Photos: Sheikh Mohammed's journey from Crown Prince to Ruler of Dubai

On January 4, 2006, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, then Defence Minister of the UAE and Crown Prince of Dubai, took over as the Ruler of the emirate following the death of his brother, Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The next day, he was also elected Vice-President of the UAE.

Sheikh Mohammed, who was born in 1949, was appointed as Crown Prince of the emirate by a decree signed by the late Sheikh Maktoum 11 years before he became Ruler on January 3, 1995.

Visionary leader

Long before he became led Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed had established himself as a visionary, an accomplished equestrian, and a poet with a cultural legacy.

From an early age, he was taught hunting, especially the noble Arabian sport of falconry. The Maktoum brothers were also taught the rudiments of horsemanship by their father.

From the age of four, he was privately tutored in Arabic and Islamic studies. In 1955, he began his formal education at Al Ahmedia School, a small primary school in Deira. At the age of 10, he moved to Al Shaab School and, two years later, he went to Dubai Secondary School.

In August 1966, Sheikh Mohammed, along with his cousin, travelled to London where they enrolled in the Bell School of Languages in Cambridge – one of Europe’s best-regarded language schools. He also attended Mons Officer Cadet School, located in Aldershot. During the latter stages of the six-month course, he 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.

First roles in government

On November 1, 1968, the late Sheikh Rashid appointed Sheikh Mohammed as head of Dubai Police and Public Security, which was his first public position.

After the declaration of the UAE Federation on December 2, 1971, Sheikh Maktoum, the new prime minister, appointed his brother Sheikh Mohammed as Minister of Defence and awarded him the rank of general. He was then the youngest defence minister in the world.

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 were put under his charge. On August 25, 1977, Sheikh Rashid announced the formation of a committee under Sheikh Mohammed that would take over the administration of Dubai International Airport. During this period, he was also given responsibility for Dubai’s oil.

In 1985, Sheikh Mohammed took charge of Jebel Ali Free Zone, a port-based industrial area centred around Jebel Ali port. One path-breaking initiative was Sheikh Mohammed’s decision to create a new airline in 1987. On October 25 the same year, Emirates took flight for the first time.

Late in 1995, he announced the creation of the Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF), one of his first initiatives upon assuming the mantle of Crown Prince.

Some of his boldest projects include the Burj Al Arab, Palm Jumeirah Island, Burj Khalifa and the initiative to start free zones like Dubai Media City and Dubai Internet City.

On May 11, 1999, he announced his initiative to a gathering of senior officials at the Dubai Quality Awards. “Within 18 months of tonight,” he said, “Dubai Government as a whole will be online, a factor that will increase efficiency and make the process of government faster and smoother". His deadline was met and Dubai had the world’s first fully online government.

On a humanitarian front, Sheikh Mohammed has been very active through the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Charitable and Humanitarian Foundation. On October 3, the foundation opened an appeal to establish refugee camps both inside Afghanistan and over the border in Pakistan.

Athlete and equestrian

Sheikh Mohammed was a promising athlete, an accomplished player of tennis and football, but equestrianism was, and remains, his true sporting passion.

It was not until he established Godolphin in 1994 that the racing world really began to acknowledge his passion for — and understanding of — horses. Sheikh Mohammed wanted to race his horses all over the world and 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.

Poet

Sheikh Mohammed is known for being a Nabati poet. Nabati is the name given to a colloquial form of Arabic that emerged with the spread of Islam. He began composing poetry while he was still at school.

On Friday (January 3), as he marked 19 years as Dubai Ruler, Sheikh Mohammed penned an emotional note honouring his wife, Sheikha Hind bint Maktoum, calling her "the most beautiful thing" in his life, his "greatest supporter", and the "soul of Dubai".

Stellar achievements — Timeline

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

• 'Sword of Honour' race takes centre stage at Meydan Racecourse