On the ocassion of the Accession Day of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed we look back at the path of excellence he has taken to lead the nation

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum presented Sheikh Khalifa with the first copy of his new book.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai, marks the fifth anniversary of his accession on Tuesday.

On Januray 4, 2006, Sheikh Mohammed took over as the Rule rof Dubai when his brother the late Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum passed away.

On January 5, 2006, the Members of the Supreme Council elected Sheikh Mohammed as the Vice-President of the UAE.

President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan nominated him as the Prime Minister and asked him to form the new cabinet. On February 9, Sheikh Khalifa approved the Cabinet proposed and headed by Sheikh Mohammed.

Childhood and education

Sheikh Mohammed was born in 1949. He is the third of Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum’s four sons. Sheikh Maktoum, Sheikh Hamdan and Sheikh Ahmed are his brothers. Sheikh Mohammed enjoyed a happy and carefree early
childhood in the Al Maktoum family’s Al Shindagha home.

From an early age he was taught hunting, especially the noble Arabian sport of falconry. The Maktoum brothers were also taught the rudiments of horsemanship by their father.

From the age of four, he was privately tutored in Arabic and Islamic Studies. In 1955, he began his formal education at Al Ahmedia School, a small primary school in Deira.

In August 1966, Sheikh Mohammed flew to London accompanied by his cousin, Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum. They enrolled in the Bell School of Languages, in Cambridge, one of Europe’s best-regarded language schools.

Sheikh Mohammed attended Mons Officer Cadet School, in Aldershot, about 40 miles from London in the south of England. During the latter stages of the six-month course, he was promoted to Senior Under Officer of Kohema and was later awarded the Sword of Honour for achieving the highest mark of any Foreign and Commonwealth officer cadet in his intake.

His first position

On November 1, 1968, the late Sheikh Rashid appointed Sheikh Mohammed as Head of Dubai Police and Public Security, which was his first public position. After the declaration of the UAE Federation on December 2, 1971, Sheikh Maktoum, the new Prime Minister, appointed his brother Sheikh Mohammed as Minister of Defence and awarded him the rank of General. He was then the youngest Minister of Defence in the world. Sheikh Rashid relied heavily upon his sons as he sought to transform Dubai, and Sheikh Mohammed took on much responsibility.

Key acheivments and directives

Sheikh Mohammed embodies energetic and successful leadership. He is a man who has made promises and kept them; he has insisted on excellence and achieved nothing less; he has defined the role of leadership and fulfilled it.

Thanks to his vision, Sheikh Mohammed has competently authored the Dubai success story in record time and put the UAE on a unique path, which nations around the world compete to replicate.

Sheikh Mohammed has come up with several directives and laws aimed at providing a decent living to the nationals and residents in this country.

He turned his attention to people, inspecting projects and following up people’s concerns across the UAE. He inspected progress in all emirates, met residents and ordered changes that needed to be carried out. He undertook groundbreaking initiatives at an astonishing pace.

The past few years witnessed unique achievements for Sheikh Mohammed both locally and regionally.

With Dubai residents complaining of high rents, on January 1, 2007, Sheikh Mohammed ordered a seven per cent cap on rent increases. This decree followed an earlier one that set the cap at 15 per cent.

In Feburary 2007, he announced the Dubai Strategic Plan 2015, which aims to bolster Dubai’s leading position in the region and boost its role as an international economic and financial hub. The strategy will be used as a road map for development in the coming years.

On April 17, 2007, Sheikh Mohammed unveiled the UAE Government Strategy Plan with the aim of achieving sustainable development throughout the country, investing federal resources more efficiently and ensuring due diligence, accountability and transparency across federal bodies.

Regionally, his most outstanding achievement was the launch of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation, on May 19, 2007, with an endowment of $10 billion. The foundation’s aim is to promote human development by investing in education and the development of knowledge in the region by cultivating future leaders in both the private and public sectors, promoting scientific research, spreading knowledge, encouraging business leadership, empowering youth, renewing the concept of culture, preserving heritage and promoting platforms of understanding among various cultures.

Sheikh Mohammed launched Dubai Cares on September 20, 2007. The campaign, which raised an unprecedented Dh3.4 billion in its first two months, has become one of the biggest international humanitarian movements to focus on fighting poverty, spreading knowledge and providing education for children in the world’s poorest countries.

