The youngest sheikh. (Photo) The life and success story of the Ruler of Dubai - Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Remains the most eligible bachelor

IN modern world Royal misalliances happen quite often, so we decided to recall the 5 most influential, but still free, royal offspring of the Middle East. After all, no one knows who you might accidentally bump into even in a crowd...

In 2011, Kate Middleton's grand wedding took place, the broadcast of which was watched by 162 million viewers, mesmerized by the reality of the scenario of the fairy tale about Cinderella. And the Duchess of Cambridge, in turn, seemed to repeat the scenario of Mary Donaldson, now the Crown Princess of Denmark, whose typical, inconspicuous life changed dramatically after a chance acquaintance in Sydney with Prince Frederick. 3 years after that chance meeting she was destined to become his bride, and then his wife.

However, not only these two ladies proved that dreams of a royal wedding in the truest sense of the word have every right to exist. Even the most titled persons sometimes choose one of the common people as their life partner. And the Middle Eastern princes and princesses, as we remember, were no exception. Take, for example, the story of the beautiful Rania, Queen of Jordan. But today we are not talking about her. After we counted all the European eligible blue-blooded bachelors, the editorial team came up with the idea to talk about princesses and princes from the Middle East, who also have not yet found their halves.

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai (34)

The beloved heir to the throne of the Emirate of Dubai has many talents. He was initially educated at the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England, and subsequently attended classes at the London School of Economics and Political Science.

The 34-year-old enviable prince rides horses, scuba dives and is already an almost professional parachute jumper. In addition, he even publishes poems of his own composition, imbued with patriotic and romantic sentiments.

In general, his skills and achievements can be listed endlessly, and he immediately talks about them on his Instagram. There you can also find photo evidence of how much the Crown Prince loves sports and an active lifestyle in general, which cannot but please.

Hussein ibn Abdullah, Crown Prince of Jordan (22)

He is the eldest child of the couple King Abdullah II and Queen Rania, by the way, one of the most beautiful royalty of our time. The prince is a graduate of Georgetown University in Washington, where he majored in international history».

Interestingly, last year Prince Hussein had the honor of chairing a meeting of the UN Security Council, thus becoming the youngest participant in the process in its entire history. Thus, Prince Hussein is following in his father’s footsteps, continuing his parent’s endeavors by actively participating in policies to empower youth.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani of Qatar (28)

The 28-year-old heir to the throne is the 5th son of Sheikh Emir and his second wife Sheikha Moza, one of the most famous women East. In 2013, he received his master's degree from Harvard University. In addition to Arabic, the young man speaks fluent English and French.

In addition, Sheikh Mohammed Hamad is the former captain of the Qatar equestrian team. He also chaired the competition to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Sheikha Maita bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Princess of Dubai (36)

Maita is the half-sister of the Crown Prince, who heads our list of free royal offspring of the East. But her fiance will have to work hard to live up to her. And the point here is not at all social status brides In addition to her important title, Sheikha is also the honorary president of the United Arab Emirates Taekwondo and Karate Federation and the president of the Women's Committee of the West Asian Karate Federation. She even led the UAE women's team in this sport, which took first place from 2003 to 2006. In addition, Sheikha Maita became the first Arab athlete to carry her country's flag at Olympic Games in Pekin. In 2008, Forbes magazine included the girl in the list of the 20 most famous representatives of royal dynasties.

A famous Arab poet and athlete, he is also the Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, he is also the Minister of Defense and the ruler of the Emirate of Dubai.

Start

Residents of the Emirate of Dubai are very proud of their leader and love him - as part of the celebration of the next anniversary of his reign, there was even an event called “Thank you, Sheikh Mohammed, for your kindness.” As a sign of gratitude, everyone brought bouquets of flowers to the Dubai Mall in the center of the capital. (Presumably, everything was littered with flowers). And to prepare treats for the sheikh’s guests on January 4, 2013. the largest team in the world has assembled chefs, thanks to which the Emirate has once again entered the Guinness Book of Records. 2,847 chefs from hotels and restaurants in the emirate worked hard for their beloved sheikh, showing their skills and wanting to feed everyone deliciously and beautifully, so that both the sheikh and his guests were certainly satisfied. And it doesn’t hurt to become famous once again, especially since the emirate of Dubai with its sights and amazing events is constantly included in the Book of Records.

