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Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
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Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum (Arabic (محمد بن راشد آل مكتوم) (honorifically referred to as Sheikh Mohammed) (born July 22, 1949), is the Prime Minister and Vice President of the United Arab Emirates, and the ruler of Dubai.
Personal life and education
He is the third of Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum's four sons (members of Dubai's ruling family Al Maktoum and descendants of the House of Al-Falasi, of which he is the tribal leader[1]). From the age of four, Sheikh Mohammed was privately tutored in Arabic and Islamic Studies. In 1955, he began his formal education at Al Ahmedia School. At the age of 10, he moved to Al Shaab School, and two years later, he went to Dubai Secondary School. In August 1966, he and his cousin, Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al-Maktoum, attended the Bell Educational Trust's English Language School in the United Kingdom.
His senior wife is Sheikha Hind bint Maktoum bin Juma Al Maktoum, his first cousin, whom he married in 1979. His junior wife is HRH Princess Haya bint Al Hussein, daughter of King Hussein of Jordan and half-sister of current King Abdullah II of Jordan, whom he married on April 10, 2004, and has one child, a daughter, AlJalila, born December 2, 2007.[2][3][4] Sheikh Mohammed has 17 children: eight sons and ten daughtersdubious – discuss.
Al Maktoum, his sons, and his daughters are known to be avid in the art of traditional Arabic poems, arts, taking part in projects to aid developing countries such as Jordan, Egypt, Palestine and Yemen. They are also sport enthusiasts, especially in horse and camel racing. For example, in the 15th Asian Games in 2006, son Rashid took the individual gold in Endurance, sons Rashid, Ahmed, Majid, and Hamdan took the team gold in Endurance;[5] daughter Latifa took a bronze in Show Jumping;[6] and daughter Maitha led the UAE team in Karate.[7]
Thoroughbred horse racing
Sheikh Mohammed is a major figure internationally in Thoroughbred horse racing and breeding. In late 1981, he purchased Gainsborough Stud at Woolton Hill, near Newbury, Berkshire, England. In Ireland, he also owns Ballysheehan Stud, in County Tipperary plus he has Gainsborough Farms Inc. in Versailles, Kentucky. His racing operations includes the ownership of Darley Stables and he is the leading partner in his family's Godolphin Stables. Sheikh Mohammed hosts the Dubai World Cup, the world's richest series of horse races.
In England, his horses have won numerous important Group One races including several of the British Classic Races. His horses have also won the Irish Derby Stakes and the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and in the United States the 2006 Preakness Stakes with Bernardini.
He recently bought the Woodlands Stud empire, the largest in Australia, for $US 420 million.citation needed
Political and business career
On January 3, 1995, Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum signed two decrees that appointed Sheikh Mohammed as Crown Prince of Dubai.
Sheikh Mohammed oversaw the development of numerous projects in Dubai including the creation of the Palm Islands and the luxury Burj Al Arab hotel. He is also promoting the construction of Burj Dubai, which is now the tallest free-standing structure in the world, and will become the official world's tallest building upon its completion in 2009. During his tenure as Crown Prince he set up Dubai Holding, a holding company with multi-diversified businesses and investments. He currently owns 99.67% of the company.[8]
After roughly a decade of de facto rulership,[9] he became the Ruler of Dubai on January 4, 2006 upon the death of his elder brother Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum. He was also nominated by the President of the UAE, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to be the next Prime Minister and Vice President of the UAE on January 5, 2006. The members of the UAE Federal National Council accepted the President's nomination shortly after.
On July 4, 2006 Sheikh Mohammed pardoned and released U.S. R&B producer Dallas Austin for a conviction of drug possession. Senator Orrin Hatch and musicians Lionel Richie and Quincy Jones aided in the release.[10]
Liverpool F.C. takeover bid
On 4 December 2006, through his Dubai International Capital (DIC) Investment Group, Sheikh Mohammed engaged in takeover negotiations for Liverpool Football Club in a deal rumored to be worth £479m. The deal was also rumored to include a new 60,000 seater stadium, close to Anfield in nearby Stanley Park. As of 31 January 2007, D.I.C. withdrew their bid when Liverpool requested more time to consider a second bid from American George N. Gillett Jr., owner of the Montreal Canadiens, an NHL franchise, and Tom Hicks, owner of two teams, the NHL's Dallas Stars and the Texas Rangers, a MLB franchise.
Charity
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has been known for his vast charitable donations. On May 19, 2007, he announced plans to give $10bn USD to set up an educational foundation in the Middle East, one of the largest charitable donations in history.[11] Sheikh Mohammed stated that the money is meant to bridge the knowledge gap between the Arab region and the developed world, improving the standard of education and research in the region, developing leadership programs for youth, and stimulating job creation. The announcement was made at the 2007 World Economic Forum in Jordan.
Dubai Cares
In September 2007, he launched a campaign, Dubai Cares to raise money to educate 1 million children in poor countries. The campaign is Dubai's contribution to the U.N. Millennium Development Goals for providing Children's Primary Education to every child by 2015. The amount donated to this campaign has exceeded AED 3.4 billion (Approximately US$ 910 million).
Net worth
In 2007, his wealth was estimated at $16 billion USD.[12] This made him the world's fourth richest royal.[12]
Due to his large wealth, Sheikh Mohammed is the owner of the world's longest yacht, Dubai. Previously owned by Prince Jefri Bolkiah of Brunei, the vessel is 163 metres (530 ft) long.
Controversies
On 9 March 2007, the London-based Metro newspaper wrongly published a picture of Sheikh Mohammed, attributing it to the terror suspect Khalid Shaikh Mohammed. The Metro has since apologized for the error.[13]
Sheikh Mohammed has been accused of encouraging the abduction and enslavement of thousands of boys for use as jockeys in camel races. A class-action suit has been filed in the United States regarding this matter.[14][15][16][17]
References
- ^ Home
- ^ Khaleej Times Interview on the princess's official website
- ^ The Royal News, 2004-04-10
- ^ Shaikh Mohammad and Princess Haya blessed with a baby girl Gulf News (2 December 2007). Retrieved 2 December 2007.
- ^ UAE EQUESTRIAN RACING FEDERATION
- ^ Latifa does UAE proud as she qualifies for Beijing Olympics, UAE interact
- ^ "Shaikha Maitha bound for Beijing Olympics", Gulf News (2008-03-24). Retrieved on 2008-06-15.
- ^ "Dubai Holding Profile", Zawya.
- ^ BBC report, 2006-01-05
- ^ CNN report, 2006-07-08
- ^ "Dubai ruler in vast charity gift", BBC News (2007-05-19). Retrieved on 2007-05-19.
- ^ a b "Forbes Royal's Rich List", Forbes.com.
- ^ Sheikh Mohammed apology, Metro News, Friday, 9 March 2007
- ^ Dubai princes accused of masterminding trade in jockey slaves - Americas, World - The Independent
- ^ BBC NEWS | Middle East | Dubai's ruler accused of slavery
- ^ A Dubai Leader Faces Charges of Enslavement - September 14, 2007 - The New York Sun
- ^ Cover Bio from Current Biography Monthly Magazine - April 2008
External links
Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:
Further reading
- My Vision - Challenges in the Race for Excellence by Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum (2006); in Arabic; explains the vision of Sheikh Mohammed for Dubai
- Dubai The Maktoum Story by John M. Smith; in German; a book which criticizes the governance of Sheikh Mohammed
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