Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Height, Age, Wife, Children, Family, Biography

Bio/Wiki
Full Name	Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Other Name	Sheikh Mohammed IV
Profession(s)	Politician, Royal, Ruler of Dubai (as of 2025)
Physical Stats
Height (approx.)	5' 11" (180 cm)
Eye Colour	True Gray
Hair Colour	Black
Career
Honours	• 1974- Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Orange-Nassau awarded by Queen Beatrix, Netherlands • 2010- Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire for his contributions to the UK, particularly in relation to the Commonwealth • 2010- Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (GCMG) awarded by Queen Elizabeth II, United Kingdom • 2012- Collar of the Order of Zayed • 2021- Collar of the Order of the Southern Cross awarded by the then President Jair Bolsonaro • Morocco- Grand Cordon of the Order of the Throne • Spain- Grand Cross of the Order of Charles III • Saudi Arabia- First Class of the Order of King Abdulaziz • Bahrain- Collar of the Order of Sheikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa
Personal Life
Date of Birth	15 July 1949 (Friday)
Age (as of 2025)	76 Years
Birthplace	Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Zodiac sign	Cancer
Signature
Nationality	Emirati
Hometown	Dubai
School(s)	• Al Ahmedia School, Dubai • Al Shaab School, Dubai • Dubai Secondary School • Bell Educational Trust's English Language School, United Kingdom (1966) • Mons Officer Cadet School in Aldershot (1966-1968)
Religion	Islam
Controversies	• Allegation of getting his daughters kidnapped In the early 2000s, Sheikha Shamsa, daughter of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, ran away in England but was taken back. Later, in 2018, her sister Sheikha Latifa also tried to escape from Dubai but was caught at sea. After that, a video came out where Latifa said she was being abused and held prisoner by her father. A former UN official, Mary Robinson, met Latifa and said she was fine, but later said she was tricked. Many people believed Latifa was not free and was being forced to stay quiet. In 2021, Latifa appeared in secret videos saying she was locked up, alone, and scared for her life. She said police threatened her and wouldn't let her see a doctor or a lawyer. That same year, she was also listed as a target of spyware just before she was captured. Later, she was seen in public in places like Dubai, Spain, and Iceland. A lawyer said she was now free and wanted privacy. The campaign to help her, called #FreeLatifa, ended in 2021. ((The Guardian)) • Divorce proceedings and allegations made by Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum's second wife In February 2019, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum secretly divorced Princess Haya without telling her. Around that time, Haya became worried about how her stepdaughters, Shamsa and Latifa, were taken back to the UAE. In June 2019, she fled Dubai with her two children and went to Germany, then moved to the UK. There, she asked the court for full custody and protection orders. The court later found that Mohammed tried to scare and control Haya after learning about her affair, even putting guns on her pillow. In 2020, his team also hacked her phone using Pegasus spyware, which the court said was illegal and a serious misuse of power. In December 2021, the court gave Haya full custody and awarded her $720 million in support. In 2022, the court ruled that Mohammed should have no direct contact with the children or say in their lives. ((The Guardian)) • Accused of abduction and enslavement of boys for use as jockeys in camel races In September 2006, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum was accused of supporting the kidnapping and use of thousands of young boys as camel jockeys. A lawsuit was filed against him in Florida, USA. However, in 2006, UAE lawyers asked the court to cancel the case, saying none of the people involved lived in the U.S. and that the issue was already being handled by the UN to help the children. In July 2007, a judge agreed and dismissed the case. Earlier, in 2006, UNICEF and the UAE worked together to return many of the boys to their home countries—like Pakistan, Sudan, Mauritania, and Bangladesh—and gave them help and money. The UAE also made a law banning the use of child camel jockeys, with punishments including jail and a fine of over $27,000. UNICEF praised the UAE's actions and said it hoped other countries would follow their example to stop child exploitation. ((The Independent)) • Horse racing drugs scandal In April 2013, one of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s horse trainers, Mahmood Al Zarooni, was banned from racing for eight years by the British Horseracing Authority for giving steroids to eleven horses. Mohammed bin Rashid said he was shocked and angry, and ordered the stable to be shut down while