“Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.” —Warren Bennis
The ruler of Dubai, during his 16 years as Vice President, the minister of defence and prime minister; he has overseen the growth and transformation of the emirate and country into a thriving global centre of business, industry and tourism. Being there all through the growth of the country, Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktom has been the ‘Sun of Dubai’.
The life of the reigning monarch begins!
Born on July 15th, 1949 and brought up in the Al Maktoum Family home, he spent his early days on the banks of Dubai Creek making an obvious growth at the Dubai cradle. He got private tuition in Arabic and Islamic studies until the age of four and started formal education after two years. The royal man later trained at Mons Officer Cadet School in Aldershot, which is now part of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. There he emerged as the top Commonwealth student before going to Italy to be trained as a pilot.
In 1968, when he was 19, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum became the world’s youngest defence minister and was appointed the head of the Dubai Police. Then, he became the nation’s first Minister of Defence in 1971 after the formation of the UAE.
A smooth sailing career
Served as the head of Dubai Police and then the Minister of Defence – as the new nation of United Arab Emirates was founded. As a young man, he had a front-row seat to his father’s pro-business mentality. He oversaw Dubai’s energy resources and was in charge of the Dubai Civil Aviation. Being in this role, he found Emirates Airline.
In 1973, he and his brother were appointed the Crown Prince of Dubai. The popular Dubai Shopping Festival was created by him in 1995 as a huge annual event. The city had become an international centre of attraction. He cunningly merged Port Rashid and Jebel Ali to create Dubai Ports Authority, now DP World, one of the world’s most successful companies. Burj Al Arab, which opened in September 1999, was also a result of his skill to foresee economic growth. The world’s tallest tower, the Burj Khalifa, was completed in 2009, followed by the raising of Dubai Mall and Dubai Metro. Another massive event – the Dubai Expo and UAE’s 50th-year celebrations took place under his supervision. Sheikh Mohammed recently unveiled Expo City Dubai, which is expected to welcome thousands of businesses.
The other side: Under the Table!
The Sheikh has 26 children from many wives. Recently, the High Court of England and Wales found that Mohammed “had inflicted ‘domestic abuse’ on an extraordinary scale against his ex-wife”. The allegations related to his two daughters’ kidnapping and wife Haya’s flee. Mohammed was further accused of encouraging the abduction of boys for being jockeys in camel races. Another scandal of drugs shipped to Dubai and pandora papers.
However, Sheikh Mohammed remarks to be proud and happy to see acts of kindness in the beautiful city and his guidance in bringing up the city of Dubai keeps him one of the greatest leaders in the world.
View this post on Instagram
