Francois Nel/Getty Images
- Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum took Dubai from a post-colonial backwater to the global financial powerhouse it is today.
- Mohammed was present in 1971 when the British relinquished the seven Emirates after 150 years of colonial rule. Today he’s Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, and Emir of Dubai.
- His personal life has been scrutinized after the escape and capture of daughter Princess Latifa, who said she had fled abuse at his hands.
- In June, Mohammed’s sixth wife, Princess Haya, fled Dubai for London, reportedly after learning the truth about Princess Latifa’s escape.
- Here’s Sheikh Mohammed’s story.
- Visit Insider’s homepage for more stories.
In 1971, a 22-year-old Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum — royal but not yet a ruler — witnessed the return of sovereignty to Dubai at the end of British rule.
48 years later, he is the most powerful man in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). He is the vice president and prime minister of the UAE, and also ruler of Dubai, one of the world’s most prosperous and advanced cities.
But Sheikh Mohammed’s personal conduct was called into question after the escape of his daughter, Princess Latifa, in March 2018, and then of his sixth wife, Princess Haya, in June 2019.
Here’s how he took Dubai from a fishing village to a playground for the world’s super rich, and also why three woman have fled his royal household in dramatic style.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum was born on July 15, 1949.
Reuters
Source: The Government of Dubai
He is the third son of Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed al-Maktoum, Dubai’s ruler from 1958 until his death in 1990.
AP
His mother was Sheikha Latifa bint Hamdan al-Nahyan, daughter of the former ruler of neighboring Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Hamdan.
Source: Sheikh Mohammed
Mohammed was schooled in Dubai, attending al-Ahmedia School until the age of 10, whereupon he moved to al-Shaab. He finished the last of his schooling at Dubai Secondary School.
Ministry of Culture
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Source: Business Insider – feedback@businessinsider.com (Bill Bostock)