On Monday, July 15, 2024, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, celebrated his 75th birthday — a milestone that prompted widespread tributes across the UAE and beyond. Since taking the reins of Dubai in 2006, his tenure has been nothing short of revolutionary, reshaping a desert emirate into one of the world's most dynamic cities.
Early Years in Al Shindagha
Sheikh Mohammed was born on 15 July 1949 to Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum in the Al Maktoum family home in Al Shindagha — a historic waterfront neighbourhood on the banks of Dubai Creek. He is the third of four brothers born to HH Sheikh Rashid. His education began early: privately tutored from the age of four, he joined a local primary school at six.
Education and Military Training
In 1966, at the age of seventeen, Sheikh Mohammed travelled to Cambridge, England on a scholarship to study English. He then trained at the Mons Officer Cadet School in Aldershot — now part of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst — where he distinguished himself as one of the best students from the Commonwealth.
After returning to Dubai in 1968, his father appointed him head of both Dubai Police and Public Security at just 19 years old. Three years later, when the United Arab Emirates was founded on 2 December 1971, Sheikh Mohammed became its first Minister of Defence — making him the youngest defence minister in the world at the age of 22.
Ruling Dubai
Sheikh Mohammed formally became Ruler of Dubai on 4 January 2006, following the passing of his brother, Sheikh Maktoum. The very next day, he was appointed Vice President of the UAE. On 11 February 2006, then-President HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan appointed him Prime Minister of the UAE — a position he continues to hold.
Under his leadership, Dubai has undergone a profound transformation, cementing its reputation as a global city of innovation, tourism, and economic ambition. Every major project he has championed reflects a commitment to sustainable growth and long-term vision.
The Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan
Perhaps the most significant expression of Sheikh Mohammed's vision for the future is the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan, which he launched in March 2021. The plan maps out sustainable urban development for the emirate over the next two decades, targeting the happiness and quality of life of Dubai's residents and visitors.
Key goals of the plan include:
- Growing Dubai's population from 3.3 million (2020) to 5.8 million by 2040 - Doubling the size of green and recreational spaces and public parks - Designating nature reserves and rural areas to cover 60% of the emirate's total area - Developing five major urban centres — three existing and two new — to drive economic growth and job creation
A Phase II of the plan, approved by Sheikh Mohammed in December 2022, introduced 10 additional initiatives including an Urban Farming Plan, a 20-Minute City Policy, and a Pedestrian Network Master Plan.
In His Words
On his birthday, tributes poured in from across the UAE. Sheikh Mohammed has often shared his philosophy on leadership and progress — a philosophy that has guided every chapter of Dubai's modern story.
As he marks 75 years, the emirate he has built stands as testament to that vision: a city that once had little beyond sand and ambition, now counted among the most visited, most invested-in, and most forward-looking destinations on earth.