all the horses were tested for drugs. In May, as UAE Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Rashid made a new law banning the use of steroids on horses in the country. Then in October 2013, another issue came up—reports claimed that harmful drugs like steroids and painkillers were being shipped into the UAE, falsely labeled as horse equipment. It was also reported that a public relations campaign had started to show Mohammed as someone who was misled by his staff. ((BBC)) • Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Named in Global Offshore Wealth Leak In October 2021, a major investigation by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) found that over 330 top politicians and officials around the world were linked to offshore companies. This included 35 current and former world leaders. The leaked documents, which were almost 12 million files showed that Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum also used offshore companies to manage and grow his wealth. He registered three companies in tax-free zones, two in the British Virgin Islands (Tandem Investco Limited and Tandem DirectorCo Limited) and one in the Bahamas (Allied International Investments Limited). These were set up by a UAE company called Axiom Limited, which is partly owned by Dubai Holding—a company where Mohammed has large shares. Axiom used the offshore companies to grow its main business. ((International Consortium of Investigative Journalists))
Social Media	• Instagram • Facebook • YouTube • LinkedIn
Relationships & More
Marital Status	Married
Marriage Date(s)	• 26 April 1979 (Sheikha Hind bint Maktoum Al Maktoum) • 10 April 2004 (Princess Haya bint Hussein) • Year, 1972 (Randa bint Mohammad Al-Banna)
Family
Wife/Spouse(s)	• Sheikha Hind bint Maktoum Al Maktoum • Princess Haya bint Hussein (Humanitarian) (Divorced) • Randa bint Mohammad Al-Banna (Divorced) • Delila Aloula (Divorced) • Houria Ahmed Lamara (Divorced) • Umm Marwan (Divorced) • Zoe Grigorakos (Divorced) • Dr. Dalya Al Muthanna (Divorced)
Children	With Hind bint Maktoum bin Juma Al Maktoum Son(s) • Sheikh Rashid bin Mohammed Al Maktoum (Deceased) • Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum (Politician) • Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed Al Maktoum (Politician) • Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Maktoum (Politician) • Sheikh Saeed bin Mohammed Al Maktoum Daughter(s) • Sheikha Hessa bint Mohammed Al Maktoum • Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed Al Maktoum (III) • Sheikha Maryam bint Mohammed Al Maktoum (II) • Sheikha Shaikha bint Mohammed Al Maktoum • Sheikha Futtaim bint Mohammed Al Maktoum • Sheikha Salamah bint Mohammed Al Maktoum • Sheikha Shamma bint Mohammed Al Maktoum With Princess Haya bint Hussein • Son- Sheikh Zayed bin Mohammed Al Maktoum • Daughter- Sheikha Al Jalila bint Mohammed Al Maktoum With Randa bint Mohammad Al-Banna Daughter- Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed Al Maktoum (Politician) With Delila Aloula Daughter(s) • Sheikha Dalal bint Mohammed Al Maktoum • Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed Al Maktoum (I) (Businesswoman) • Sheikha Maryam bint Mohammed Al Maktoum (I) With Houria Ahmed Lamara Son- Sheikh Majid bin Mohammed Al Maktoum (Politician) Daughter(s) • Sheikha Maitha bint Mohammed Al Maktoum (Athlete) • Sheikha Shamsa bint Mohammed Al Maktoum • Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed Al Maktoum (II) With Umm Marwan Son- Sheikh Marwan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum With Zoe Grigorakos Daughter- Sheikha Mahra bint Mohammed Al Maktoum (Social Worker) With Dr. Dalya Al Muthanna Daughter- Sheikha Haya bint Mohammed Al Maktoum
Parents	Father- Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum (Deceased) (Emirati Royal, Politician) Mother- Sheikha Latifa bint Hamdan Al Nahyan (Deceased)
Siblings	Brothers- Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum (Deceased) (Politician), Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum (Deceased) (Politician), Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum (Businessman) Sisters- Maryam bint Rashid Al Maktoum, Fatima bint Rashid Al Maktoum, Hassa bint Rashid Al Maktoum, Maitha bint Rashid Al Maktoum, Shaikha bint Rashid Al Maktoum
Money Factor
Assets/Properties	• Yacht named 'Dubai' worth $400 million • Yacht named 'Alloya' • Real estate in the United Kingdom worth more than 100 million British pounds • Properties in Rome through a company registered in Luxembourg
Net Worth (approx.)	$14 Billion (as of 2024) ((The Indian Express))

Some Lesser Known Facts About Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum

• Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum was born into the Al Maktoum family, which is Dubai’s ruling family and also the descendants of the House of Al-Falasi (a tribe), of which Mohammed bin Rashid is the tribal leader.

