Tiktok has a royal patron

Our Correspondent

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, has officially joined TikTok to connect with millions of his followers around the world on the social media platform. He is already active on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid launched an official TikTok account owing to his keenness to connect with his followers, especially the young generation who make up the majority of the short-form mobile video platform’s audience.

The Dubai leader will share short clips of his 50-year journey in public service, and give insights in leadership and management to inspire youth to create positive change in their societies.

Young people across the Arab region are at the centre of several humanitarian and social initiatives that Sheikh Mohammed launches and oversees such as the Arab Reading Challenge and Arab Hopemakers. The platform will be utilised to reach youth more efficiently and implement Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid’s philosophy to spread hope and positivity in the region and the world.

Launched in 2016, TikTok has more than 800 million monthly active users. It presents the leader a new platform to create positive Arabic content in leadership, management and nation-building.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid is one of the most followed world leaders on social media with more than 22.6 million followers across social media platforms. He has topped Twitter trends this year in the UAE.

According to the latest figures, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid has 10.4 million followers on Twitter, 5.4 million on Instagram, 3.8 million on Facebook and 2.4 million on LinkedIn.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid actively uses social media to directly connect with audiences and world leaders. Posting in several languages besides his native Arabic, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid uses the digital sphere to propose ideas, invite online users to be part of the UAE’s story by sharing ideas, opinions and votes on certain subjects, and announce the UAE’s latest development initiatives, humanitarian projects and plans.

He has famously used social media to publicly praise dedicated citizens and residents for their outstanding achievements and share inspiring humanitarian stories from the UAE society. Exactly, a month ago, he had thanked a Dubai woman resident on Twitter for alerting authorities about an injured bird.

TikTok’s engaging form of expression aligns with the objectives of the humanitarian and social campaigns that Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid launches.

TikTok is a content creation platform that is easily accessible across 150 markets. People can pick it up easily and share a wide range of content including educational content. Through its easy-to-use video capturing and editing tools, it enables people to express their creativity in line with their passion.

TikTok has grown quickly and steadily in the Middle East as well as the rest of the world. Through music, fashion, sports, education and even memes, TikTok has inspired creativity in the MENA (Middle East North Africa) region.

The Chinese app is banned in India since June 2020 following border clashes with China.