Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum: Profile of the UAE Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum is the Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and the Ruler of Dubai. This profile is based on the official biography on the UAE Cabinet website.

Path to office

• He was born on 15 July 1949 in Al Shindagha, Dubai, the third of four sons of Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum.
• In 1968 he led the Dubai Police Force, and in 1971 he was named Minister of Defence, which the official biography describes as the world’s youngest.
• He became Crown Prince of Dubai in 1995.
• He became Ruler of Dubai on 4 January 2006. The Federal Supreme Council elected him Vice President the next day, he was nominated Prime Minister, and he and his Cabinet were sworn in on 11 February 2006.

Projects he is credited with

The official biography credits him with helping to develop the Palm Islands, the Burj Al Arab hotel, the Burj Khalifa, the Dubai World Cup and the Godolphin racing stable. It also says that after becoming Prime Minister he started a programme to promote excellence in government and improve public services, and lists the principles he stresses for sustainable development: innovation, engaging youth, developing human capital, investment in education and research, good governance and a knowledge-based economy.

His own website and a Khaleej Times profile give further background.

Poetry

He is a well-known poet, particularly in the Nabati style native to the region.

What this article does not cover

We have not tried to assess his economic record, because the sources that make such claims did not give figures we could check. Readers interested in Dubai’s economic data should look at official statistics from the Dubai Statistics Center and the UAE’s federal authorities.