On September 3, 2008, Sheikh Mohammed unveiled the Noor Dubai initiative aiming to deliver preventative eye care to over one million people in developing countries. This move is part of a drive towards a world free from curable forms of blindness.

With the number of traffic deaths in Dubai rising, Sheikh Mohammed called for tough measures against reckless drivers.

To ensure the rights of expatriate workers, he ordered the setting up of a special labour court. He also ordered a series of organisational measures to regulate the affairs of the foreign workforce in the country.

Sheikh Mohammad also stressed the vital need to develop education. He issued a law setting up the Dubai Foundation for Women’s Development, which was tasked with developing and utilising the potential and capabilities of UAE women.

In another move, Sheikh Mohammed urged the Electoral College to participate actively in the first elections of the Federal National
Council, which have been described as a resounding success.

In an effort to encourage innovation, Sheikh Mohammed has announced a wide array of awards both in Dubai and the UAE, including the Arab Journalism Awards, the Dubai Government Excellence Programme, the Dubai Holy Quran Awards and the Young Business Leaders Awards. These awards have promoted a competitive climate for both the public and private sectors to strive for excellence.

Sheikh Mohammed also issued a directive mandating builders and developers in Dubai to comply with green building standards to ensure a healthy and environment-friendly city.

The past few years have witnessed significant progress in economic and social development: e-government was introduced; Dubai Metro was inaugurated and a significant number of investment companies were established.

These companies have formed global partnerships in the fields of industry, commerce, tourism and ports and real estate management.

A host of other cultural projects were also launched, including the Muhammad the Messenger Museum, the Universal Museums project and the Mohammed bin Rashid Gardens.

Sheikh Mohammed set out his comprehensive world view in his book ‘My Vision’, where he describes his philosophy and his political and economic vision.

He also offers a detailed account of how Dubai and the UAE have been guided to their present-day status as international centres, renowned for their high quality commercial and financial services, luxury tourism and their drive towards sustainable human and structural development.

Through generosity and dedication, Sheikh Mohammed has achieved notable success while shouldering the great responsibility of leading Dubai and the Federal Government.

At 73% of the total area, green space dominates Dubai’s biggest parks project, Mohammed Bin Rashid Gardens. Michele Howe takes a closer look.

Just when it seemed as though Dubai couldn’t possibly contain any more mega developments, along came the announcement of Mohammed Bin Rashid Gardens.

Under development by Dubai Properties, part of Dubai Holding, Mohammed Bin Rashid Gardens is a US$54.4 billion parks project that will stretch over a massive 82 square kilometres.

Located between Al Khail Road and Emirates Road, the project is a significant one for outdoor design: almost three quarters of the total area – roughly 60 square kilometers – will be dedicated to green space.

The starting point for the planning of the development was looking back to the Arab renaissance in the 12th century, explains Eric Kuhne, principal of UK-based design firm CivicArts Eric R Kuhne & Associates, architects and masterplanners for the project.

The idea, developed in line with Sheikh Mohammed’s 2015 Strategic Plan for Dubai, was to build “a city for roughly a quarter of a million people, that would create parks and gardens, waterways, educational institutions, cultural facilities and establish a new city based on Arabian urban design principles, not European and North American principles,” he says.

“Everything that is going on in the Middle East is the same old drivel that is pushed out by the West in terms of planning strategies and they miss on the key part, which is the molecule of the Middle East is the family not the individual, and the strength of the family requires a completely different type of physical pattern than when you are developing towards individuals,” he adds.

The development has four city centres called houses: The House of Nature, which will include parks, flower gardens, and a zoo; The House of Wisdom, which will have a library, universities and a mosque; The House of Humanity, which will house the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Humanitarian and Charity Establishment; and The House of Commerce, which will include banks, financial services firms and insurance companies.

The design follows the intricate geometry of Arabian art and science, using parks and gardens to divide the city into a network of sustainable neighbourhoods. The greenery is offset by a series of canals and lakes.

“The Mohammed Bin Rashid Gardens offer a culturally resonant alternative to the sterile Western-style street grids that currently dominate the Middle East. They replace those rigid, rectilinear lines with the sweeping arcs and circles of the planispheric astrolabe,” says Kuhne in a description of the project.

Understanding the heritage of a culture is essential, says Kuhne. “Modernism threw the baby out with the bath water. They said everything that is old is out and we’re going to stuff that’s new.