• Mohammed bin Rashid’s father, Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, was one of the Founding Fathers of the United Arab Emirates.

• Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum grew up in a house without electricity. He was raised in a modest adobe house in Dubai, which lacked basic amenities like electricity and running water. More than 100 people lived in his house, including guards and maids.
  

  Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s childhood photo

• Mohammed used to hold his daily majlis (a gathering or meeting where people come together to talk) on wooden benches outside their home in Shindagha. These gatherings were a valuable learning experience for Mohammed bin Rashid, who was very close to his grandfather and often sat beside him.

• Sheikh Mohammed was a lively and active child who loved playing traditional games like ‘Luhol and Huwaim,’ which were better known as tag and hopscotch. Even when he was very young, he enjoyed nothing more than kicking a ball around in the sandy yard of his home.

• He learned to hunt in his early childhood, especially falconry, which is a respected traditional Arabian sport. He has always been drawn to its deep connection with his heritage and has always seen it as a way to stay connected to his roots and escape the fast-changing modern world.

• Sheikh Mohammed and his brothers were taught the rudiments of horsemanship by their father. Sheikh Mohammed quickly fell in love with horse riding and learned to ride right away. He and his close friends often rode horses almost every day on Jumeirah beach.

• Mohammed bin Rashid started racing horses as a child, and he would share his breakfast with his horse on the way to school.

• Since the age of four, Mohammed bin Rashid was privately tutored in Arabic and Islamic Studies.

• Mohammed bin Rashid started writing Nabati poetry (a form of Arabic Poetry) when he was still in school. His father, Sheikh Rashid, and the late President Sheikh Zayed had a big influence on his growth as a poet.

• When he first published his poems in newspapers, he used fake names like Nedawi and Saleet. He wanted to make sure people truly liked his poetry and that it wasn’t being published just because he was part of the ruling family.

• In 1966, Mohammed and his cousin, Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum, moved to the United Kingdom in order to attain their higher education. When Mohammed bin Rashid was studying at the Mons Officer Cadet School in Aldershot, England.

• In the final part of the six-month course, Mohammed bin Rashid was promoted to Senior Under-Officer of Kohema and received the Sword of Honour for earning the highest marks among all foreign and Commonwealth officer cadets in his group.

• After completing military training at Mons Officer Cadet School, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum travelled to Italy to pursue pilot training.
  

  Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in a still from his military training session at the Mons Officer Cadet School in Aldershot, England

• When Mohammed bin Rashid returned to Dubai from military training at age 20, his father, Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, appointed him as the head of the Dubai Police Force and the Dubai Defence Force. Dubai Defence Force later became a part of the United Arab Emirates Defence Force.

• In 1967, Mohammed bin Rashid attended his first official horse race at Newmarket, England, with his cousin brother Hamdan, where they watched a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire named ‘Royal Palace’ win the 2,000 Guineas.

• Ten years later, Mohammed became a racehorse owner and won his first race with Hatta at Brighton, England. Five years after that, he and Hamdan owned three breeding farms and had 100 horses in training.

• In January 1968, Mohammed was there when his father and Emirati royal and politician Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, met in the desert between Dubai and Abu Dhabi at a place called Argoub El Sedira. They agreed to form a union of emirates after the British announced they would leave the Trucial States.

• When the United Arab Emirates was officially created on 2 December 1971, Mohammed bin Rashid became the country’s first Minister of Defence at just 22 years old.

• After the UAE was formed, there was some unrest and fighting between tribes over land. On 24 January 1972, the former ruler of Sharjah, Sheikh Saqr, tried to take back power from his successor, Sheikh Khalid, using mostly hired fighters from Egypt.

