Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum

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Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum (Arabic: مُحَمَّد بن رَاشِد آل مَكتُوم; Muhammed bin Râşid Âl Mektûm; born 15 July 1949) is an Emirati politician and royal who is the current ruler of Dubai, and serves as the vice president, prime minister, and minister of defence of the United Arab Emirates.[1] He is the third son of Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, former vice president of the UAE and ruler of Dubai. Mohammed succeeded his brother Maktoum as vice president and ruler following the latter's death in 2006.[2]

Quick facts: Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice Presiden...
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Mohammed_bin_Rashid_Al_Maktoum_%2815-02-2021%29.jpg
Sheikh Mohammed in 2021
Vice President of the United Arab Emirates
Assumed office
5 January 2006
PresidentKhalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Preceded byMaktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates
Assumed office
11 February 2006
PresidentKhalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Deputies
Preceded byMaktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Minister of Defence
Assumed office
9 December 1971
President
Preceded byPost established
President of the United Arab Emirates
Acting
In office
13 May 2022  14 May 2022
Preceded byKhalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Succeeded byMohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Ruler of Dubai
Reign4 January 2006 – present
PredecessorMaktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Heir apparentHamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum
Born (1949-07-15) 15 July 1949 (age 73)
Dubai, Trucial States
SpouseSee list
IssueSee list
Names
H. H. Sheikh Mohamed bin Rashid bin Saeed bin Maktoum bin Hasher bin Maktoum Al Maktoum
HouseAl Maktoum
FatherRashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum
MotherLatifa bint Hamdan Al Nahyan
ReligionSunni Islam
Police career
DepartmentDubai Police Force
Service years1968–1970
RankHead of Dubai Police and Public Security
WebsiteOfficial website
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A billionaire,[3] Mohammed generates most of his income from real estate and is described as "one of the world's most prominent real estate developers". Land which is owned by him is managed as an asset of the state.[4] There is a blurred line between the assets of the government of Dubai and those of the ruling Al Maktoum family.[4] He oversaw the growth of Dubai into a global city,[5][6] as well as the launch of a number of government-owned enterprises including Emirates Airline, DP World, and the Jumeirah Group. Some of these are held by Dubai Holding. Mohammed has overseen the development of certain projects in Dubai including the creation of a technology park, a free economic zone, Dubai Internet City, Dubai Media City,[7] the Dubai International Finance Centre, the Palm Islands[8] and the Burj Al Arab hotel. He also drove the construction of Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world.[9]

Mohammed is the absolute ruler of Dubai and the prime minister of the UAE,[10] a position appointed by the president.[11] The government is autocratic, as there are no democratic institutions, and internal dissent is prohibited.[12][13][14][15] It is characterized by scholars as authoritarian.[16][17]

On 5 March 2020, a British court ruled that on the balance of probabilities, Mohammed had abducted two of his daughters, Shamsa and Latifa, and had threatened his former wife, the Jordanian princess Haya bint Hussein.[18] Allegedly, Shamsa and Latifa were forcibly medicated while held in Dubai under Sheikh Mohammed's orders since 2000 and 2018, respectively.[19] On 16 February 2021, BBC's Panorama broadcast a documentary featuring Sheikha Latifa's video messages that she made secretly under enforced detention in Dubai on the orders of Sheikh Mohammed.[20][21]

Mohammed is an equestrian and is the founder of the Maktoum family-owned Godolphin stable and the owner of Darley, a thoroughbred breeding operation, operational in six countries. In 2012, he rode the horse Madji Du Pont 160 km to take the FEI World Endurance Championship.[22]