The sheikh's ancestors are also well-known - the ruling dynasty of Al Maktoum was founded by Sheikh Maktoum bin Butty, who in 1833. decided to create his own emirate, for which he moved from the emirate of Abu Dhabi to the area of ​​​​Dubai Bay. You can’t say anything - he founded it, he founded it... And so it turned out that the UAE is a republic for seven monarchs, each of whom rules in his own emirate... not exactly as he wants, but not without it.

Power, as is known, in this country is inherited, and in 2006. Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum has become the tenth ruler of the Emirate of Dubai. Mohammed's father, the late Rashid bin Said Al Maktoum, helped the first president of the UAE, the legendary Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, in every possible way in the creation and development of the UAE, and in general, all the other sheikhs also tried.

The golden childhood of Sheikh Mohammed took place in the family home in Shindag (Bar Dubai), and judging by the poems the adult son devotes to his mother - Sheikha Latifa bint Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who belongs to the family of the rulers of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and is cousin the legendary Sheikh Zayed, he was dearly loved by his mother.

Little Mohammed was passionate about falconry, horse riding, swimming, shooting, and also listened and mentally analyzed those wise sayings, practical advice and other wisdom at the meetings of his grandfather Sheikh Zayed with his fellow tribesmen. Could the famous grandfather, looking at the dark-eyed, inquisitive boy, his beloved grandson, hovering nearby, foresee what role he would play in the future for the whole country, and how he would be loved by his people?..

At school, Muhammad was a successful student, rather than lagging behind among the laggards, and today the small private school where he received his primary education, Al Ahmadiyya in Deira, has become a museum.

In 1958 His father, Sheikh Rashid bin Said, became the ruler of Dubai. Sheikh Rashid understood that one of his sons would also take his place in the future, so he immediately began to seriously prepare his sons to understand politics, economics, psychology - in a word, they could solve any issues relating to the present and future of the Emirate of Dubai. And here Muhammad was also present at meetings of prominent figures - bankers, builders, traders, intellectuals...

Then the grown-up future ruler of Dubai studied at an elite language school in the UK, at Mons Military College. In Cambridge, Sheikh Mohammed spoke with young people from different countries, learning about the traditions and culture of many other nationalities. A great lover of horses (Arab men have it in their blood), he attended horse races in London, missing and nostalgic for his homeland. Abroad, as they say, it’s good, but at home it’s still better...

The future ruler of Dubai was not even twenty years old at that time, but, despite his green age, he already understood the importance of his future adult life His hobbies will be politics, military knowledge, sports and literature.

Women, horses, yachts

Sheikh Mohammed, as curious media representatives have calculated, has 14 daughters and 9 sons, a rather large family - 23 children, many of the children are already quite old. However, there is no “yellow press” in the Emirates, so not much is known about the personal life of the sheikh. In particular, everyone knows the names of only two of his wives - this is the eldest wife Hind bint Maktoum bin Jumaa Al Maktoum, the mother of the Sheikh’s 12 children (one of the sons is the young handsome Sheikh Hamdan - the crown prince of the Emirate) and the former Jordanian princess Haya bint Al Hussein, in in whose veins flows the blood of the Prophet Muhammad (herald of Islam). In December 2007 Haya gave birth to a daughter, Al-Jalil, and a son, Zayed, in January 2012.

Princess Haya is a beauty, younger than her husband, and is a public person. The sheikh, apparently, loves and pampers her so much that he allows her a lot - she founded an Arab charitable organization Tikyet Um Ali, fighting to overcome poverty and hunger in her native Jordan. Serves on the boards of many non-profits public organizations, heads the World Equestrian Federation, is a member of the International Olympic Committee, takes part in international equestrian competitions, which is surprising and uncharacteristic for women in this country. The princess, like her husband, loves horses very much, and is excellent in the saddle (at the age of 13 she successfully represented her country at international level).

She is also the Chairman of Dubai's International Humanitarian City, the world's largest humanitarian aid center. emergency situations.

In the UAE, Haya wears discreet outfits at official events, and light beautiful an airy scarf covers her luxurious and well-groomed hair, and during trips to other countries, her suits and dresses often surpass the insanely expensive toiletries of other society ladies. Her husband allows her to give interviews and be photographed, which she willingly does. Judging by the photographs, Haya is happy with her husband (who takes her with him on “business trips” abroad), and does not regret at all that she married the sheikh, although she is not his only wife.