As a result, you get cities that have been robbed of their storytelling quality. Architecture has been reduced down to a geometric exercise in structural exhibitionism and it is awful, and it has erased the identity of civilizations all over the planet, and the only thing it looks good in is the portfolios of the architects,” he states.

Kuhne describes the design for the project as an “enlightened model of urban planning [that] will help reverse the Gulf’s existing commuter culture that has eroded both communities and the environment”.

Walkability was central to the design, says Kuhne, with the project scaled to pedestrian use. “The 500 metre walking distance that cities have been planned on European models around the world for a century is out of date,” he says.

“The walking distance that we use to put our city centres together and our neighborhoods and our villages is 300 metres.

If you want to design a city for young individuals, then you stay with the antiquated 500 metre walking distance but if you want to design a community for a family or group of friends that are walking together, interacting with each other, then you have to cut that distance in half to 250 metres to 300 metres and as soon as you change that distance from 500 metres to 250 metres, the physical dimensions of cities change instantly because you have to push primary services closer to where people live,” he notes.

Dubai has embarked upon a massive green initiative, costing about Dh.200bn, spreading across 880mn square feet of land, aimed towards preserving and protecting the environment.

The Vice-President and Prime Minister of UAE, and Ruler of Dubai, H.H. Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, launched the project, named ‘The Mohammad Bin Rashid Gardens Project’ on Friday.

The project comprises four clusters with 73 percent greenery, implemented by Dubai Properties, a member of Dubai Holding.

A model of the project has already been shown to Shaikh Mohammad during the launch on Friday.

The event saw the participation of Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum – the Dubai Crown Prince, Shaikh Maktoum Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum -Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Mohammad Abdullah Al Gergawi – Cabinet Affairs Minister, and Lt. Gen. Mussabah Rashid Al Fattan – Head of Shaikh Mohammad’s office.

The CEO of Dubai Holding, Al Gergawi, said the project, with its green environment-friendly buildings, restricts power usage and protects against wastage of natural resources, aiming to meet Shaikh Mohammad’s concern over health and welfare of future generations.

The Project is divided into four sections – the ‘House of Wisdom’ which includes translation houses, Knowledge Gardens, international universities, international organizations, history and science colleges, and Shaikh Mohammad’s Mosque.

Secondly the ‘House of Humanity’ will include the House of Giving, Museum of Light, Mohammad Bin Rashid Humanitarian and Charity Establishment, Human Civilization Museum and charities.

Thirdly, ‘House of Nature’ project will be the main cluster of the project, which includes international themed gardens, hotels, recreational clubs, a huge zoo, flower gardens, apart from alternative medical and herbal clinics.

Finally, ‘House of Commerce‘ will comprise higher educational institutes in Banking and Finance, Insurance Companies, Large International Company’s branches and Islamic and International Banks.

Dubai: Dubai has launched a massive green initiative costing Dh200 billion and covering 880 million square feet to help conserve and protect the environment.

His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, launched the project on Friday.

The Mohammad Bin Rashid Gardens project, comprising four clusters and 73 per cent greenery, will be implemented by Dubai Properties, a member of Dubai Holding.

Shaikh Mohammad viewed a model of the project and watched a presentation of the project’s components during the launch on Friday.

The presentation was attended by Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai; Shaikh Maktoum Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai; Mohammad Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs, and Lieutenant General Mussabah Rashid Al Fattan, Head of Shaikh Mohammad’s office.

Al Gergawi, who is also CEO of Dubai Holding, said the project is in line with Shaikh Mohammad’s concern over the health and welfare of future generations.

“The idea of the project was embodied in Shaikh Mohammad’s decision to establish green buildings that are environment friendly, restrict the usage of power and protect natural resources from being wasted,” he said.

Four sections

Al Gergawi said the project consists of four sections: the House of Wisdom, which will include translation houses, a library, knowledge gardens, international organisations, international universities, history and science colleges, and Shaikh Mohammad’s Mosque.

The second is the House of Humanity which will include the House of Giving, Mohammad Bin Rashid Humanitarian and Charity Establishment, Museum of Light, Human Civilisation Museum and charities.

The House of Nature will be the project’s main cluster, which will include international-themed gardens, environmental labs, hotels, recreational clubs, a huge zoo, flower gardens and alternative medical and herbal clinics.

The House of Commerce will include higher education institutes in banking and finance, insurance companies, large international company’s branches, and Islamic and international banks.

HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai, and Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE, has unveiled ambitious plans for an entire city to be built in the desert.

