Royal Hobbies: How The Sheikhs and Sheikhas Spend Their Free Time
From fishing to enjoying Japanese literature, here’s what these royals like doing to relax
While a lot of the Arab royals keep a low profile, many of them share little snippets of what they like doing when they are not attending official functions – after all, they too need to blow off steam after a stressful day. From sports to spending time in the great outdoors, Harper’s Bazaar Arabia shares nine ways regional royals unwind at the end of the work week.
HH Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai And Chairman of Dubai Executive Council
Known as Fazza to his followers, His Highness regularly shares his daily life online. From fishing trips and spending time with animals, to drives in the rain, Sheikh Hamdan makes sure to give his over 16 million Instagram followers a glimpse into his hobbies.
An admirer of poetry, an artform enjoyed in the Arabian Peninsula for centuries, the Crown Prince of Dubai believes that it is an expression of character. He has been composing his own pieces for a long time as well and in fact, the name Fazza is a pen name under which he started writing.
Often seen on the treadmill, he is quite an active and usually shares posts of his daily workouts.
Her Highness Sheikha Mahra Bint Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Daughter of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, Her Highness Sheikha Mahra Bint Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, gives us insight into her life through her social media accounts as well.
Like many regional royals, Her Highness spent a lot of time in her childhood around horses and her love for them remains strong till this day as seen in many pictures.
Her Highness has also been spotted several times at the annual Dubai World Cup and has taken pictures at the Al Jiyad Stable with a chestnut horse named Derby.
Sheikh Mana Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Bin Mana Al Maktoum
With a large following on Instagram, Sheikh Mana usually shares snippets from his fishing trips in the UAE and travels. He’s also a keen fan of football and enjoys attending horse racing events and watching the sport.
Her Highness Sheikha Maitha bint Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum
An equestrian expert, there’s no doubt that Sheikha Maitha loves spending time in stables and polo fields in the UAE. With massive success also as a martial artist, the princess moved her focus onto the world of horses after an injury. She also launched her very own competitive horse stables, Team Z7.
Her Highness Sayyida Meyyan Bint Shihab Al Said of Oman
The Omani royal’s Instagram feed is full of posts from her travels and she’s often captured with a camera around her neck. When Her Highness is taking a break from her official duties, she’s sharing her love for digital art and photography with her 144,000 followers.
Sheikh Humaid Bin Ammar Al Nuaimi
Sheikh Humaid is the eldest son of His Highness Sheikh Ammar bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, Crown Prince of the Emirate of Ajman. His hobbies consist of spearfishing, marine sports, and archery. From family appearances to athleticism, he is also one of the most prominent names in the list of bachelor princes in the Arab world.
Sheikh Khalid bin Mansour bin Ahmed Al Thani
Sheikh Khalid bin Mansour bin Ahmed bin Ali Al Thani is the grandson of the former Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Ahmed bin Ali Al Thani and Sheikha Maryam bint Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, sister of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Current Ruler of Dubai.
His love for exploring the world is evident from his social media posts. From the Seychelles to Germany, he chronicles his adventures on his Instagram account when travelling the world.
Princess Raiyah Bint Al Hussein of Jordan
While technically not a Sheikh or Sheikha Princess Raiyah Bint Al Hussein of Jordan deserves an honourable mention. The younger daughter of King Hussein of Jordan and Queen Noor, and half-sister to King Abdullah II of Jordan, Princess Raiyah Bint Al Hussein of Jordan enjoys learning about the Japanese language and culture.
She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Japanese Literary and Cultural Studies at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA); according to the Terasaki Center for Japanese Studies at UCLA, Princess Riayah’s undergraduate degree in Japanese Studies from the University of Edinburgh in 2009. Now, her “research focuses upon the connection between the warrior as a symbolic figure and the construction of national identity.”
Lead image courtesy Instagram/@faz3