An excellent rider who can cope with any, even the most restive horse, the sheikh keeps several hundred thoroughbred horses in his stables in the UAE and abroad, many of which win prestigious international races. The Sheikh himself competes in horse racing as an athlete and is the captain of a team of horse endurance races in the desert - Arab riders led by Sheikh Mohammed always win these competitions. The sheikh's sons and even daughters also perform at equestrian competitions.

In 2001, the sheikh received a special Ex Libris award as a world-recognized owner of purebred Arabian horses.

In addition to the happy possession of a palace, Arabian and English purebred very expensive horses, cars, gold utensils in the palace, etc. etc., Sheikh of Dubai in 2012 became the owner of one of the largest and most luxurious yachts in the world, which aroused the envy of equally rich shipowners who were proud of the symbols of their prestige. The press announced the news that now his yacht “Dubai” began to be considered the largest in the world, and the sheikh in this status indicator of wealth, dashingly jumped ahead of Roman Abramovich, since his yacht turned out to be 15 cm longer. They say that Roman Arkadyevich, having learned this unpleasant and shocking news for himself, he was furious. If there were other times, maybe he would have cut off the head of the messenger with bad news, as they did in the old days, but... now he can only think about how to make his yacht the largest in the world again. It’s not in vain that 500 million dollars (the cost of “Eclipse”) were spent; now it is necessary to puzzle the engineers - what to hang so as to lengthen it by at least half a meter...

The yacht of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum is also valued at several hundred million dollars and is famous for its own submarine, helipad, huge glass staircase and many dining salons and swimming pools.

Authoritative person

Sheikh Mohammed enjoys well-deserved authority in his country and in the world. From the beginning of his reign (in 1995 he was solemnly proclaimed crown prince Emirate) began the economic take-off of Dubai and radically changed its appearance. In Dubai, with the assistance of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, a luxurious ski resort was built
Ski Dubai Snow Park - having the opportunity to visit other countries, Sheikh Mohammed saw real snow and, most likely, skied. Now Arab children can play snowballs and ride down the slides at any time during the year-round summer, and finally learn what skiing and skating are.

Also among the implemented grandiose projects of Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum:

Artificial palm islands - Palm Jumeirah, Palm Jebel Ali, Palm Deira.

The aquarium, considered the largest in the world (in mall Dubai Mall), filled with water, algae and various live fish.

Also considered the most expensive and luxurious in the world, the sail-shaped Burj Al Arab hotel, with a helipad at the top for hotel guests arriving by private helicopter, is trimmed in gold inside.

An international golf club, famous far beyond the borders of Dubai, and horse racing tracks were built, and in 2004 the Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC) was founded.

And much, much more...

A courageous and independent politician, Sheikh Mohammed is an example for leaders of other states in the region. He is involved not only in politics, but also in charity work, investing in the development of culture, art, and science.

In addition, the sheikh has been interested in literature almost from infancy, which, of course, characterizes him as a versatile and educated person. The work of Sheikh Mohammed as a poet is known throughout the Arab region, and beyond its borders too. Collections of poems and poems by the Sheikh have been translated into many languages; Sheikh Mohammed dedicates the most tender poems to his mother. Based on the poetry of Sheikh Mohammed in Morocco in 2008. The television series “Battle on the Sand” was filmed.

Here is an approximate translation of one of the sheikh’s poems:

No matter how many nights it falls,

The memory still lives in my chest.

There will be no better moon to rise.

Your heart sings a song.

You are no dearer, mother,

Closer, dearer, dearer,

I don’t know better in my heart

Name than yours.

You are the cradle of warmth,

Caresses, peace, dreams.

No matter how cold time gets,

The feeling for you will not go away.

You brighten my day

You are my best shadow

I immediately hasten to your canopy,

As soon as the day comes.

You are alone in my heart

When waking up from sleep

And when you go to bed,

Forever, all my life in advance.

(translation by Victor Lebedev)

However, despite his kindness and subtle soul strings, as a boss, for example, Sheikh Mohammed is very tough and organized: “…. There were cases when at 8 o’clock in the morning I personally toured my departments. If one of the heads of departments of his government was not on site, he was fired within 15 minutes” (Vladimir Bekesh, expert on the Middle East).

