Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maqtoum ; backbone of Dubai's Truimphs Emiratess.live

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Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maqtoum ; backbone of Dubai's Truimphs

Published Nov 08, 2024|1587

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Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maqtoum ; backbone of Dubai's Truimphs.

_The race for excellence has no finish line._

Sheik Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maqtoum

born on July 15, 1949, in Al Shindagha, Dubai, Trucial States (Now the UAE) to Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum and Latifa bint Hamdan Al Nahyan. He is the third born of Dubai’s ruling Maktoum family, who are descendents of the ‘House of Al-Falasi.’ His mother was the daughter of the ruler of Abu Dhabi.

He was privately tutored in Arabic and Islamic Studies since he was 4 years old. He began his formal education in 1955, at the ‘Al Ahmedia School,’ and then moved to the ‘Al Shaab School.’ He joined the ‘Dubai Secondary School’ two years later. He was fond of horses as a child and often stopped by at the stables on his way to school. In 1966, he joined the ‘Bell Educational Trust’s English Language School’ in the UK and then joined ‘Mons Officer Cadet School’ in Aldershot (subsequently, part of Sandhurst). He graduated as the best Commonwealth student, with the sword of honor. After his cadet training, he went to Italy to train as a pilot.

He was made the head of the ‘Dubai Police Force’ and the ‘Dubai Defence Force’ by his father. Soon, the British forces withdrew from the Trucial States. He became the first minister of defense of the newly formed UAE, in December 1971. During this period, there were several skirmishes between rival tribes in a struggle for power. He was instrumental in defeating the coup against the ruler of the Emirate of Sharjah in January 1972. He was involved in negotiations when the flight ‘JAL 404,’ hijacked by the ‘Japanese Red Army,’ landed in Dubai in 1973. He was also involved in negotiations with the hijackers of ‘KLM 861.’Later, he became the first minister of defense of the newly formed UAE. His elder brother appointed him as the “Crown Prince of Dubai” by signing two decrees. Subsequently, he became the ruler of Dubai.

He was appointed as the vice president of the UAE by the ‘Federal National Council.’ He was also nominated as the prime minister of the UAE. He was instrumental in the establishment of the ‘Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government,’ ‘Emirates Airlines,’ and iconic buildings such as the ‘Burj Khalifa.’ He was also responsible for the ‘Dubai Civil Aviation Authority.’ He was instrumental in the launch of the Dubai-based airlines, ‘Emirates,’ in October 1985. ‘Emirates’ later became one of the world’s leading airlines. His involvement with flying led him to inaugurate the first ‘Dubai Airshow’ in 1985. The show witnesses some of the biggest aircraft deals of the region every year. His elder brother, Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum, appointed him as the “Crown Prince of Dubai” by signing two decrees in January 1995. Mohammed became the ruler of Dubai in January 2006, after the death of his brother.

Subsequently, he was appointed as the vice president of the UAE by the ‘Federal National Council,’ and in February 2006, he was nominated as the prime minister of the UAE by President Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

As the prime minister of his country, he made strategic reforms in the ‘Federation’s governance, to achieve better coordination and planning in the social, economic, legislative, and judicial fields at the federal and local levels. He released ‘Vision 2021’ in February 2010. It was a plan that was considered to be a masterpiece in terms of long-term strategy and national agenda. He announced the plan for ‘Dubai Internet City,’ which soon became a technology hub and free-trade zone that attracted investments from across the globe. This led to the formation of ‘Dubai Media City,’ a tax-free hub for media organizations. He also assisted in the formation other hubs, such as ‘Dubai Healthcare City’ and ‘Dubai Knowledge Village.’

He showed zero tolerance to corruption and acted ruthlessly to weed out corruption from the system by targeting high-profile offenders, such as the head of ‘Dubai Customs’ and government-owned real-estate agencies.

He founded the ‘Mohammed bin Rashid Global Initiatives’ (MBRGI) to promote humanitarian aid and to bring about a change and improve the quality of life of the oppressed all over the world.

He has initiated several programs that support over 130 million people in 116 countries.

He recently stated that the UAE's fight against the COVID-19 pandemic is a true story of success, strength, strength and perseverance. The UAE has successfully passed technical tests with high competence and demonstrated a high ability to cope with these special conditions. “The United Arab Emirates have experienced the worst and are stronger than ever,” he said. Sheikh Mohammed's remarks were included in the foreword to the Emirates Group's 2020-2021 annual report, where he described the pandemic as "one of the greatest challenges facing humanity in known history." He added, in particular, that the UAE's fight against the epidemic is a story of strength, perseverance and tenacity. He is the driving force behind modern Dubai and the establishment of the UAE on the global setting.

He has nine sons and 14 daughters, from six wives. Of his wives, Hind bint Maktoum bin Juma Al Maktoum, the mother of his heir-presumptive, Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, is considered to be the “First Lady of Dubai"

“My ability to cope with unexpected situations has been tested, but I have become stronger."