Sheikh Mohammed recalls time ministers laughed at his idea to turn Dubai into a tourist destination

The Ruler of Dubai has always believed in the emirate's tourism potential — even back in the '80s when many laughed at the thought.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, on Saturday shared a moving anecdote on how he got the stares when he opened the topic of developing the emirate and the Gulf as a tourism destination.

He was a young minister in his mid-30s then, he said. He was attending one of the meetings of the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council), where ministers were discussing the crises and seemingly endless challenges in the region.

"I was the youngest person in the session and the most bored of the endless political talk. I asked to speak and suggested to the ministers: 'Why don't we develop the Gulf cities into global tourist destinations, and can we start in Dubai?'"

This bold suggestion caught the attention of the older ministers but not in a positive way.

'What will tourists find in Dubai?'

“All eyes turned to me,” said Sheikh Mohammed, adding: “Then, there was a little silence that was interrupted by the laughter of one of the older foreign ministers.”

“He (senior foreign minister) said: What will tourists find in Dubai and our Gulf cities? The desert? Sand? Heat and humidity? The rest laughed,” continued Sheikh Mohammed.

Then, with a tone of seniority, the minister addressed Sheikh Mohammed: “Where is the cultural heritage, civilisation and human history in Dubai so that people can visit it?”

Sheikh Mohammed, however, was unperturbed and took it in stride.

He said: “I did not argue with him. But I felt sad because why can we not make better use of our wealth? Why can we not trust our youth? And can we not try anything different other than what we know and are familiar with?”

Four decades later

Past forward four decades later, history has clearly vindicated Sheikh Mohammed.

The Dubai Ruler — who is credited for being the force behind the emirate’s transformation into one of the world’s top cities — shared with pride the result of the latest report from the UN World Tourism Organisation.

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