Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
@HHShkMohd · Gulf & Arab world
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum is an Emirati royal and politician.
At the beginning of every government season.. I start my work by meeting with the work team.. We begin, with God’s blessing, a new season.. With renewed spirit.. High determination.. And ambitions worthy of the nation’s stature.. My message to my work team.. I want the government of the United Arab Emirates to be the best government in the world, and what lies ahead for us will be even greater, God willing.
Translated from ArabicAn open letter to Hamdan.. "the one who tomorrow completes 20 years since being appointed chairman of the Executive Council of the Emirate of Dubai" To my crown prince, the extension of my life, and the support of my journey, Hamdan .. I write this letter to you filled with pride in you .. in your journey, your leadership, and your achievements. I am proud of the people's love for you, of your presence in their gatherings, your closeness to their lives, your attention to their needs, and your compassion for their young before their old. I am proud of you, Hamdan .. of your horsemanship, courage, and simplicity. I am proud of you because you charted a distinctive path for yourself, broke a new road, and drew on experiences from me and your family to create something no one before you had achieved. I am proud of you, Hamdan, because you inspire millions of young people .. through your deeds, your energetic spirit, your activity, your literature and poetry, your humility, and everyone's love for you. I am proud of you, my son .. of your closeness to your siblings, your support for them, your inspiration and empowerment of them, and your urging them to serve people. I am proud of you because you are an example of a great father, a responsible son, and a loving, generous brother. With your successes, Hamdan, your responsibilities grow .. your responsibilities toward the homeland, toward the nation's youth, toward the nation's soldiers, and toward protecting the nation's borders. Your responsibilities grow day after day .. toward Dubai, its people, and its children .. toward Dubai's economy, Dubai's competitiveness, and its new global standing. Your responsibilities toward the family, toward your siblings, and toward your children grow. Millions around the world look to you to follow your work, receive your inspiration, and stake their hopes on you, your wisdom, and your profound insight as you continue building and developing. You are worthy of all these responsibilities, Hamdan. Hamdan bin Mohammed .. God chose you before we chose you, prepared the means for you before we thought of them, and made human hearts, people's love, and their acceptance of you serve you. Love is in God's hands alone; He grants it to whomever He wills among His servants. "Even if you had spent all that is on earth, you could not have united their hearts, but God united them." Perhaps what I write today, from the lessons and wisdom life has taught me, may be a support for you, a guide on your path, and landmarks by which you find your way through life. Hamdan .. life taught me, through nearly 60 years in governance, government, and the politics of people, that people need a ruler who listens before he rules, shows mercy before he punishes, gives before he is asked, and reaches out to people before they have to reach out to him. Life taught me that firmness in justice is dignity and mercy, stability and a guarantee of prosperity, and that oppression is darkness, ruin for achievements, and decline for civilizations. Beware of injustice, Hamdan, because it never sleeps. The prayer of the wronged, above the clouds, is blocked from the Lord of heaven by nothing. Our country was built, Hamdan, only through justice among people, restoring rights, holding the strong accountable before the weak, and the near before the stranger. Countries do not perish when justice is their scale, mercy their hallmark, and the rule of law their virtue from which they do not deviate. Life taught me, my son, to choose the most truthful men around me, because manliness begins with truthful words, keeping promises, and strength of heart. Whoever lies to you betrays not only the truth, but also your trust, your mind, and your integrity. The truthful person, my son, is an adviser, and advice, even when it hurts once, is better than illusion a thousand times. I have seen and lived alongside many leaders who ruled countries that were once great and nations that were once mighty. They surrounded themselves with deceivers and hypocrites who embellished their mistakes, sold them illusions, concealed facts from them, and kept them away from the people, until they lived in a bubble of false grandeur. Their countries then declined, their economies collapsed, and their peoples suffered calamity. Absolute trust in those around you, my son, is absolute corruption; souls change, interests shift, and hearts turn. Wisdom lies in keeping some distance, avoiding flattery, and establishing frameworks for accountability, so that the law does not lose its dignity and those close to you do not persist in their error