When Sheikh Mohammed met the 'most beautiful, kindest woman in his life'

In this chapter, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, is talking about his mother Latifa bint Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan. To him, she was "the mother, his heart and the most beautiful and the kindest woman in his life".
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"Her name was Sheikha Latifa bint Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan and she was the daughter of the former Abu Dhabi Ruler. She was the companion of Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum for more than four decades."
"After she passed away, his life had changed, and he was never the same again until his death."
"After one year of marriage, she gave birth to Sheikha Mariam and three years later, Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid was born. A few years later, she had another son, Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid. She also gave birth to Marwan, who died when he was young."
"Latifa couldn't bear the loss, and was sad for many years."
"It is said that she had a dream of having another son named Mohammed. My father was so happy about the dream because it healed the broken heart of his companion."
"The dream came true, and she named her new son Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum."
"She was known for her medical skills and many people came from distant places with their children or relatives to ask her for herbal medicines for their sufferings."
"She used to cook my breakfast herself, which I took to school. I used to eat half of it and give the other half to a horse I loved. I was young, and I thought that flour bread with eggs is good for horses."
"She noticed that, and the next day, she doubled my breakfast without telling me. I thought it is an amazing coincidence, and when I grew up, I discovered that she used to watch me, and she knew my breakfast wasn't enough."
"That is the mother, she never ate until she had seen us first, and never rested until we slept, and was never happy if we were sad."
 
In what he is calling his "incomplete biography", His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has broken his latest book, Qissati (My Story), into 50 chapters, narrating 50 stories in his 50 years of serving the nation. Khaleej Times got a signed copy of the book from the Dubai Ruler and everyday, we will be featuring excerpts from each of the 50 chapters.