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
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
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 achievements are a respectable reflection of the image of the Emirates.
Second mother
For her part, Engineer Nawal Al Hinai, Director of the Energy and Future Department at the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, said that the phrase “This is my son” came out spontaneously and from the heart, expressing the feelings of pride that overwhelmed her when Abdullah Al Hammadi’s victory was announced. She emphasised that she considers all the employees working with her as her children, and she is keen to ensure that the work environment is based on the spirit of one family, and transcends the limits of the administrative relationship between the manager and the employee.
Regarding His Highness Sheikh Mohammed’s comment on the clip, Al Hinai considered His Highness’s words to be an additional honour for her, after she had previously received the Order of Sheikh Zayed of the First Class, stressing that His Highness’s description of her as having positive energy carries an additional appreciation and responsibility to continue building future leaders and supporting young talents.
Dealing with employees
She stressed that treating employees with a spirit of family and brotherhood is not optional, but rather “mandatory,” and must be a firmly established approach for all managers and officials, based on the legacy of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and the values established by the wise leadership in dealing with others.
She stressed that employees represent the second family of the official, especially since they spend more than eight hours a day together, adding that tolerance, kindness to the young and respect are values that represent part of the DNA of Emirati society and residents on the country’s land.
She added that Abdullah is one of the promising talents who was able to prove his capabilities in a short period, despite his recent joining of the Ministry and his young age, as he is only 27 years old, noting that he has outstanding abilities in employing artificial intelligence.
She explained that he contributed to the development of the administration’s work tools by preparing a smart assistant based on Agentic AI, which helped the team to facilitate many tasks, especially analyses related to the country’s position in leadership indicators.
Success story
Al-Hinai stated that what distinguishes Abdullah is not limited to his technical abilities, but extends to his commitment to continuous learning and his readiness to work in new fields, noting that he studied nuclear engineering, but did not hesitate to get involved in renewable energy and hydrogen files, and prove his ability to deal with specialisations that differ from his academic background.
She reviewed a situation that reflects his competence and ability to bear responsibility, as he was recently assigned to lead the country’s youth delegation in the energy sector during the BRICS group meetings in Brazil, even though he was the youngest and lowest in rank among the members of the delegation, which included department directors and experienced people in their 30s and 40s.
She said that Abdullah succeeded in leading the delegation, representing the country, and promoting its success stories in the energy sector, noting that the experience resulted in receiving thank-you messages from the Brazilian side, praising the Emirati experience in giving young people leadership opportunities and responsibility in vital sectors.
She expressed her pride in Abdullah, considering his victory as a victory for her as well, and directed a message to young people about the importance of seizing opportunities, continuing to learn and develop skills, and not hesitating to venture into new fields, because promising talents are capable of reaching advanced leadership positions when they find the opportunity and support.