Lead:
The United Arab Emirates marked the 77th birthday of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai, with tributes from senior officials and state institutions. Simultaneously, the country advanced on multiple diplomatic and administrative fronts, including condolences extended to Qatar over a royal bereavement, a regional security forum in Brussels, and Jordan's interception of Iranian ballistic missiles — underscoring a day of dense political and ceremonial significance across the Gulf.
Details:
Al Khaleej newspaper reported extensive tributes to Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum on the occasion of his birthday. Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, First Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance, described the occasion as a celebration of a leader who "made our land an icon of the future." Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Minister of Defence, conveyed his wishes, calling Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid "the pulse of Dubai and the leader of its ambitions." Dr. Anwar bin Mohammed Gargash, Diplomatic Adviser to the UAE President, described the ruler as an "exceptional leader who made ambition a methodology and achievement a culture."
On the diplomatic front, Al Khaleej reported that Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, extended condolences to Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Emir of Qatar, over the passing of Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani. Separately, Al Khaleej reported that Lana Nusseibeh, Minister of State, represented the UAE at a high-level European Union — Gulf Cooperation Council forum on regional security in Brussels, where she stated that using the Strait of Hormuz as a tool of coercion constitutes unacceptable "piracy."
Al Khaleej further reported that Jordan's Armed Forces announced the interception and destruction of three ballistic missiles that entered Jordanian airspace from the direction of Iran in the early hours of Wednesday, marking a significant security development in the wider region. Meanwhile, Al Khaleej cited Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, as having received a phone call from Nabil Fahmy, Secretary-General of the Arab League, in what officials described as a consultative exchange.
On the administrative side, Al Khaleej reported that Dubai's General Directorate of Identity and Foreigners Affairs processed over one million residency transactions and five million entry permits in the first half of 2026, with 66,000 Golden Visas issued. The directorate also announced the availability of a five-year multiple-entry tourist visa.
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