How ‘cultural Instagrammer’ Prince Abdul Mateen is winning hearts and minds of young Bruneians, one post at a time
- The newlywed monarch, who flies in fighter jets and drives speedboats, has boosted efforts to make the royal family relevant to the country’s younger generation
- ‘He’s a breath of fresh air,’ said a snack store worker, who is among Mateen’s 2.5 million Instagram followers
In real life he’s a prince of an Islamic sultanate steeped in centuries-old traditions, but on Instagram Brunei’s Abdul Mateen is more Hollywood than royalty as he flies in fighter jets, drives speedboats and poses bare-chested after workouts.
As the 10th child and fourth son of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, he is unlikely to ever ascend the throne of the oil-rich country on the northern edge of Borneo island.
Yet, Mateen’s matinee idol looks, rippling six-pack and sense of adventure – captured in photos and videos that are carefully curated on Instagram – have turned him into a public relations asset for the royal family, which has been battered by scandals and global censure over the years.
“He’s a breath of fresh air,” said Bruneian snack store worker Amyra Syahira Awang Ahmad, 20, who is among Mateen’s 2.5 million Instagram followers.
A pre-wedding photo of Mateen and his fiancée, Yang Mulia Anisha Rosnah, posted on Instagram on December 31 shows him wearing an open-neck white shirt under a dark, double-breasted blazer, while she is in a cream pantsuit and no hijab.
