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."
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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.
An archive can be seen here.
An archive of the post can be seen 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.
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