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Ammon News - AMMONNEWS -You could say that Princess Haya of Jordan, wife of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, had a historic week last week.

After meeting Pope Francis at the Vatican, she flew on a cargo aircraft to Haiti to deliver aid supplies to survivors of Hurricane Matthew.

What made the trip more significant was that it inspired Princess Haya to share her thoughts with her fast-growing band of followers on Instagram.


She started a public account on the photo-sharing platform last month and has gained 38,000 followers.

Her first post offered an insight into an important day in a parent’s life – a child’s first day at school. "It’s a very special day when your children start school," she wrote.

"Our Zayed and Al Jalila were full of excitement and curiosity this morning. It was little Zayed’s first day ever!"

Princess Haya has since been posting pictures of her family life – in English and Arabic – of the family pet saluki, of Sheikh Mohammed enjoying lunch with his son, Zayed, and of their trip to IMG Worlds of Adventure.


According to Jamie Wilks, managing partner of House of Comms, a digital and social marketing agency, social media often has most impact through visual communication.

"A platform such as Instagram, with its 500 million users worldwide, encourages people to communicate visually and has opened us up to new ways of expressing ourselves, with more inspiring and effective content," he said.

"Leveraging this kind of communication, through images and stories, enables us to deliver very powerful messages to the community and public figures are recognising this."


Emirati Omar Al Busaidy, the author of Just Read It who has 10,000 followers on Instagram, said Princess Haya was able to reach people more quickly through Instagram.

"Not everybody reads newspapers but everyone is on social media," he said.

"It makes sense for Princess Haya to be communicating through Instagram."

Her recent posts showed how tolerance is a theme close to her heart. She revealed her discussions with Pope Francis about plans for an International Institute of Tolerance in Dubai, which will be the first of its kind in the Arab world.


"I am incredibly grateful to have had this opportunity", she told her followers, who responded with 2,487 likes and 57 supportive comments.

A few days later, she wrote a heart-warming post addressed to the Jordanian peacekeepers responsible for her security in Haiti. "You make us proud, you stood in the lashing rain of Haiti while I sat in the shelter," Princess Haya said. "And I am ashamed, that men so good as you cared for me. I am grateful. And I won’t forget you, I know you must miss your families and your country. But what you do is the best of what I ever hope to be. You are all my example. Our example as Arabs and as Muslims."


Mr Al Busaidy said: "Having members of the royal family from our tiny country going all the way to Haiti is sending out an impactful message. Princess Haya, who is an icon in the Middle East, is showing us the true meaning of leading by example."

On social media, global leaders play a key role in shaping and influencing the community, according to Kanchan Ramani, head of digital media at BUZ Marketing and Management Consultants.


"Princess Haya is one such remarkable woman, who is an inspiration to women and youth, in particular," she said. "In her posts, she is present amid all the disaster in Haiti and yet she humbly delivers her message on her global movement to serve humanity.

"I believe many more world leaders and reformers need to take a centre stage on social media. Leaders need to be social-media savvy to reach out to the masses and also hear their views."

*The National