Fact-Check: Renaming of ‘Al Minhad’ in Dubai Has Nothing To Do With India

The media office of Dubai government told The Quint that the name change "does not reference any country."

Rujuta Thete
WebQoof
Updated:
<div class="paragraphs"><p>Fact-check: Rule of Dubai did not rename UAE city as Hind City to honour India or the Hindus.&nbsp;</p></div>
i

Fact-check: Rule of Dubai did not rename UAE city as Hind City to honour India or the Hindus. 

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

advertisement

A claim about the Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, renaming 'Al Minhad' to 'Hind City' is going viral on social media with a claim that the move was to honour India and the Hindu community.

Who shared the claim?: National Spokesperson of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), RP Singh, shared the claim on Twitter. Another handle 'Megh Updates', too, shared the claim, which had garnered over a million views at the time of writing this story.

(Archives of similar claims can be seen here and here.)

The truth: In an email exchange with The Quint, the media office of Dubai government clarified that the name change "does not reference any country."

  • It added that that Hind is an Arabic name that has its roots in the region's ancient civilisation.

  • We also checked the Twitter handle of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and found no official reason that connected the renaming to India.

What does the official communication say?: A press release about the renaming of 'Al Minhad' was posted on the website of Dubai government on 29 January.

  • "His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, has issued directives to rename the Al Minhad area and its surrounding areas as Hind City," it read.

Fun fact: The ruler's first wife's name is Sheikha Hind bint Maktoum bin Juma Al Maktoum.

(Not convinced of a post or information you came across online and want it verified? Send us the details on WhatsApp at 9643651818, or e-mail it to us at webqoof@thequint.com and we'll fact-check it for you. You can also read all our fact-checked stories here.)

(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)

Published: 01 Feb 2023,02:00 PM IST

ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL FOR NEXT