Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, has led the emirate's transformation into a global city. Photo: UAE Presidential Court
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, has led the emirate's transformation into a global city. Photo: UAE Presidential Court
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, has led the emirate's transformation into a global city. Photo: UAE Presidential Court
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, has led the emirate's transformation into a global city. Photo: UAE Presidential Court

Sheikh Mohammed praises wife Sheikha Hind as 'greatest supporter' as he marks 19 years as Ruler of Dubai


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Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, on Friday dedicated the coming 19th anniversary of his accession to his wife, who he hailed as his "greatest supporter" and "foundation of his family".

He became Ruler of Dubai on January 4, 2006, following the death of his brother Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid. Dubai has grown into a global hub for tourism, finance, commerce and advanced technology in the years since.

Sheikh Mohammed thanked Sheikha Hind bint Maktoum for being at his side during a remarkable chapter in his life and career. He described his wife as the "spirit of Dubai" and "mother of Sheikhs" in an uplifting message on social media platform, X.

"I would like to dedicate the fourth of January this year to my wife, Sheikha Hind bint Maktoum, my companion, my support and my backer in this life," Sheikh Mohammed wrote.

"Sheikha Hind is one of the most compassionate, generous and charitable people. She is the pillar of my home, the foundation of my family and my greatest supporter throughout my career.

"I call on everyone to be loyal to those who deserve loyalty. Loyalty to our companion on the path and our support in this life."

Nineteen years of progress

Dubai's transformation into a global city happened under Sheikh Mohammed's watch. Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building, opened in 2010. Other major projects such as Dubai Marina, Dubai Metro and shopping centres such as Dubai Mall and Mall of the Emirates elevated Dubai even more.

More recently, Sheikh Mohammed was pivotal to Dubai's recovery as the UAE as a whole bounced back from Covid-19 faster than most countries, and also oversaw the safe and successful staging of Expo 2020 Dubai, which attracted people from around the globe.

From the small town Sheikh Mohammed was born in, Dubai's population now stands at more than 3.8 million today, with a recent boom showing no signs of slowing down.

Sheikha Hind's leadership role

Sheikha Hind has herself played a significant role in the rise of Dubai and has sought to champion humanitarian values over the years.

In October 2020, she was honoured by the UN for leading a charitable initiative that delivered millions of meals to people in need during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The UAE's "10 million meals' campaign" – which operated throughout Ramadan – exceeded its own lofty target by providing 15.3 million meals and food parcels to low-income families and those hardest hit by the outbreak.

Sheikha Hind was named Humanitarian of the Year 2020 at the Arab Woman Awards UAE for her efforts in leading the community-spirited project.

She has led the UAE Food Bank since it was established in 2017, a body that co-ordinates the distribution of surplus food from restaurants, the hospitality sector and other outlets to those less fortunate.

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Cryptojacking: Compromises a device or network to mine cryptocurrencies without an organisation's knowledge.

Distributed denial-of-service: Floods systems, servers or networks with information, effectively blocking them.

Man-in-the-middle attack: Intercepts two-way communication to obtain information, spy on participants or alter the outcome.

Malware: Installs itself in a network when a user clicks on a compromised link or email attachment.

Phishing: Aims to secure personal information, such as passwords and credit card numbers.

Ransomware: Encrypts user data, denying access and demands a payment to decrypt it.

Spyware: Collects information without the user's knowledge, which is then passed on to bad actors.

Trojans: Create a backdoor into systems, which becomes a point of entry for an attack.

Viruses: Infect applications in a system and replicate themselves as they go, just like their biological counterparts.

Worms: Send copies of themselves to other users or contacts. They don't attack the system, but they overload it.

Zero-day exploit: Exploits a vulnerability in software before a fix is found.

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The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.


- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law 

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Bio

Age: 25

Town: Al Diqdaqah – Ras Al Khaimah

Education: Bachelors degree in mechanical engineering

Favourite colour: White

Favourite place in the UAE: Downtown Dubai

Favourite book: A Life in Administration by Ghazi Al Gosaibi.

First owned baking book: How to Be a Domestic Goddess by Nigella Lawson.

UK's plans to cut net migration

Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.

Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.

But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.

Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.

Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.

The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.

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Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk 

Stars:  Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun

Rating: 4.5/5

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Power: 435hp at 5,900rpm

Torque: 520Nm at 1,800-5,500rpm

Transmission: 9-speed auto

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4,872 matches 

1,942 teams

116 pitches

76 nations

26 UAE teams

15 Lebanese teams

2 Kuwaiti teams

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GAC GS8 Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

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Starring: Bdoor Mohammad, Jasem Alkharraz, Iman Tarik, Sarah Taibah

Director: Majid Al Ansari

Rating: 4/5

Meydan racecard:

6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 (PA) Group 1 | US$75,000 (Dirt) | 2,200 metres

7.05pm: UAE 1000 Guineas (TB) Listed | $250,000 (D) 1,600m

7.40pm: Meydan Classic Trial (TB) Conditions $100,000 (Turf) 1,400m

8.15pm: Al Shindagha Sprint (TB) Group 3 $200,000 (D) 1,200m

8.50pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (D) 1,600m

9.25pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) | 2,000m

10pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,600m

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Friday Valladolid v Osasuna (Kick-off midnight UAE)

Saturday Valencia v Athletic Bilbao (5pm), Getafe v Sevilla (7.15pm), Huesca v Alaves (9.30pm), Real Madrid v Atletico Madrid (midnight)

Sunday Real Sociedad v Eibar (5pm), Real Betis v Villarreal (7.15pm), Elche v Granada (9.30pm), Barcelona v Levante (midnight)

Monday Celta Vigo v Cadiz (midnight)

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Updated: January 03, 2025, 12:18 PM