How 9-year-old piano player's letter reached Dubai Ruler, led to viral meeting

Long before he met Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, nine-year-old Roger had already built a quiet routine around the piano. The Dubai-based student, who recently made headlines after a handwritten letter led to an unexpected meeting with the Ruler of Dubai, is now opening up about the story behind that moment, and the discipline that shaped it.

“I am nine years old. I study in Dubai and I've lived here for four years,” Roger said. “I study at Repton School.”

But it is music that has defined much of his journey so far. Roger began learning piano at the age of three while living in China. When his family moved to Dubai for his mother’s work, he continued his training, finding a new teacher and building on the same passion he discovered early on.

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“I liked piano from the start,” he said. “I tried other things, but I liked piano the most, so I continued." Today, he plays both in school and outside it, with plans already taking shape. “My teacher told me I’m going to do some concerts soon,” he said. While still young, Roger already has a clear sense of where he wants his music to take him.

“I want to play in Europe,” he said. “A lot of people there understand piano, and I think I can play better where people understand the music.”

A letter written at the dinner table

The moment that brought Roger into the spotlight began not at a concert, but at home. It was during a family dinner, shortly after global tensions had begun to rise, that he decided to write a letter.

“We were eating together, and my dad said that we still have a normal life while many people are putting effort to keep things safe,” Roger recalled. “So I wanted to thank one of the leaders of this country.”

In the letter, one line stood out.

“I wrote ‘I love Dubai’ three times,” he said. For his family, the intention was simple — an act of gratitude, with no expectation of a reply. “We just wanted to support him,” his parent said. “There was no expectation of any outcome. It was just something he wanted to do.”

From post office to unexpected call

Sending the letter wasn't straightforward. The family searched for an address online and visited more than one post office before finally managing to send it from Dubai Mall.

After that, life returned to normal. Weeks passed without any response. Then came a phone call. “At first, we thought it was just a process to understand who we are,” the parent said. “We didn’t expect anything beyond that.”

Days later, they were invited to Atlantis, The Palm, without being told exactly what would happen. Roger had been scheduled for a piano recording later that day. Instead, he found himself playing in a room, waiting, until the door opened.

What followed was the now-viral moment, his meeting with Sheikh Mohammed.

'Really proud to have met him'

Despite the attention that followed, Roger’s reaction has remained simple. “I feel really proud to have met him,” he said. “I didn’t expect it. He was really nice. He gave me a badge and a book.”

Seeing himself in the newspaper was another milestone. “It’s fun,” he said. His family has since framed the coverage as a keepsake in their new home.

While the moment may have captured public attention, Roger's focus remains on what comes next. He hopes to continue developing his skills, balancing music with academics as he grows.

For now, the routine continues, practice, school, and preparing for future performances. And perhaps, one day, a stage in Europe.