In 2009, the sheikh arrived in Moscow and met with Dmitry Medvedev, who then served as President, as well as Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, after which the sheikh invited Vladimir Putin to visit the United Arab Emirates. A very far-sighted and intelligent eastern sheikh...

The beautiful deeds and deeds of Sheikh of Dubai - Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, beautiful image thoughts suggest that such people are born to be the rulers of a happy and rich country. The ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed, is a man who, while prospering, does everything for his people and for his land on which he lives.

Princess Amira - consort saudi prince Al-Walid ibn Talal. She is Vice-Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Al-Waleed bin Talal Foundation, an international non-profit organization, supporting programs and projects to combat poverty, the consequences of disasters, supporting women's rights and interfaith dialogue. The princess is also on the board of trustees of Silatech, international organization on youth employment.

Princess Amira is a graduate of the University of New Haven (USA) with a degree in business administration.

She defends women's rights, incl. and the right to drive, obtain education, and obtain employment without having to seek permission from a male relative. Amira herself has international driver license and drives the car herself on all trips abroad.

Known for her impeccable dress sense, Amira is the first Saudi princess to refuse to wear the traditional abaya in public like other women in the kingdom.

2. Rania Al-Abdullah (Queen of Jordan)

Rania showed herself to be very ambitious when she was rejected for a senior position at Apple Jordan (she was 22 years old at the time), slammed the door and headed to Citibank Amman, owned by King Abdullah's sister and brother-in-law. It was in the bank office in the spring of 1993 that the girl and the prince exchanged glances for the first time. It didn't take them long to fall madly in love with each other, and the couple celebrated their wedding on June 10, 1993.

The girl received her education in foreign educational institutions: Studied at the New English School in Kuwait, then received a degree in business administration from the American University in Cairo in Egypt. She never wore a headscarf. And he is unlikely to wear it in the future.

By the way, she was born in 1970.

www.queenrania.jo is her website, where she independently responds to visitors every day.

Her Royal Highness Haya bint Al Hussein, Princess of Jordan and Sheikha of the Emirate of Dubai. Younger wife of the Emir of Dubai, loving mother 4-year-old daughter, President of the International Equestrian Federation (FEI), patroness of the World Sports Academy, UN Ambassador of Peace, charming woman, President of the Dubai Health Service.

Princess Haya bint Al Hussein was born on May 3, 1974, to King Hussein I of Jordan. Her mother, Queen Alia, tragically died in a helicopter crash in February 1977, leaving three young children orphaned.

Haya received an excellent European education: she studied in England, where she attended Badminton School for Girls in Bristol, Bryanston School in Dorset, and then St Hilda's College at the University of Oxford, from which she graduated with an honors degree in philosophy, politics and economics.

On April 10, 2004, Princess Haya married Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum. prime minister UAE, ruler of Dubai, whose fortune is estimated at $20 billion.

4. Princess Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned (Qatar)

Sheikha Moza Nasser breaks all stereotypes about eastern wives, she is the second of the three wives of the Sheikh Emir of the State of Qatar and the daughter of the famous Nasser Abdullah All-Misned.

In 1986, Sheikha entered National University Katara and after some time successfully graduated from it, receiving a specialty in Sociology.

Sheikha holds some international and Qatari posts:

• Chairman of the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development;
• President of the Supreme Council of Family Issues;
• Vice President of the Supreme Council for Education;
• UNESCO Special Envoy for Basic and Higher Education.

Besides!!! She has seven children: five sons and two daughters.

And again besides that!!! She topped Vanity Fair's "best dressed women" list for the second time.

5. Princess Akishino Mako (Japan)

On October 23, Her Imperial Highness Princess Akishino Mako, eldest granddaughter of Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko, celebrated her 20th birthday. According to Japanese law, the princess becomes an adult.

Princess Mako is currently a senior 3rd grade student high school Gakushuin for girls in Tokyo.

Princess Mako has been something of an Internet idol since 2004, when she was released in Japan school uniform in the form of a sailor suit was shown on television. An image bank was established and a video featuring Princess Mako fanart (with music by IOSYS) was uploaded to the popular video archive website Nico_Nico_Douga, attracting over 340,000 views and 86,000 comments. The Imperial Household Affairs Office, responding to a request for comment, said it was not sure how to handle the matter as it saw no evidence of slander or insults against the Imperial Family.

