Special Features
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Dubai Crown Prince and UAE Minister of Defence, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum was born in 1949. He is the third of Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum’s four sons. Sheikh Maktoum, Sheikh Hamdan and Sheikh Ahmed are his brothers.
Rulers of Dubai
The Al Maktoum family’s reign as rulers of Dubai began in 1833, when Sheikh Maktoum bin Buti, and around 800 tribesmen moved from Abu Dhabi. Dubai, like most settlements in the region at that time was just a small town, but the arrival of the Al Maktoum family changed that. Dubai is now one of the most vibrant cities in the world, attracting tourists and business executives from many countries.
Sheikh Mohammed was the youngest Minister of Defence in the world at that time. In less than 12 months, this demanding role would lead him to deal with the events of an Arab-Israeli war, an attempted coup in one neighbouring state and an aircraft hijacking at Dubai International Airport, all while he was attempting to construct a national Union Defence 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 this 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. On August 25, 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 Rashid and Sheikh Mohammed
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.
Through crises such as Lebanon’s invasion, the Iran-Iraq War and the beginning of the Palestinian Intifada on December 9, 1987, Sheikh Mohammed continued to aid the Dubai Government in its march forward.
One such breathtaking initiative was Sheikh Mohammed’s decision to create a new airline. One morning, in January 1985, Maurice Flanagan, general manager of the Dubai National Tourism Authority, received a summons to Sheikh Mohammed’s Za’abeel Palace.
Also in 1985 Sheikh Mohammed took charge of Jebel Ali Free Zone; a port-based industrial area centred around Jebel Ali port. This was another project that illustrated the ‘overwhelming confidence’ referred to by Clinton Jones.
Rulers of Dubai
- Maktoum bin Buti (1833-1852)
- Saeed bin Buti (1852-1859)
- Hasher bin Maktoum (1859-1886)
- Rashid bin Maktoum (1886-1894)
- Maktoum bin Hasher (1894-1906)
- Buti bin Suhail (1906-1912)
- Saeed bin Maktoum (1912-1958)
- Rashid bin Saeed (1958-1990)
- Maktoum bin Rashid (1990-present)
The Al Maktoum family’s reign as rulers of Dubai began in 1833, when Sheikh Maktoum bin Buti, and around 800 tribesmen moved from Abu Dhabi. Dubai, like most settlements in the region at that time was just a small town, but the arrival of the Al Maktoum family changed that. Dubai is now one of the most vibrant cities in the world, attracting tourists and business executives from many countries.
Sheikh Mohammed was the youngest Minister of Defence in the world at that time. In less than 12 months, this demanding role would lead him to deal with the events of an Arab-Israeli war, an attempted coup in one neighbouring state and an aircraft hijacking at Dubai International Airport, all while he was attempting to construct a national Union Defence 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 this 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. On August 25, 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 Rashid and Sheikh Mohammed
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.
Through crises such as Lebanon’s invasion, the Iran-Iraq War and the beginning of the Palestinian Intifada on December 9, 1987, Sheikh Mohammed continued to aid the Dubai Government in its march forward.
One such breathtaking initiative was Sheikh Mohammed’s decision to create a new airline. One morning, in January 1985, Maurice Flanagan, general manager of the Dubai National Tourism Authority, received a summons to Sheikh Mohammed’s Za’abeel Palace.
Also in 1985 Sheikh Mohammed took charge of Jebel Ali Free Zone; a port-based industrial area centred around Jebel Ali port. This was another project that illustrated the ‘overwhelming confidence’ referred to by Clinton Jones.
Website: http://www.sheikhmohammed.co.ae/
