Mohammed Al Maktoum

During his early years, Sheikh Mohammed mastered hunting, falconry and the rudiments of horsemanship. Sheikh Mohammed received his primary and secondary education in Dubai, where he grew up surrounded by a circle of prominent businessmen and intellectuals. In 1966, he attended the bell school of languages in Cambridge, UK.

Sheikh Mohammed received his military training at Mons Officer Cadet School, in Aldershot, where he excelled and was promoted to Senior Under Officer of Kohema, and was later awarded the Sword of Honour for achieving the highest mark of any foreign and commonwealth officer cadet in his intake.

In 1968, Sheikh Mohammed witnessed the Union Accord that took place between his father Dubai Ruler Sheikh Rashid and Abu Dhabi Ruler Sheikh Zayed. In the same year, Sheikh Mohammed assumed his first public position as Head of Dubai Police and Public Security. In 1971, the rulers of the Emirates signed the provisional constitution that created the United Arab Emirates. HH Sheikh Maktoum, the new Prime Minister, appointed his brother Sheikh Mohammed as Minister of Defense and awarded him the rank of General.

Sheikh Mohammed was the youngest Minister of Defense in the world at that time. He constructed a national Union Defense Force. The UDF made its first operational foray abroad in 1976, when Sheikh Mohammed committed troops to Lebanon as part of the Arab Deterrent Force, attempting to keep the peace in the then troubled country.

Sheikh Rashid relied heavily upon his sons as he sought to transform Dubai, and Sheikh Mohammed took on much responsibility. Projects such as Dubai Dry Docks, the biggest such facility in the Middle East, were put under his charge. One significant appointment came in 1977 when Sheikh Rashid announced the formation of a committee under Sheikh Mohammed that would take over the administration of Dubai International Airport. Developing Dubai as an aviation and tourist hub would become one of Sheikh Mohammed's most visible achievements. He adopted an open skies policy, and worked to lay the foundations for a tourism industry that would burst into life in the 1990s.

During this period he was also given responsibility for Dubai's oil; this was one of the most vital tasks within the Dubai Government, such was the importance of oil exports to the economy at that time. Sheikh Mohammed's Majlis began to take on the energy that had been attached to the Majlis of Sheikh Rashid at its height, when it had been described as "an Arabian Camelot".

In May 1981, Sheikh Rashid was struck down by illness. Like his brothers, Sheikh Mohammed took on new responsibility as his father continued his extended recuperation. The extraordinary achievement, from a Dubai standpoint, was the way in which the Al Maktoum brothers had gelled, working together for the good of the emirate and the UAE.

Financial Analyst Clinton Jones said: “There was a self-belief within the Dubai and Federal Government. The Al Maktoum brothers in particular were not content to tread water and wait until stability returned. Indeed, there was a trend regionally to increase holdings in Europe and North America. Dubai bucked this trend. To boost the local economy there was greater spending on infrastructure projects. In doing so, Dubai showed its overwhelming confidence in itself and the future. This helped to calm the Dubai economy and laid the foundations for the bright future we see today.

The Visionary

"I do not know if I am a good leader, but I am a leader. And I have a vision. I look to the future, 20, 30 years. I learned that from my father, Sheikh Rashid. He was the true father of Dubai. I follow his example. He would rise early and go alone to watch what was happening on each of his projects. I do the same. I watch. I read faces. I take decisions and I move fast. Full throttle."
HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Vice-President and Prime Minister of UAE, Ruler of Dubai

In January 1985, Sheikh Mohammed decided to create a new airline, and in October of the same year, Emirates Airlines flew for the first time, sporting livery chosen personally by Sheikh Mohammed.

Also in 1985, Sheikh Mohammed took charge of Jebel Ali Free Zone; a port-based industrial area centered around Jebel Ali port. This was another project that illustrated the ‘overwhelming confidence’ referred to by Clinton Jones. On October 7, 1990, Sheikh Rashid passed away following a long illness. In 1995, Sheikh Maktoum appointed Sheikh Mohammed as Crown Prince of Dubai, and recognized Sheikh Hamdan as Deputy Ruler of the emirate.

‘Destination Dubai’ was the tourism brief so long championed by Sheikh Mohammed. Late in 1995, he announced the creation of the Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF), one of his first initiatives on assuming the mantle of Crown Prince. DSF is an annual festival aimed at bringing together all aspects of the emirate's economy as part of a promotion that would extend around the world.

Elsewhere in Dubai, an artificial island was appearing some 100 meters offshore. This was to be the base for one of Sheikh Mohammed's boldest projects, a hotel that, when it was finished, would be only 60 meters shorter than the Empire State Building in New York, Burj Al Arab, the Tower of the Arabs.

Early in 2001, Sheikh Mohammed announced by far the most extraordinary ‘Destination Dubai’ project, Palm Island. A giant resort spread over two palm tree-shaped islands, each of which will be divided into 17 huge fronds and a trunk, and surrounded by a crescent shaped barrier reef.

Perhaps the boldest new front in Dubai's plans was “e-Dubai”. Announced at a press conference in 1999, Dubai Internet City would encompass the infrastructure, environment and attitude to enable new economy enterprises to operate out of Dubai with significant competitive advantages.

By September 2000, more than a hundred IT companies had been granted licenses to operate in Dubai Internet City, including industry giants Microsoft, Oracle and Compaq. Another 350 firms were awaiting approval. The total investment planned by those already holding licenses was estimated at around $700 million.

Sheikh Mohammed was well aware that the business sector was not the only one that had to be updated, if Dubai was to remain at the forefront of international development. In May 1999, he announced his latest initiative to a gathering of senior officials at the Dubai Quality Awards.

