Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, is celebrating his 74th birthday this week.
Born on July 15, 1949, Sheikh Mohammed grew up in the Al Maktoum family home in Dubai’s Al Shindagha area. The house was modest by today’s standards and had limited electricity. The family often slept in one room, sharing a fan.
This was in a Dubai before the oil boom. It is difficult to imagine it now, without its high-rise landscape and reputation, but in this edition of Timeframe we try to explore the emirate as it was before Sheikh Mohammed became Ruler of Dubai.
When Sheikh Mohammed was born, Dubai was still reeling from the crash of the pearling business, when Japan began producing cultured pearls.
An oil exploration contract signed in 1937 guaranteed royalty payments to Dubai, but the emirate was still almost three decades from the first oil find because the project was delayed by the Second World War.
During this time, notable members of the community would meet at the daily majlis of Sheikh Mohammed’s grandfather, Sheikh Saeed, who was Ruler of Dubai. Sheikh Mohammed, who famously had a close relationship with his grandfather, would often be sitting at his side. The majlis provided key insights on governance, especially during trying times, and served as a foundation to the future ruler’s education.
He began studying Arabic and Islamic studies when he was four, and began his primary education in 1955 at Al Ahmadiya School in Deira. Founded in 1912, the school was restored in the mid-1990s and now functions as a museum. Classrooms are accessible and feature the old desks and chairs where many Emiratis, including Sheikh Mohammed, studied in the early to mid-20th century.
Sheikh Mohammed also learnt falconry and hunting from an early age, as well as horsemanship, which he continues to support through the Dubai World Cup and the Al Maktoum family stable Godolphin.
Sheikh Mohammed continued his education in Dubai, first at Al Shaab School and then Dubai Secondary School, where he was in the graduating class of 1964-1965. By then, Dubai had already began its transformation. It had become a bustling centre in the gold trade. The Dubai Creek, which had long been the lifeline and centrifuge of Dubai’s economy now had a bridge crossing it. The runway of Dubai Airport would be built in 1965, and within a year, oil was discovered offshore. This field was named Fateh, or good fortune. The city's population would grow exponentially within a decade. A new terminal building would open to greet travellers in 1970.
With oil revenue being dependable from then onwards, Sheikh Rashid began developing Dubai’s infrastructure. One of his first major projects was the establishment of Mina Rashid, or Port Rashid. It would signal the beginning of a trade infrastructure that encompassed roads, bridges, schools and hospitals.
Sheikh Mohammed assumed his first public position upon returning to Dubai after his studies in the UK in 1968. He was appointed as Head of Dubai Police and Public Security. He also became Minister of Defence, becoming the youngest in the world to assume the position. He still holds the role to this day.
That same year, the UAE Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and Sheikh Rashid met in a desert camp to discuss the establishment of a federation between Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Sheikh Mohammed accompanied his father during the meeting, which would become the stepping stone to the formation of the UAE in 1971.
In 1977, Sheikh Rashid formed a committee to oversee Dubai Airport. Sheikh Mohammed headed the committee, beginning Dubai’s transformation into a tourist destination and aviation centre.
UAE%20medallists%20at%20Asian%20Games%202023
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Things Heard & Seen
Directed by: Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini
Starring: Amanda Seyfried, James Norton
2/5
Hunger and Fury: The Crisis of Democracy in the Balkans
Jasmin Mujanović, Hurst Publishers
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
EPL's youngest
- Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal)
15 years, 181 days old
- Max Dowman (Arsenal)
15 years, 235 days old
- Jeremy Monga (Leicester)
15 years, 271 days old
- Harvey Elliott (Fulham)
16 years, 30 days old
- Matthew Briggs (Fulham)
16 years, 68 days old
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill
Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The cost of Covid testing around the world
Egypt
Dh514 for citizens; Dh865 for tourists
Information can be found through VFS Global.
Jordan
Dh212
Centres include the Speciality Hospital, which now offers drive-through testing.
Cambodia
Dh478
Travel tests are managed by the Ministry of Health and National Institute of Public Health.
Zanzibar
AED 295
Zanzibar Public Health Emergency Operations Centre, located within the Lumumba Secondary School compound.
Abu Dhabi
Dh85
Abu Dhabi’s Seha has test centres throughout the UAE.
UK
From Dh400
Heathrow Airport now offers drive through and clinic-based testing, starting from Dh400 and up to Dh500 for the PCR test.
Arabian Gulf League fixtures:
Friday:
- Emirates v Hatta, 5.15pm
- Al Wahda v Al Dhafra, 5.25pm
- Al Ain v Shabab Al Ahli Dubai, 8.15pm
Saturday:
- Dibba v Ajman, 5.15pm
- Sharjah v Al Wasl, 5.20pm
- Al Jazira v Al Nasr, 8.15pm
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New schools in Dubai
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Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
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Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
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Producers: KRTI Productions, T-Series
Director: Sree Narayan Singh
Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Divyenndu Sharma, Yami Gautam
Rating: 2/5
If you go
The flights
There are various ways of getting to the southern Serengeti in Tanzania from the UAE. The exact route and airstrip depends on your overall trip itinerary and which camp you’re staying at.
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Kilimanjaro International Airport from Dh1,350 return, including taxes; this can be followed by a short flight from Kilimanjaro to the Serengeti with Coastal Aviation from about US$700 (Dh2,500) return, including taxes. Kenya Airways, Emirates and Etihad offer flights via Nairobi or Dar es Salaam.
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