6. Crown Princess of Brunei - Sarah

Sarah Saleh is a commoner. Before meeting the heir, the girl studied mathematics, biology and dreamed of becoming a marine biologist. The smart and charming wife of Crown Prince Al-Muhtadi Bill and mother of Prince Abdul Muntaqim. The Crown Princess is an excellent role model for Brunei youth and is the most popular member of the Sultan of Brunei's family.

By the way, at the wedding she had a bouquet made of gold and diamonds:

7. Lalla Salma (Morocco). Princess engineer :)

She attended a private school in Rabat and then graduated from the Hassan II Lyceum with a bachelor's degree in mathematics. The girl attended for two years training courses at the Lyceum. Mulaya Yosef, and graduated in 2000 High school computer science and systems analysis, after which she interned at Morocco's largest private corporation, Omnium North Africa (in which the royal family has a 20 percent stake). Six months later, Lalla received the position of information systems engineer.

Morocco's King Mohammed VI became the first monarch in his country's history to break with long-standing tradition and publicly announce his desire to marry twenty-four-year-old Lalla Salma Bennani, a computer engineer. For centuries, Moroccan kings, including the father of the groom, King Hassan II, hid the fact of their marriage and

often even the name of his chosen one. This information was considered a state secret, and queens never played a significant role in governing the country.

From the very beginning, Lalla Salma established certain rules and, making sure that the king was ready to accept them, agreed to his advances. One of the main conditions was monogamous marriage.

Bennani, like Queen Rania of Jordan and Prince William's fiancée Kate Middleton, has quickly become a trendsetter in her country. As soon as the engagement was announced, Moroccan women began to dye their hair red.

In a survey of readers of Hola! Princess Lalla Salma took first place as "the most elegant guest at the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge" thanks to her national dress - the kaftan.

8. Princess Sirivannavari (Thailand)

Sirivannavari, the granddaughter of the current ninth king of Thailand, Bhumibol Adulyadej, appears more often than any other member of the royal family at social events and meetings high level, thereby performing representative functions immediately for all of their numerous relatives.

The main passion of the 24-year-old Thai princess is fashion design. Collections under the Princess Sirivannavari brand are now successfully traded not only in Bangkok, but also in Paris, Milan and New York.

The modest personal fortune of the heir to the throne of Thailand is almost $35 billion.

9. Princess Ashi Jetsun Pema (since October 13, 2011 Queen of Bhutan)

The new queen is the pilot's daughter civil aviation. Her mother is a distant relative of the Bhutanese royal family. The King of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuk, married a girl from a simple family, 21-year-old student Jetsun Pema.

She was educated in India and is now studying at a university in the UK. Obviously, the girl will be a diplomat, since she is getting a profession in international relations.

Sheikha Haya became the second wife of the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohamad Al Maktoum. The sheikha is of royal descent: her father is the King of Jordan. She received an excellent education at Oxford, was introduced to Sheikh Mohamad Al-Maktoum at one of the royal celebrations, and a few months later became his wife.

The sheikh has two children, she did not devote herself to motherhood and is actively involved in social work. One of her projects was a fund to combat hunger in Sheikha Haya’s native Jordan. In addition, the wife of the ruler of Dubai can often be found at the races; horses are her passion. The sheikha adheres to the European style of clothing, often attends social events and is considered one of the most beautiful women Middle East.

Popular

Queen Fatima Kulthum Zohar of Saudi Arabia

Very little is known about the queen: she was born into a very simple family, studied at Dubai International College, and then became a lawyer, graduating from King Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It is still shrouded in mystery how the poor girl managed to attract the attention of the king and become his wife, especially considering the fact that King Abdullah was married more than 30 times, but not one of the wives managed to ingratiate himself with the royal husband enough to stay alive in his chambers. Fatima succeeded. For many years nothing was heard about her at all, but then the king’s wife unexpectedly started facebook page, which is conducted in English.

Sheikha Moza Bint Nasser Al-Misned

The second wife of the former Emir of Qatar Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani and the mother of the current ruler, Sheikha Moza is not only involved in charity work, but is also an active participant in political life. The sheikh became a special envoy of UNESCO, has a number of government and international positions and even the title of Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire.

But Sheikha Moza is especially famous in the fashion world: the mother of SEVEN children, the sheikha has perfect figure and a brilliant sense of style. Paying tribute to the traditions of her country, the sheikha dresses restrainedly and modestly, but at the same time in strict accordance with world trends.

Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan

The wife of Jordan's King Abdullah bin Al-Hussein Al-Hashimi and the mother of the heir to the throne, Prince Hussein, the eldest of the couple's four children, Rania is considered the world's most famous eastern queen. She is an activist in the fight for women's rights in the Middle East, a fighter for the right of women to open their own companies and enterprises, regardless of the opinions of their father or husband. The Queen insists on a gradual change in the traditional style of clothing: Rania herself loves jeans and shirts in men's style, regularly appears in public with her head uncovered, and among couturiers she prefers Giorgio Armani. In 2008, Rania became the first Arab queen to appear in a rather revealing outfit for Eastern culture on the cover of Vanity Fair.

Queen Rania also has the rank of colonel in the Jordanian army: this rank was bestowed upon her personally... by her husband.

Amira al-Tawil, Princess of Saudi Arabia

Amir al-Tawil in Saudi Arabia called a rebel and a destroyer of the foundations of traditional society. This does not bother the princess at all: before marrying the prince, she graduated from the University of New Haven in the USA, has a degree in business administration, received an international driver's license, and personally drives her own car (unheard of audacity for Saudi Arabia). Moreover, a few years after Amira’s marriage... she divorced her husband! According to Amira herself, her husband insisted on having children as soon as possible, but she did not see herself as a mother. Evil tongues said that Amira turned out to be barren. After the divorce, Prince Al-Walid ibn Talal Al Saud never married, he often sees Amira, they remain good friends and conduct joint charitable activities. Now the princess is 33 years old, she is working on a solution wide range humanitarian problems both in Saudi Arabia and around the world. Amira heads a foundation that supports programs and projects aimed at combating poverty, disaster relief, interfaith dialogue and women's empowerment. Amira al-Tawil has visited more than 70 countries around the world, her missions are also aimed at improving the image of Saudi women. Princess Amira, along with Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, officially opened the Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Center for Islamic Studies at the University of Cambridge, where she accepted an award for outstanding charitable work from Prince Philip. Amira subsequently led a relief mission to Somalia, where she and her ex-husband supervised the distribution of the fund's funds.

Today I want to introduce you to a real patriot
of his country by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, his achievements
and plans for the future.

Sheikh Mohammed was appointed Crown Prince of Dubai on January 3, 1995 by Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum

A day later, Sheikh Mohammed, by the will of the UAE President, was nominated to the positions of Vice President and Prime Minister of the country

What is done
In August 1966, Sheikh Mohammed went to London to enroll in language school Bell in Cambridge.

Returning to Dubai after training, Sheikh Mohammed was appointed head of the Dubai Police and also head of the Dubai Defense Forces, which later became part of the UAE Armed Forces.

Emirates Airline
In March 1985, Sheikh Mohammed tasked Maurice Flanegan, then head of the Dubai National Tourism Committee, with the task of launching a new airline called Emirates Airline.

The airline's first flight took place in October 1985.

According to Flanegan, with the exception of the initial $10 million, the state did not allocate a single dirham for the development of Emirates Airline;

For reference:
Emirates Airlines
Fleet size - 213 (+295 ordered)
Destinations - 120

Aeroflot
Fleet size - 167 (251 with subsidiaries)
Destinations - 122 (232 with subsidiaries)

American Airlines
Fleet size - 964
Destinations - 273

Charity
In September 2007, Sheikh Mohammed launched the Dubai Cares campaign to raise money to pay for the education of 1 million children in poor countries.

The amount donated by the public in the first campaign in 2007 exceeded AED 1.65 billion (approximately US$450 million);

Sheikh Mohammed personally increased this amount to 3.5 billion dirhams (approximately 1 billion US dollars)

Construction
The project for an archipelago of artificial islands, one of the most interesting attractions of the UAE, has been completed.

In addition to these islands, another archipelago off the coast of the Emirates called “The World” was completed in January 2008, imitating the outlines of the continents of planet Earth.

When everything is planned for this moment Dubai islands will be built, the territory of the emirate will increase by more than 500 square kilometers

Dubai Metro
opening date
September 9, 2009
Daily passenger flow ~300,000

In the Dubai Metro, eating and drinking is prohibited both on trains and in stations. The fine for this is 100 dirhams. It is prohibited to chew gum (fine 50 dirhams), as well as sleeping, smoking, transporting animals, bicycles and alcoholic beverages.

