Sheikh Mohammed celebrates 74th birthday: 7 facts about Dubai’s ruler

Image: Dubai Media Office

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai celebrates his 74th birthday on Saturday, July 15.

The leader of Dubai was born in 1949 at the Maktoum family home in Al Shindagha. He is the third son of Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum and became the ruler of Dubai in 2006.

Sheikh Mohammed has to his credit, many firsts such as becoming the youngest defence minister at the age of 21.

Here are seven facts to know about Sheikh Mohammed:

1) Sheikh Mohammed began studying Arabic and Islamic studies when he was four and began his primary education in 1955 at Al Ahmadiya School in Deira. Following this Sheikh Mohammed also studied in the UK. He was enrolled in the Bell School of Languages in Cambridge in 1966. He then attended the attended Mons Officer Cadet School – Aldershot, which is now part of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.

2) Sheikh Mohammed holds the distinction of becoming the world’s youngest defence minister and was also appointed the Dubai Police and Public Security Force head in 1968. He holds the position till date.

3) Sheikh Mohammed’s legacy spans the launch of Dubai’s international airport, setting up the emirate as a tourist destination as well as setting up Dubai Ports Authority, which today has taken the form of DP World, one of the world’s most successful shipping and logistics firms.

4) Sheikh Mohammed became the Ruler of Dubai in 2006 following the death of his elder brother Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the then Ruler of Dubai. On January 5, the members of the UAE Supreme Council elected Sheikh Mohammed as the Vice-President of the UAE. A month later, the late Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, former president, nominated Sheikh Mohammed to become the Prime Minister of the UAE.

5) Sheikh Mohammed was part of the inner circle that saw the UAE become a country after Dubai and Abu Dhabi agreed to become a federation in 1971.

6) From being a pearling hub, to its transition to an oil economy and now to a digital one, the Dubai ruler has seen the emirate grow – from a population of 500,000 to more than 3.5 million in the past 40 years.

7) Sheikh Mohammed learnt falconry and hunting from an early age, and is an avid horseman. He set up the Godolphin stables which are one of the top stables for thoroughbreds in the world.

Sheikh Mohammed is credited for being the force behind Dubai’s transformation into one of the world’s top cities. He has been quoted as saying, “Besides our interest in pursuing and expanding sustainable development and investment, we are also expanding in various areas of human development. My vision for Dubai is to be the number one and to be a leader in the fields of education, healthcare and housing regionally and globally. I aspire to grant my people, the UAE nationals, the best standard of living. It is our right to be the world’s number one in education, healthcare, housing and all other fields.”

Read: Palm Jebel Ali greenlit by Sheikh Mohammed as part of Dubai 2040 Urban Plan