and corruption. People's eyes are fixed on those around you .. if they see them above the law, they will take the law lightly. The dignity of states falls only when the strong feel that they are above the system. Life taught me, Hamdan, that the closer a ruler is to the people, the closer countries come to stability and prosperity, because the people's love is strength for the ruler and security for those governed. The greatest rulers are the most merciful to people. Look at Zayed and Rashid, may God have mercy on them .. their compassion for people and their closeness to them placed them in the hearts of God's servants and built for them a place and standing in people's souls; they remain eternal through the people's love for them. If people look at you with their eyes, look at them with your heart, Hamdan. Have mercy on their vulnerable, help their children, and take care of their affairs, for greatness does not belong to the one whom people serve, but to the one who serves people .. greatness does not belong to the one who possesses power over people, but to the one who possesses people's hearts. These are some of life's lessons, my son, and some of what decades of service and wisdom have taught me .. perhaps I will write you others; I ask God to make them beneficial to you. I see you as nothing but a great and generous man, Hamdan, one who loves humanity, seeks goodness, hastens to noble deeds, and is worthy of honor, as honor is worthy of you. May God grant you success, protect you, and guide your steps along the path to glory. Your loving father .. Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Translated from ArabicMessage to my brother Mohammed bin Zayed… To my brother, my friend, and my companion on the journey, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan… May God protect and care for you, and guide your steps along the path of goodness… To the brother with whom I shared love for Zayed… and in whom I saw Zayed’s wisdom… Zayed’s mercy, and Zayed’s insight… I knew you, my brother, as a friend, companion, and close one… I knew you, my brother, as a human being, a leader, and a wise man… I knew you as a leader, an inspiration, and a commander of men… I knew you as a man of his word, a man of principle, and a man of conviction. I knew you as a field commander in the liberation of Kuwait and in the Kosovo War. And I knew you, during the world’s crises and disasters, as a compassionate, tender-hearted person devoted to doing good. I knew you in your international relations as a wise politician, and as a statesman who made the world respect his country. I knew you, my brother, as the president of the nation… generous with your people, entrusted with the future of your children, merciful, tolerant, and chivalrous with all those residing on your land. My brother Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan… when a little girl leaves her home every day—a girl who knows nothing of the corridors of politics or the complexities of economics—she goes to her school feeling safe. She walks through the streets of her country and sees beauty and order. She reaches her school and sees on its walls that her country has reached space, and that her country’s ambitions embrace the sky, so this girl dreams that she will become someone and achieve things… that she will make her parents proud of her, and that one day she will raise her country’s flag like the rest of the heroes in her homeland. When this girl dreams with certainty, and trusts that her future in her country is great, we know that you have fulfilled the trust and achieved your dreams for our nation and our generations. Planting confidence, security, and optimism in the hearts of our children is your greatest achievement, my brother. Congratulations to you on this homeland, my brother… and congratulations to us on having you. Congratulations to us on the children who set out for school every day in safety, security, comfort, and peace of mind. Congratulations to you on their great dreams and passionate hearts. Congratulations to you on the future you are building for them before they grow up to see it. My brother Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan… I follow you, and the world follows you, on your historic leadership journey… We follow how you have turned your ambitions into institutions, your ideas into projects and initiatives, and your international relationships into economic, political, and investment bridges that bring goodness to the UAE. We follow, my brother, how you have turned educational institutions from services into national sovereign priorities that determine our place in the world. And how you have turned wealth into the building of new sectors, future industries, and an economic foundation for the generations of the Emirates. We follow, my brother, how your country has become wiser than the time in which it lives, more prepared for the future than the environment in which it operates, and more capable of continuing and enduring than the circumstances surrounding it. My brother Mohammed bin Zayed… life has taught me that cities are built, buildings rise, and facilities are constructed, but more important than all of that is the