Arabian Post Staff -Dubai
The Court of Sheikh Mohammed announced Sheikh Ahmed’s death on Monday morning, September 21, and said flags would be flown at half-mast across Dubai throughout the mourning period. The Dubai Media Office confirmed the announcement, which took effect immediately.
Sheikh Mohammed paid tribute to his brother in a message posted on X, praying for mercy and solace for his family and loved ones. “You are absent from our eyes but not from our prayers and hearts,” he wrote, in one of the personal lines of remembrance released after the announcement.
Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, also mourned his uncle. His message asked God to grant Sheikh Ahmed mercy and forgiveness and to give strength and patience to the family.
Sheikh Ahmed, 76, was a long-serving member of Dubai’s ruling family and had held the post of Deputy Chairman of Dubai Police and Public Security. Official Dubai records and earlier government announcements identified him in that role over many years, placing him among the senior figures associated with the emirate’s public security establishment.
Dubai government records had continued for years to identify Sheikh Ahmed with the emirate’s police and public security leadership. Official protocol announcements from 2008 and 2019 referred to him as Deputy Chairman of Dubai Police and Public Security, while state news agency material also used the title when reporting his senior role in Al Wasl Club affairs and public engagements in the emirate.
He was also closely connected with Al Wasl Sports Club, serving as its president and playing a direct role in its administration. In August 2025, Sheikh Ahmed issued a decree restructuring the board of directors of Al Wasl Sports Club and its subsidiary companies, setting a four-year term for the new board. The club described his support and oversight as central to its leadership structure.
Al Wasl’s administration had continued to refer to Sheikh Ahmed as the club’s president in official communications in 2025, including statements on the formation of the football company’s board and on broader club governance. His involvement extended beyond ceremonial patronage, with decisions issued under his authority covering board appointments and organisational changes.
Sheikh Ahmed was born in Dubai in 1950 and was the youngest son of the late Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, the former Ruler of Dubai. He was also the younger brother of Sheikh Mohammed. His public career included military and security responsibilities before his long association with Dubai Police and Public Security.
The announcement of his death prompted messages of condolence from senior members of the Dubai leadership and the wider ruling family. Official statements focused on prayers for Sheikh Ahmed and support for his relatives, while the emirate moved into the formal mourning period ordered by the Ruler’s Court.
Under the Court’s decision, the UAE flag is to remain at half-mast across Dubai for 10 days from Monday. The measure applies across the emirate and forms the principal official observance announced after Sheikh Ahmed’s death.
The Court’s statement did not, in the initial announcement, set out details of funeral prayers or other public arrangements. Authorities limited the first communication to confirmation of the death, the mourning period and the lowering of flags, while members of the ruling family issued separate tributes.
Sheikh Ahmed’s role at Al Wasl remained active into 2025, when he approved a new board structure for the sports club and its associated companies. The decision named Mohammed Ahmed bin Fahd as chairman of the club’s board and separately assigned leadership responsibilities across its football, investment and other sporting entities.
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