Happy birthday, HH Sheikh Mohammed!
Today, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of UAE, and ruler of Dubai, is celebrating his 70th birthday. The Royal was born on July 15, 1949, at the Al Maktoum house in Al Shindagha.
Sheikh Mohammed became the Ruler of Dubai back on January 4, 2006, after the passing of his brother Sheikh Maktoum Bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Ever since then, he has made Dubai the vibrant, cosmopolitan city that it is today. His passion, commitment, hard-work and vision has helped propel the small creek-side Dubai into a global city, home to more than 200 nationalities. As we celebrate his birthday today, we share 10 of his best quotes, which prove just why he is so loved by the people of the UAE.
On Life
“Life doesn’t change. You have a day, and a night, and a month, and a year. We people change – we can be miserable or we can be happy. It’s what you make of your life.”
On Never Giving Up
“Failure is not falling to the ground; it is remaining there once you have fallen and the greatest failure is when you decide not to stand up again.”
“A true leader is one who creates a favourable environment to bring out the energy and ability of his team. A great leader creates more great leaders, and does not reduce the institution to a single person.”
On Women
“Our job is to provide an environment that unlocks women’s potential – one that protects their dignity and femininity, helps them create the necessary balance in their lives, and values their talents and potential. Given this environment, I am confident that women will perform nothing short of miracles.”
On Being Arab
“I am an Arab, born of Arab parents, nurtured from childhood by the love of Arabism; I have become a branch of its great tree.”
On Positivity
“I believe that positive energy and optimism help us to take up any challenge in life and to succeed in even the most difficult tasks. I also believe that positive energy is contagious: we can transmit it to others.”
On Growth
“Everybody starts small. We all begin life as a single cell. Every business starts as one person with an idea. How fast you go, how far you get, is in your hands. The bigger your vision, the bigger your achievement will be. Will you stumble on the way? Perhaps, but we cannot let fear keep us small. We have to be brave to be big.”
On Taking Risks
“To take risk and fail is not a failure. Real failure is to fear taking any risk”
On Creativity
“Creativity should be integral to everything that we do. Creativity should also be intrinsic to our personality, if excellence is what we seek.”
On the UAE
“Our goal is to be among the best nations worldwide because the Emirati people will settle for nothing less than the best.”