The fine for inappropriate use of a brake valve is 2,000 dirhams (545 USD).

The Dubai Metro became the third in the Middle East.

Metro electric trains operate in a fully automatic mode without drivers, maximum speed train - 110 km/h

Burj Khalifa: the tallest land-based structure in the history of human construction
Construction: September 21, 2004 - January 4, 2010
Height: - 828 m (Ostankino TV tower - 540.1 m)
Number of floors: 163
Area inside the building: 344,000 m?

The total construction cost was 20 billion US dollars

Meydan Hippodrome
The hippodrome is the largest in the world both in terms of capacity (60 thousand people) and the length of the grass racing track (2.4 km).

The racetrack hosts horse races with the most expensive prize fund of $26.25 million.

The first place prize in 2013 was $10 million.

Meydan is one of the longest buildings in the world, the length of the stands is 1.7 kilometers. Also on the territory of the hippodrome there is one of the largest LED screens in the world measuring 110 by 10 meters.

IN United Arab Emirates There is a ban on betting on horse racing. Prize funds are formed from money allocated by the UAE emirs, competition sponsors and received from ticket sales.

Personal life
Sheikh Mohammed married his eldest wife, Sheikha Hind bint Maktoum bin Youma Al Maktoum in 1979.

Among his younger wives, the most famous is Princess Haya bint al-Hussein, daughter of King Hussein and stepsister King Abdullah II - respectively the previous and current kings of Jordan, whom he married on April 10, 2004.

In 2007, Princess Haya gave birth to a girl, Al Jalil, to Sheikh Mohammed, and a son, Zayed, in January 2012.

Sheikh has 9 sons and 14 daughters.

Personal condition
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum's personal wealth as of 2016 is estimated at more than $4 billion.

Sports interests
Sheikh Mohammed is a significant figure in world equestrian sport, a major horse breeder and equestrian athlete.

In 2012, at the age of 63, Sheikh Mohammed became the winner of the World Endurance Equestrian Race, covering the 160 km race course, beating 152 competitors from 38 countries and reaching the finish line seven hours after the start of the race.

Sheikh Mohammed also won gold in the individual endurance event at the 15th Asian Games in 2006.

Sheikh is very popular in Dubai, local residents appreciate his efforts.
The number of posters with images of the Sheikh is not inferior to Ilyich in his best years.

What will be tomorrow?
Expo 2020 is a world exhibition that will be held in Dubai (UAE). The location of the exhibition was determined as a result of voting on general assembly Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) on November 27, 2013 in Paris. The exhibition will be held from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021 in Dubai, UAE

By 2020 Dubai will look like this:

“I have no idea who invented the word - impossible, but this person definitely wants an easy life” © Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Now let’s remember the phrase of our rulers.... the one that puts everyone in a good mood :)))))

But what about the oil needle?
From the photographs below it is not difficult to guess where the petrodollars were spent.

Upon marriage, UAE citizens are provided with cottages and land plots free of charge.

70,000 dirhams is a government subsidy received by Emirati citizens getting married.

10,200 dirhams ($2,780) is the minimum basic pension for a UAE resident.

The pension of a UAE resident increases by 2% every year of work after reaching 20 years of service.

They also have 2 pensions - the widow or other heir receives hers and the deceased husband’s.

To the skeptics:

Dubai - is not at all worried about the collapse in prices for black gold, the local currency has not fallen against the dollar, and the authorities are not even thinking about cutting the budget. Why? Exactly 20 years ago, 83% of the income of the “oasis in the desert” came from the sale of oil, but now their share in GDP... is only 6% for Dubai and 29% for the UAE as a whole.

Behind last years The Emirates spent $35 billion to get rid of oil dependence.

For comparison: Russia receives about half of all earnings from energy exports

The green rate in the Emirates has not changed for 20 years

Now Dubai is one of the main tourist destinations in the world. Last year, according to the latest data, the tiny emirate was visited by 20 million people - the same number as Russia with our huge number of attractions.

Morality...
Here is the success story of a man with capital letters, who turned his people from Bedouins into rich people, I think that the rulers of Mother Russia need to take an example from such a person who personifies a real example that if you want, you can live a little better.

P.S. Don't judge the first post too harshly :)