Former Australian cricketer Brett Lee, now a Dubai resident, got the opportunity to interact with Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, at the 30th edition of the Dubai World Cup in Meydan.

The sportsperson later thanked the ruler and officials of the Emirate for their hospitality at the global event for horse racing.

"What a night to remember at the Dubai World Cup," the cricketer who has moved in with his family, wrote in a post on Instagram. "Deeply honoured to have met His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Thank you to His Excellency Helal Saeed Almarri, His Excellency Issam Kazim and the team at Dubai Economy and Tourism for hosting us."

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A post shared by Brett Lee (@brettlee_58)

Lee shared a carousel of the meeting on social media, which included a video in which he can be seen bowing slightly and smiling to the Dubai ruler as they exchange pleasantries.

Sheikh Maktoum attended the Dubai World Cup at the iconic Meydan Racecourse on Sunday. He was accompanied by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE.

Lee's transition to Dubai

Lee, a certified Australian cricketing giant with more than 700 wickets in all forms of the game, announced in February that he has made Dubai his home.

"New opportunities, great people, plenty of family time and a lifestyle that’s pretty hard to beat. We’ve honestly loved every minute of it," Lee, who starred in the 2015 Australian rom com unIndian with Tannishtha Chatterjee, wrote on social media.

He then posted a series of photographs and videos on Instagram, indicating how he and his family have taken to living in the Emirate. The cricketer had acquired a premium waterfront residence in Dubai.

“For me and my family, it was important to choose a place that combines long-term investment value with exceptional living standards,” Lee, who formed a fearsome bowling attack alongside Glenn McGrath and Jason Gillespie in the first decade of the new millennium, had said in a statement at the time.

Later, as uncertainty enveloped the wider Middle East region, Lee offered a message of solidarity.

"The past couple of weeks have been confronting," he wrote in his Instagram Stories on March 15. "My heart is with everyone across the Middle East affected by this- the loss so many families are experiencing is unimaginable."

He also expressed profound gratitude for the UAE.

"What I do know is how grateful I am for the UAE, the place I call home—the people, the leadership, the sense of community," Lee wrote. "It's something I have enormous respect for. Sending love to everyone impacted."

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