In his book My Story, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, chapters talk about his father, the late Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, may God rest his soul, the builder of modern Dubai, and the lessons he learned from him. "The experience of Sheikh Rashid touched the hearts of all, and the imprint he left in every corner and corner of Dubai, which he oversaw, will remain in the memory of his country and people forever."

There are many reminder stations, and the son's stops with his father do not end, and the restoration of wholesale positions, so that His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, paints a full picture of the late Sheikh Rashid, as if the features (first teacher) engraved in the conscience of the son who calls the characteristics of the father in all Details: «It was superlative; wrinkles are characterized by the features of the frequent smiling, while the lines surrounding his eyes added prestige and seriousness on his face. His voice was calm, warm and close to the soul. However, when everyone started talking, there was silence.

Under the title: “My father taught me when I was young”, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, recalled the long and memorable days accompanied by his father: «From the first moments I do not forget with him when he was with me on his horses in his morning tours. My father, horses and Dubai are my first memories of my childhood; my father, horses and Dubai are my memories that will stay with me until the end. Al-Khail gathers pride, affection, tenderness and strength at the same time, as well as my father, as well as Dubai.

The first teacher

Not only did the father send his son to school to learn to read and write, but he was keen to follow him to another more extensive school, the school of life, where Sheikh Rashid was keen to attend his son boards, tours and trips, at the age between the fourth and eighth, as he learned a lot about the desert “Between 4 and 8, my father taught me how to trace or read the sand as if you were browsing a book. He showed me the traces of camels, and says: Every Bedouin can distinguish his camel from the footprints, even if the number in the hundreds! ».

Many lessons were learned by the son in the father's first school, from taming the falcons, through shooting and hunting, to the signs of heaven, how to read the compass of the sky: the stars, how to live among the deserts of the desert, as well as how to live in the city among humans.

“Endless Lessons” acquired by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, from his father, who was a 'school', a teacher, a ruler, and a father to all. His day begins with Fajr prayer, and from this I learned this lesson, and I still wake up to the day begins with Fajr prayer ».

“I learned from Rashid from a young age that the leader is the most active and capable person to carry out projects efficiently. I learned from Rashid that every dirham in Dubai has great value and is only spent in the right place. The culture of governance established by Rashid bin Saeed is a culture of cashing wisely and avoiding government wastefulness, whatever its form. One of the most important secrets of Dubai's superiority is the values ​​laid down by Sheikh Rashid in the system of government. Indeed, good governance has the goodness of the country and the people. ”

3 lessons

In a pause titled “Three Lessons at the Beginning of Rashid's Rule,” the creator of “My Story” says of his father: “All his focus, energy and time were on projects and the economy, and he avoided anything that could drag our country into the quagmires of politics. I adopted this philosophy and this advice about conviction, faith and experience throughout my long career. ”

The voice of Sheikh Rashid, who remains always loud, pays his son early to master the English language, attend a high-end military academy, and develop his skills in everything.

His Highness recalled an early foreign visit, accompanied by his father, Sheikh Rashid, to «Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Shah of Iran, or as he later called the Emperor, or King of Kings (Shahenshah) and his throne is the throne of the peacock». After attending the legendary ceremony, organized by the Shah to mark the 2,500th anniversary of the establishment of the Persian Empire, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum compares, as he recounted in “My Story,” between two modes of government and two lifestyles, depicting the biography of a humble ruler, simply sitting Among his people, as if an ordinary individual among them, follow-up their affairs, and is keen to follow up every small and large: «I saw a glimpse of the style of the King of Kings, and away from his life and huge palaces from the general public, and I was watching my father start his day early in the morning tour with people, and follow Projects by himself with workers and engineers, and received by the public He set up a modest office for himself at the Dubai Creek customs point, overlooking the pier of the harbor, so that he could see activity outside, and was so modest in his behavior, that visitors at the office thought he was just an employee. Even the architects of the projects called it (foreman) (workers' observer) because of his frequent hesitation on them, and his daily follow-up of their work and conditions. "There is a stark contrast in both lives."

And complements the owner of my story: «I never imagined Sheikh Rashid sitting on the throne of a peacock and put a crown on his head, because it is far from it, which is closer to instinct and simplicity, and closer to the people».

goodbye moment

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum recounts the most difficult moments, those in which the late Sheikh Rashid said goodbye, and recalled the previous days before signs of fatigue and exhaustion appeared on a ruler `` His life was a work, activity and a permanent movement; he negotiates, discusses and follows up. ''

He recalls: “In 1990, he turned 78 years old, and despite the manifestations of debility that seemed to him, he was present minded, strong-minded, overcome his words of wisdom, and his views the depth of the idea. He was most pleased in his last days to sit in one of the balconies of Zabeel Palace to look out over Dubai, see his rising city he built in his race, and engineered his thought, and sacrificed for his days and nights ».

Hourly and today, the loyal son sets the date of the father's departure, because it is an unforgettable moment: «At 10 pm on the seventh Sunday, October 7, 1990, Rashid surrendered the spirit to Bari, and left the world quietly and peacefully».

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum takes a sincere solace in the eyes of those who loved the late Sheikh Rashid when he saw tears in the eyes of simple workers, adding: “I realized that Rashid's experience touched everyone's hearts, and that his presence and morning tours were not only on projects, Even with the simple, and that his mark left in every stone and corner in Dubai, which he oversaw the construction of himself will remain in the memory of his country and his people forever ».

"I would never have imagined Sheikh Rashid sitting on the throne of a peacock and putting a crown on his head, because it is far from it, which is closer to instinct and simplicity."

"The imprint Rashid has left in every stone and corner in Dubai, which he oversaw its construction, will remain in the memory of his country and his people forever."