spirit of the nation that unites everyone, preserves stability, inspires generations, and awakens the enthusiasm of young people. Today, my brother, you are that spirit… You are the spirit of the nation… Hearts unite around you, crowds move behind you, borders are safeguarded through you, and people gather around you as one heart, one hand, and a vibrant national spirit. Life has taught me, my brother, that civilizations do not decline by chance, but when they stop developing and when they become content with the achievements of the past. And you, my brother, inherited a great state from Zayed… but you did not stop or settle. You strengthened its stability, diversified its economy, consolidated its relationships, and propelled it to keep pace with the new frontiers of human knowledge. Life has taught me, my brother, that the greatest danger facing states is not the threats on their borders, but the comfort that slips into the souls of their young people when they move from a culture of achievement to a culture of entitlement. And you, my brother, invested in people… You taught young people that luxury does not preserve what their predecessors left behind, that seriousness and discipline in our country are the foundation of building, and that prosperity and development are a responsibility and an honor, not a privilege and indulgence. You taught young people, my brother, that what we inherited is not a reward, but a trust to which we must add before handing the banner to those who come after us… and that the goal is not to create wealth, but to create generations capable of creating wealth and engineering the future. My brother Mohammed bin Zayed… a person is not measured by the powers he possesses, but by the responsibilities he bears. And today you carry the trust of the children in their homes and the dreams in their minds… You carry the trust of building a generation that will continue the journey and preserve the legacy… Today you carry the trust of a nation and the task of creating a future for generations that have not yet grown up to see it… a trust to which you have remained faithful before God, history, and the people… and we bear witness that you are fulfilling it as you should. We and your people are with you, my brother, on this great journey… a journey that generations will immortalize, God willing, and that history will write in letters of light. May God grant you success, my brother, protect you, and guide your steps along the path of goodness. Your loving brother… Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Translated from ArabicBrothers and sisters .. Life has taught me that our lifetimes are part of the story of our homelands .. And wisdom lies in adding a chapter worthy of being read by future generations .. Today, as I approach nearly sixty years of public service to the homeland.. I have written a collection of letters to my brothers, sons, grandchildren, team, and people ..and to everyone who sees in our experience something worthy of reflection.. I wrote the letters because lifetimes pass .. but ideas grow and endure .. I wrote them because it is our trust to leave something that shortens the path for those who will carry the trust after us .. I collected them in a book, "The Letters," which represents the second part of "Life Has Taught Me." I begin these letters with one addressed to my brother, friend, and companion on my journey, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, may God preserve him. We ask God to grant us success .. to make our ideas beneficial .. to protect our homelands .. and to guide our generations .. Your brother / Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Translated from ArabicDuring the meeting, we approved the National Policy for Ecotourism... We also reviewed the results of implementing the National Strategy for Combating Desertification 2022-2030... which achieved tangible progress in protecting ecosystems and sustaining natural resources... as the number of nature reserves rose to 55 reserves... with 4,900 hectares of land rehabilitated... and green spaces exceeding 3.2 million square metres were added... along with the registration and protection of 341,000 native trees... Preserving our environment is a national responsibility... and investing in our natural resources is an investment in quality of life.
Translated from ArabicAs we reviewed the results of the government digital transformation for the past year... government entities completed more than 308 million digital transactions... and 15.8 million downloads of government applications... through 1,633 digital services... and customer satisfaction with priority services reached 92%... The government also implemented 471 digital transformation projects... In global competitiveness, the UAE ranked first in the world in indicators including telecommunications infrastructure, digital skills, and adoption of artificial intelligence, and was classified in the highest tier of the cybersecurity index... Results confirming that the digital transformation journey continues... and that investment in technology and artificial intelligence is an investment in the quality of government services and their future.
