Mohammed bin Maktoum - Flashes of Thought: Lessons in life and leadership from the man behind Dubai

FLASHES of THOUGHT

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum is the Prime Minister and Vice President of the United Arab Emirates and the Ruler of Dubai.

He is the driving force behind Dubais remarkable transformation into a major global city. His initiatives in creating strategic economic opportunities for Dubai have resulted in world-leading enterprises such as Emirates Airline, Jumeirah Group, DP World, Dubai Internet City, Dubai Media City, Dubai International Financial Centre and Dubai World Central, the worlds first purpose-built aerotropolis.

A passionate proponent of open, service-led governance and strategic planning, Sheikh Mohammed has driven major government reform in the UAE. He is the founder of the famous Godolphin and Darley racing operations as well as the worlds richest race, the annual Dubai World Cup. A trained pilot and champion endurance rider, he is also an acclaimed poet in his native Arabic.

Also by Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum

My Vision
Spirit of the Union
Flashes of Thought
Flashes of Verse

FLASHES of
THOUGHT

Lessons in Life and Leadership from the Man behind Dubai

POCKET EDITION

Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum

First published in Great Britain in 2015 by

Profile Books Ltd

3 Holford Yard

Bevin Way

London WC1X 9HD
www.profilebooks.com

Copyright The Executive Office of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum 2015

The right of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1998.

All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the publisher of this book.

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

eISBN 978 1 78283 185 3

Sheikh Mohammed and Dubai

D ubai is one of the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates. It began the 20th century as a humble port town home to traders, seafarers, fishermen and pearl divers. It was not until the 1950s, when Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum became ruler, that Dubai began its journey to becoming a global metropolis.

Born and raised in Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum travelled to England for military training at the Mons Officer Cadet School. He served as Commander-in-Chief of the Dubai Police Force and later UAE Minister of Defence, was appointed Crown Prince of Dubai in 1995, and in 2005 became Ruler of Dubai as well as Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE.

Sheikh Mohammed is the driving force behind the transformation of Dubai into one of the great cities of the modern world: a hub for business and tourism, and the worlds gateway to the Middle East. He is also a key figure in establishing the UAE as a success story of peaceful human development and a model of tolerance and moderation for a troubled region.

Sheikh Mohammeds drive for number one has produced countless firsts for Dubai and the UAE: Emirates, the worlds fastest-growing airline; Dubai World Central, the worlds largest airport; and Burj Khalifa, the worlds tallest tower, to name a few.

His work behind the scenes is less visible but no less important. Sheikh Mohammed is a proponent and pioneer of open, businesslike, service-led governance: his reforms have earned the UAE the number-one global ranking for government efficiency.

In his private life, Sheikh Mohammed is a world champion endurance rider with a passion for horse racing. He founded the Godolphin stable and the worlds richest race, the Dubai World Cup. He is also an acclaimed poet in Arabic, with several published collections.

Driven, ambitious, determined and competitive, Sheikh Mohammed is a national leader, a soldier, a poet and a horseman. This unusual mixture of attributes has created a remarkable man. His sense of urgency and will to win are legendary. His reflections in this book on how to build teams, succeed in business and get the most from life come from a man who has excelled in doing exactly that.

Simplicity

The key to happiness is to lead a simple life.
Refuse to be burdened with needless complexity.

I t might come as a surprise to some people, but I try to lead a simple life.

On my days off, I start as always with dawn prayers, a habit I highly recommend. Waking at dawn is not hard once you get used to it; it is as if an inner alarm clock rouses you every morning. After prayers, I have breakfast with my family and then I practise some of my favourite hobbies. I ride my bike or go horse riding in the desert. Watching the deer and the rabbits in the wild gives me peace of mind.

I call on friends at their homes, and we go out for lunch in nearby restaurants or for a walk on the beach. Sometimes we go to visit people or go on hunting trips together. My day is simple, as is my life, but I am happy with it.

Life was created simple and it is important to live it as such. Simplicity is inherent; it leads to peace of mind and tranquillity. I absolutely do not like to overcomplicate things, as those who are close to me know well.

We Emiratis are very fond of the sea and of the desert, despite the intense development and modernisation that can be seen in our towns and cities.

The splendour of life is felt in the warm sun shining over the dunes, in the moonlit sky, in the pouring rain, in the green grass growing on the plains and in the valleys, and in joyful gatherings with friends and loved ones. I greatly enjoy the beauty of running horses.

It is such a beautiful life, but many people spend it worrying, burdened and frowning. You can easily see the beauty of life in the laughter of a child, the tenderness of a mother, the smile of a friend or the love of a compassionate wife.

Our countrys founding father, Sheikh Zayed, God bless his soul, was the most down-to-earth of all the world leaders I have had the chance to know. He was also the most smiling and cheerful of all. He loved the beauty of life and sought it in poetry and in prose, on land and at sea, despite his busy schedule and his heavy responsibilities.

My advice to all is to lead a simple life. Simplicity starts in the heart, away from negativity and pessimism.

The race to be number one

Intend to be a winner, or you will never win.
First is the only goal worth setting.

W hen I am asked about my continued insistence on being number one, despite the difficulty in achieving this objective in all fields, I answer that nobody remembers runners-up. Who remembers the second person to climb Mount Everest? The second person to walk on the moon? In fact, who remembers anyone who comes in second? The answer is: nobody.

We are no less than number one. Whoever convinces himself that he is not worthy of first position has doomed himself to failure from the very beginning. My people and I are fond of being number one.

This is not a new characteristic, but one that we have inherited from our founding fathers. Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid both loved to be the first and wanted their people to be the first, too. From the outset they wished to see the UAE at the very top and their successor, our President, God bless him, is following in their steps.

I am not the only one who wishes to be number one. Abu Dhabi, for instance, aspired to global leadership in alternative energy. It invested, innovated, was chosen to host the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), and created Masdar, a city focused on sustainability. As a result, Abu Dhabi has become a magnet for companies and research centres, and a beacon of innovation in renewable energy.