Master Plan for a spectacular new city unveiled in Dubai.

Respectful of the region’s cultural heritage in both scale and form, this new metropolis has been specifically designed to meet the needs of the modern Arab world.

Extending over 800 million square feet, the project incorporates new homes, outstanding educational, financial and commercial facilities, iconic civic buildings and tourist landmarks. Threading them together is more landscaped parkland than can be found in London and New York combined.

Mohammed Bin Rashid Gardens

Set to become one of the world’s most spectacular urban developments, the Mohammed Bin Rashid Gardens will cost over $60bn to construct.

Dubai Properties will shortly begin work on the scheme, designed by the internationally renowned architect, Eric Kuhne of London-based CivicArts.

“His Highness Sheikh Mohammed should be applauded for his commitment to creating a new Dubai which will redefine the quality of civic life for all the citizens and guests of the Arabian Gulf. His vision can be compared to that of Shah Abbas I who created Nisf-e-Jahan; the elegant 16th century capital of Persia whose parks, gardens and libraries reflected the heavens,” says Eric Kuhne.

Arranged around the city are four centers, or ‘houses’ that will host world-class facilities in their respective fields:

The House of Humanity

Includes quarters for charitable organizations, including Sheik Mohammed’s own Humanitarian Establishment, along with museums encompassing the themes of human civilization.

The House of Commerce

The towers and office blocks of The House of Commerce will be occupied by large multi-national companies, insurance firms and both Islamic and international banks; all working in partnership with educational institutions specializing in financial sciences.

The House of Wisdom

Includes translation facilities, a grand library, knowledge garden, international universities, colleges of history and science and a mosque, together with offices for a number of international academic organizations.

The House of Nature

Is dedicated to the environment with family parks, zoological gardens, hotels, alternative medical and herbal clinics and premises for laboratories, institutions and colleges all specializing in conservation and the natural sciences.

The Mohammed bin Rashid Gardens, an ambitious AED 200bn parks project launched by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has received wide acclaimed across the UAE on account of the balance it promises to strike  between ecological integrity and real estate necessity.

Mohammed Bin Rashid Gardens

The launch of this mega project directly follows the signing off of the finalization of the first phase of implementation of the Dubai Green Buildings mandate, which is expected to cut water consumption in Dubai by 40%.

Commenting on the Gardens Project, Dr Abdullah Al Amiri, Chairman of the Emirates Energy Awards, organized by the Dubai Quality Group, said, “The UAE has alway blazed a bright trail in maintaining ecological integrity, in keeping with the directives of HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.”

“Such initiatives conform to the global tendency towards preserving the environment, developing alternative energy resources and forestalling the eruption of wars, famines, droughts and other natural disasters that may result from the current climate change.”
“The Emirates Energy Awards, organized by Dubai Quality Group, plays an eminent role in enhancing ecological awareness among the people of the UAE. We are still receiving applications for the UAE Student Drawing Competition on Energy Efficiency, which was launched in cooperation with the UAE’s Ministry of Education”.

“The Gardens Projects serves to provide us with more stimuli to forge ahead with our national project, tailored to provide a balance between urban necessity and environmental integrity.”

He said that the winners of the drawing competition will be honoured at a ceremony to be organized in November 2008 under the auspices of HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai.

According to well-informed sources, the first steps of the Mohamed bin Rashid Gardens Project will hopefully be finalized within 6 months
The project focusses on increasing green areas, which will reach 73% of the total project area of 880 million ft², with a total cost of AED 200bn.

It will consist of four houses. The first, the “House of Wisdom”, will include translation houses, a central library, knowledge gardens, international organizations’ quarters, international universities, history and science colleges, a mosque and Sheikh Mohammad’s masjid.
The second is the “House of Humanity”, and will include buildings and quarters for the House of Giving for charity, Sheikh Mohammad’s Humanitarian and Charity Establishment, Unicef, the museum of light, the human civilization museum and charity foundations.

The “House of Nature” is one of the project’s main houses, which includes family parks, themed gardens, scientific labs that specialise in environmental issues, institutes, and colleges that specialise in the natural sciences, hotels, recreational clubs, an enormous zoo, flower gardens and alternative medical and herbal clinics.

The project’s fourth and final house, the House of Commerce, will include buildings, towers, trademark agents, higher education institutions in banking and the financial sciences, insurance companies, branches of large international companies and Islamic and international banks.