Translated from ArabicToday we approved the agenda for the UAE Government’s annual meetings, which will be held from November 8 to 10... The national platform where we review what has been achieved... and chart the next phase of our government journey... This year’s edition is titled readiness and resilience... Readiness in our economy... in our supplies and logistics services... in our resources... and in our families... We will also review the progress made by government entities in employing assistive artificial intelligence in their work and services... We will celebrate the winners of the first cycle of the "UAE Years Award"... and invite everyone to participate with their stories.. The UAE is stronger today through its teams and the determination of its people... and, God willing, our ambition knows no bounds.
Translated from ArabicAs we reviewed today in the Cabinet, a program to develop the capabilities of teachers and educators with artificial intelligence tools... The goal is to train 22,000 teachers and educators to employ assistive artificial intelligence in education and assessment, curriculum analysis, lesson planning, and fostering a spirit of innovation among students... Major technological transformations will change the reality, operations, and tools of education... And for teachers to perform their new role, they too must become lifelong learners... because if we teach our children today as we taught them yesterday, we deprive them of tomorrow... The United Arab Emirates is among the first countries in the world to develop comprehensive curricula for teaching artificial intelligence to students across all stages... Today we also approved a mechanism to make this curriculum available to education ministries in all countries of the world so that everyone can benefit from the Emirati experience.
Translated from ArabicToday, during the Cabinet session, we approved the launch and start of using the “Cabinet AI Advisor System”... A new step in developing government decision-making... accelerating the study of policies, projects, and initiatives ... and improving the quality of government outputs... The system operates through 32 AI assistants specializing in analyzing policies, legislation, strategies, and regulations, assessing their impacts, reviewing global best practices, and providing recommendations... The system will work with ministers 24 hours a day to follow up on decisions and implement them... The UAE government does not stop... and its decisions continue... Our goal is a more efficient government, and faster, more accurate decisions.
Translated from ArabicToday a new school year begins .. and with it begins a new academic and scientific journey for more than 1,277,000 students in the United Arab Emirates.. With the beginning of every school year .. a new energy flows through our society .. renewed activity begins .. and new dreams emerge for our children and students of a better and more beautiful future .. I say to our students: From your classrooms .. your lessons .. and your knowledge, we build the future of our nation .. so rise to the level of your ambitions .. And I say to our dedicated teachers: Through your efforts, we spread knowledge .. nurture talents .. instill confidence .. and plant great ideas in our generations .. so rise to the level of this trust. And I say to parents: You are the first partner in the educational journey .. and you are the first school .. through you and with you, we build the people of this nation. May God protect our generations, grant them success, and guide them .. We wish them a successful school year .. and times filled with learning, knowledge, and happiness.
Translated from ArabicOn Emirati Women’s Day, we celebrate her as a partner in development, a supporter of the journey, and a maker of generations. There is something of the homeland in women: tranquility, mercy, spirit, and life. On this day, I remember my mother, Sheikha Latifa bint Hamdan Al Nahyan, may God have mercy on her. I remember her kindness and compassion, and I remember how she stood by Sheikh Rashid for 40 years. I remember her closeness to the poor and her care for and support of women. May God have mercy on her and grant her a spacious place in His paradise. To all the daughters of the UAE I say on this day: Blessed are you to have the homeland, and blessed is the homeland to have you. May you be more beautiful, refined, and exalted every year. And may the Mother of the Emirates, Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, be in health, happiness, and goodness every year.
Translated from ArabicLife has taught me.. In the measure of humanity... presence is not measured by the loudness of the voice.. but by the depth of the impact.. presence is not measured by those who speak about people’s suffering.. but by those who relieve it... not by presence in newspaper headlines... but by presence in people’s lives... Life taught me that humanity does not need someone to speak on its behalf... but those who work for it.. The United Arab Emirates chose throughout its history... and through its values... since its founding by Zayed the Benevolent and his brothers, to be on the right side of humanitarian action.. and, God willing, will remain a force for impact... creating hope and life #اليوم_العالمي_للعمل_الإنساني
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