Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid congratulates Emirati couple on marriage

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid has shared his joy over the marriage of a young Emirati couple eight years after congratulating the bride for earning top marks at her school.

The Vice President and Ruler of Dubai shared his message to the happy couple on Twitter on Thursday, saying they were an example of the type of people who were "raising the country up".

It was the second time the bride, Huda Ahli, received direct recognition from Sheikh Mohammed, who first contacted her in 2012 when she earned the highest mark at her school in Dubai.

On receiving her Grade 12 results in July, eight years ago, Ms Ahli received a phone call from the Dubai Ruler, who told her she was a "pride to our society".

Ms Ahli, aged 18 at the time, had scored 99.8 per cent in her final exams at Princess Haya bint Al Hussein Public School. She told local media that the call motivated her to continue her career.

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And it would appear she followed through. Ms Ahli is currently completing her PhD in plastic electronics at Imperial College London, where she is also a Graduate Teaching Assistant. Her work involves using dye sensitised cells to develop low-cost, easy to manufacture, low-weight and printable solar cells that work within a variety of weather conditions.

Her husband is Mohammed Al Amiri, a PhD candidate researching genomes at University College London.

Sheikh Mohammed congratulated the pair on their "simple marriage" and shared pictures of the two.

A few weeks ago, Sheikh Mohammed sent newly-wed Emiratis, who married through low-cost virtual weddings, letter congratulating them on their "simple wedding" at home.

Couples read out the letters in a video shared by Dubai Post in which he praised them for "displaying the highest values" by marrying without excessive cost.

Last month, UAE officials said the rise of virtual weddings in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic offered a "golden opportunity" to slash marriage costs.

In the past, the topic of costly weddings among Emiratis has been raised at the Federal National Council.