six of his grandchildren. In May 2022, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, shared a photo of Sheikh Mohammed with 23 of his grandchildren during Eid Al Fitr.

Family has also featured in recent public messages from the Ruler and his sons. In a video shared on Instagram on 1 May, Sheikh Hamdan reflected on the role of mothers in shaping leadership, values and identity in Dubai. The video opens with Sheikh Mohammed recalling Dubai in 1957, when the city "was not as it is today" yet ambition was already taking root, and describing a mother who rose before him to prepare his breakfast. "She never tired, never complained," he says. Sheikh Hamdan speaks of seeing his grandmother "in the eyes of my father" and of values handed down through generations. "What he learned from his mother reached me, and what I learned from my mother will remain," he says.

Public visibility and a milestone year

Over recent months, Sheikh Mohammed has remained visible and accessible, with unannounced outings to malls, restaurants and other public places. On 22 May, a girl named Naya ran up to him at Dubai Hills Mall and asked for a photo. He stopped, and the picture was taken. Her mother later shared the moment online, writing that in the UAE "they are confident and aware of how much people love them", and that residents experience safety rather than merely hearing about it.

The Ruler turned 77 on 15 July, and tributes came from across Dubai's leadership. Sheikh Hamdan called him "the leader who turned bold ideas into reality", while Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, First Deputy Ruler of Dubai, spoke of "a leader who created inspiration, defeated the impossible and made our land an icon of the future and beauty". Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Second Deputy Ruler of Dubai, said: "From you we learned determination, in you we take pride, and on your path we continue our journey for our people and our nation."

Sheikh Mohammed became Ruler of Dubai on 4 January 2006, following the death of his brother Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid. The UAE Supreme Council elected him Vice-President the next day, and he was nominated Prime Minister on 11 February 2006. He marked 20 years in office in January 2026.

His quotes on ambition and leadership are widely shared across the country, among them "They say the sky is the limit. We say: the sky is only the beginning" and "It is easy to rule through fear, but it takes a rare leader to rule through love." His latest message turns that attention to a quieter theme, that time with loved ones can restore the energy to keep working and achieving.