Lessons from the Sheikh Mohammed School of Life

If life is indeed a school, one cannot hope to have a better teacher than His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. A repository of knowledge, he has been a constant source of inspiration and education for anyone and everyone that has ever come in contact with him. It is indeed rare to have such a mix of experience, acumen, intelligence, foresight and brilliance in one individual, and citizens and residents of the UAE are fortunate to have among us this incessant stream of wisdom in the form of Sheikh Mohammed, who has now been shining his guiding light on the country and indeed the region and the world for 50 years.
Having turned Dubai from a sleepy town into a metropolis bustling with several superlatives and world-beating achievements, Sheikh Mohammed is one of the most successful architects of society the world has ever seen. Many have wondered with awe, admiration and amazement about where did all this wisdom come from, about how did Sheikh Mohammed gain such profound insight into life itself, and about how he manages to turn adversity into fortune every single time.
While he is a natural leader and an exceptional mentor, Sheikh Mohammed has now chosen to take us on an adventure of our lifetime by sharing his experiences and anecdotes, tales and memorabilia, legends and stories through what he calls is his "incomplete biography". Titled Qissati (My Story), the 50 tales he narrates in this exquisite book offer a view into the what went into shaping the persona of this great leader. For our and future generations, this tome will offer a treasure trove of the knowledge and philosophy that was hitherto in Sheikh Mohammed's heart and mind. Starting today, Khaleej Times will be publishing excerpts from one chapter of Qissati every day for the next 50 days. His experiences and reflections in this book will ensure that the coming generations will continue to benefit from his wisdom.