Royals, residents wish happy birthday to #Lion_of_the_UAE

Abu Dhabi - Social media was abuzz, with Netizens posting throwback photos of their beloved leader.

Social media erupted in cheers as royals and residents wished His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, a happy birthday. #Mohamed_Bin_Zayed and #Lion_of_the_UAE (both in Arabic) were the top Twitter trends of Wednesday as Netizens wished the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince well on his 59th birthday.
Leading the tributes was His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, who penned a touching poem to mark the occasion.
Sheikh Mohammed tweeted: "An honest man and the son of an honest leader (the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan), history remembers that you are generous. May God bless you with a long life, so you can celebrate and live with us peacefully."
The two leaders are known to be quite close and often meet to discuss issues relating to the country and its residents.
Social media was abuzz, with Netizens posting throwback photos of their beloved leader.
The Abu Dhabi Crown Prince is known for his laughter and down-to-earth demeanour, famously offering to give a lift home to a young girl who was crying on the pavement waiting for her father. When the girl refused, saying she had been instructed not to get into strangers' cars, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed insisted on waiting with her until her parents came to pick her up. The story went viral on social media, after a picture was taken of the leader sitting on the ground with the child.
reporters@khaleejtimes.com

• Abu Dhabi