The Equestrian

"A love for horses runs in my blood. Don't forget that horses have been bred for centuries by Arabic tribes, they were used for hunting and fighting and they symbolize our history. Horse riding is more than merely sitting on a horse's back. It is nobility and chivalry."
HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Vice-President and Prime Minister of UAE, Ruler of Dubai

Horses have played an important role in the history of the Arab world, particularly in combat, where their speed, agility and stamina were often the decisive factor. Although the camel was a more integral part of Bedouin life, the horse was traditionally more highly prized, being a symbol of wealth and nobility.

As a member of one of the Gulf’s leading families, it was only natural that Sheikh Mohammed should be introduced to horses at an early age and that he would come to honor and respect them in accordance with their cultural status.

Sheikh Mohammed learned to ride as a child. He and his brothers were taught by their father, Sheikh Rashid. Sheikh Mohammed was a promising athlete, an accomplished player of tennis and football, but equestrianism was, and remains, his true sporting passion.

Sheikh Mohammed first visited a racecourse in 1967, in England. He and his brother, Sheikh Hamdan, watched Royal Palace win the 2000 Guineas. Ten years later, in Brighton, Hatta gave Sheikh Mohammed the first of many victories as an owner.

Despite great success, it was not until Sheikh Mohammed established Godolphin, in 1994, that the racing world really began to acknowledge his passion for - and understanding of - horses. It soon became clear that it was not just influence that had brought him success. Once he had taken the groundbreaking step of bringing his horses to Dubai for winter training, it quickly became apparent that this was a man who knew a great deal about horses and how to get the best out of them. Godolphin allowed him to ensure that his ideas were fully implemented, something which had not been possible previously.

The success and growth of Godolphin coincided with, and undoubtedly assisted, the rise in Dubai’s international profile. At the time it was established, owners tended to race their horses only on their own continent. Sheikh Mohammed wanted to race his horses all over the world and to encourage others to do the same. The world’s richest horse race, the Dubai World Cup, was established in 1996 with this aim in mind. That first World Cup was won by an American horse, Cigar, and the race continues to attract entries from around the globe.

Sheikh Mohammed has earned international recognition as a horse owner, as evidenced by the Special Eclipse Award he received in 2001. What is not so widely known is that he is also an exceptionally gifted rider. However, his chosen field – endurance racing – has yet to gain the international popularity of traditional horse racing.

Sheikh Mohammed’s major endurance racing victories since 2000 included:

• 19/5/2000 – Al Ahram Al Araby Endurance Ride – Egypt
• 18/1/2001 – Emirates Giants Endurance Ride – UAE
• 21/4/2001 – Al Ahram Al Araby Endurance Ride – Egypt
• 30/7/2001 – Villacastin Endurance Ride – Spain
• 1/6/2002 – International Endurance Ride – Italy
• 17/8/2002 – Spanish Endurance Marathon – Spain
• 24/8/2002 – Norwegian Open Championship – Norway
• 25/1/2003 – Dubai Endurance City Masters Ride – UAE
• 12/2/2003 – CEI Bodyweight Ride – UAE
• 15/2/2003 – Sheikh Zayed Challenge, Round II – UAE
• 24/8/2003 – Northern Championships – England
• 19/9/2003 – European Open Endurance Championship – Ireland
• 27/1/2005 – World Endurance Championship 2005 - UAE

The Poet

Influenced by his father, the late Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, and the late UAE President, Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Sheikh Mohammed began composing Nabati poetry while he was still at school. His exposure to the great works of Al Mutanabi, Al Buhtori and Abu Tammam as his favorite classical poets has contributed to his extensive poetic vocabulary.

When Sheikh Mohammed’s poems were first published in the newspapers, they appeared under pseudonyms– including Nedawi and Saleet – as he wanted to be sure that people genuinely thought his poetry was good, and that the newspapers were not just publishing his poetry because the author was a member of the ruling family. He received early encouragement from the renowned poetess Fatat Al Arab, when she composed a reply to one of his earliest poems – a rare honor for an unknown poet. Nowadays, he is widely acknowledged as one of the finest exponents of Nabati verse and his work is published under his own name.

Poetry has allowed Sheikh Mohammed to express the creative, sensitive side of his nature, which he has little chance to display in the political arena. He writes about a wide range of topics, from romance to current affairs, and his poetry tends to confront themes that are more to do with general events than personal matters.

In an effort to spread awareness of his nation’s cultural heritage, Sheikh Mohammed has participated in a number of poetic “contests” with other high-profile poets from the region, including Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Khalid Bin Faisal of Saudi Arabia. Sheikh Mohammed has also tried to encourage others to compose Nabati verse through his riddles. He composes a poem comprising many questions, unlike the traditional one-line riddle of Western cultures, that people are invited to attempt to answer. However, they must send their solutions in the form of a Nabati poem that matches the style of Sheikh Mohammed’s original. A substantial reward is offered to anyone who manages this feat, and there has been a great response to the riddles from all over the Arab world. There were over 12,000 replies received for the fifth riddle.

Nabati is the name given to a colloquial form of Arabic that emerged with the spread of Islam. As non-Arabic natives accepted Islam into their lives, they began to speak some Arabic, but it was slightly different from classical Arabic and became known as Nabati. It is also known as “Bint al rimal” (lit. Daughter of the sands). Nabati poetry has been a feature of life in the Arabian Peninsula since the 16th century. It is now prevalent in the Gulf and represents a distinct literary voice for the people of that region. Nabati poetry shows the natural creativity of the Gulf’s inhabitants and represents their roots in this land. Its form and content, literary significance, social function and historical value make it one of the Arabian Peninsula’s great literary treasures.

Sheikh Mohammed has already created an impressive body of work and continues to compose whenever he has the time, ensuring that he will be remembered not only as a visionary leader and accomplished equestrian, but also for his cultural legacy.

Ref. http://yaleaders.org