“This is my son”: The emotional moment between a UAE manager and her employee that Sheikh Mohammed shared

Dubai: His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, celebrated a spontaneous human moment that expressed feelings of pride and joy between a manager and one of her employees. His Highness posted on his Instagram account on November 4, a video clip of Engineer Nawal Al Hinai, Director of the Energy and Future Department at the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, celebrating Engineer Abdullah Al Hammadi’s winning of the Prime Minister’s Medal for the Best Employee in Future Jobs. His Highness commented, saying: “Congratulations to Abdullah and Nawal. I am proud of you and your positive energy.” During the ceremony honouring government entities, leaders, and talents who won the Mohammed bin Rashid Government Excellence Award 2026, Al Hinai was overcome with emotion, saying: "Tears well up in my eyes; this is my son." Al Hammadi responded, "This is my second mother," in a moment that embodied the profound human connection between a leader and their team. Al Hammadi later said that the recognition gave him a greater sense of responsibility to redouble his efforts and continue giving back. Al Hinai considered the words of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed an additional honour and an incentive to continue developing future leaders and supporting young talent. Mother's spirit Abdullah Al Hammadi receiving his award at the Mohammed bin Rashid Government Excellence Award 2026. Picture credit: Supplied In detail, Abdullah Al Hammadi, a Future Energy Engineer at the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, said that the moment he was announced as the winner of the medal brought mixed feelings of pride and joy, along with a greater sense of responsibility, stressing that the honour prompted him to redouble his efforts and continue giving during the next stage, to be worthy of the trust that was given to him. He added that the first person he looked for in the hall after his win was announced was Engineer Nawal Al Hinai, whom he described as his biggest supporter since joining the Ministry. He explained that she constantly guides him towards development and learning opportunities and is quick to nominate him for any opportunity that could contribute to developing his skills and abilities. He continued that the phrase "She is my second mother" came out spontaneously because it expresses the nature of their relationship. He pointed out that Engineer Nawal doesn't treat him as just an employee who receives instructions, but always addresses him as "Abdullah, my son," and treats him with the spirit of a mother who is keen to guide and support her children. He confirmed that his mother felt great joy when she saw the clip, and saw in it the support and appreciation her son enjoys from his mentor, and the feelings he has for her, noting that his parents were and still are his biggest supporters since he entered school until today. Successful leader Abdullah Al Hammadi, a Future Energy Engineer at the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure. Picture credit: Supplied Regarding His Highness Sheikh Mohammed’s posting of the clip, Al Hammadi expressed his great pride in this gesture, stressing that such a spontaneous moment from His Highness carries great appreciation, and that Engineer Nawal represents a model of a successful leader who supports competent people and gives them opportunities for development and excellence. He explained that his career at the Ministry began on February 2, 2024, and this was his first job after graduation, noting that he holds a bachelor’s degree in nuclear engineering from the University of Sharjah, and works in the field of future energy, which includes solar, wind, nuclear and hydrogen energy. He explained that he noticed that his previous job title, “Sustainability Engineer,” did not accurately reflect the nature of the tasks and specialisations he worked on, especially his participation in preparing national strategies, including the UAE Energy Strategy 2050 and the National Hydrogen Strategy 2050. He pointed out that he had submitted a request to change the title to “Future Energy Engineer”, with the support of the Human Resources Department, which contributed to creating a job title that reflects the actual nature of the work, and opened the way for employees to contribute to this vital sector. UAE image He added that he has a principle that he adopts as an approach in his professional life, inspired by two sayings of President His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed. The first is that “anything you do that is positive, they say it’s Emirati, and anything you do that is negative, they say it’s Emirati,” and the second is the saying “We will not accept anything less than number one.” He stressed that he keeps these two sayings in mind in every mission he participates in, especially when representing the country in international forums, and he is keen to ensure that his participation and achievem