• After a battle with the UAE army, led by Mohammed bin Rashid, Sheikh Saqr surrendered. Sheikh Khalid was killed during the fight, and his brother Sultan became the new ruler of Sharjah. Mohammed bin Rashid handed Saqr over to the then-UAE President Sheikh Zayed, who placed him under house arrest in Al Ain.

• In 1973, Sheikh Mohammed tried to negotiate with hijackers of a Japanese plane, JAL 404, which was led by Japanese Red Army member Osamu Maruoka, that landed in Dubai but couldn’t free the hostages, who were later released in Libya.
  

  Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, while negotiating with the Japanese Red Army member/terrorist Osamu Maruoka, who was the hijacker of a Japanese plane, JAL 404 (1973)

• He was more successful with another hijacking, helping free the hostages of a Dutch plane, KLM 861, in exchange for safe passage for the hijackers.

• Although Mohammed bin Rashid was the world’s youngest defence minister, he handled the role wisely within a year. In 1976, under his command, UAE forces joined the Arab Deterrent Force in Lebanon for their first international peacekeeping mission.

• In 1977, he helped unite Dubai’s military with the UAE’s armed forces.

• In the 1970s, along with being head of the Dubai Defence Force and UAE Minister of Defence, Mohammed also managed Dubai’s energy resources and led the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority.

• In August 1977, Mohammed bin Rashid formed a committee led by Sheikh Mohammed to manage Dubai Airport, helping turn the city into a global aviation hub and tourist destination.

• In 1978, the luxury watch company ‘Rolex’ made a custom Rolex Daytona UAE model watch which featured the UAE coat of arms and the Arabic signature of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who was then the Minister of Defence.
  

  Rolex Daytona UAE Model, which features the Arabic signature of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, which was launched in 1978

• Mohammed asked Maurice Flanagan, then head of the Dubai National Air Travel Agency, to start a new airline called Emirates after a disagreement with Gulf Air over Dubai’s ‘Open Skies’ policy. The airline was launched with a $10 million budget, and its first flight was on 25 October 1985.

• In 1981, he purchased a stud farm named ‘Gainsborough Stud’ at Woolton Hill, near Newbury, Berkshire, United Kingdom. Mohammed managed it as part of his global horse breeding and racing ventures, training horses to compete under both his own name and the Godolphin banner.

• In 1985, Mohammed bin Rashid became one of the founding members of the largest airline in the Middle East, named ‘Emirates Airlines.’ Mohammed appointed his uncle, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, as chairman of Emirates Airlines.

• Emirates Airlines is the world’s third-largest airline based on passenger travel distance and the second-largest for the amount of cargo it carries by distance.

• In 1981, Mohammed bin Rashid purchased the Dalham Hall Stud and founded the Darley Stud, which is the biggest horse breeding operation in the world with farms in the United States, Ireland, England, and Australia.

• He owns Ballysheehan Stud in County Tipperary, Ireland, and Gainsborough Farm Inc. in Versailles, Kentucky, USA. His racing activities also include owning Darley Stables, and he is the main partner in his family’s Godolphin Stables.

• In 1985, he purchased the Irish thoroughbred Park Appeal for an undisclosed amount after her second racing season. The horse later gave birth to twelve foals, with at least nine becoming winners, and became the ancestor of many successful racehorses.

• In the same year, Mohammed bin Rashid took charge of Jebel Ali Free Zone, which is a port-based industrial area centred around Jebel Ali port.

• In 1989, Mohammed bin Rashid opened the first Dubai Airshow. By 2013, it had grown to over 1,000 companies and became the place where Emirates made the biggest aeroplane order ever, worth $99 billion, for Airbus A380S and Boeing 777Xs.

• In the 1990s, Mohammed was in charge of Dubai’s oil affairs, which was a key responsibility, as oil exports were the main driver of the city’s economy.

• In 1990, the UAE’s army played a leading role in the fight to free Kuwait. Just days after the war ended, Mohammed bin Rashid sent 250 tons of aid, and the army quickly sent medical teams to help restore Kuwait City’s damaged health services.

• By 1992, Mohammed started ‘wintering’ (taking care of his horses during the winters) his horses in Dubai, often going against the recommendations of trainers and experts in the UK. This practice led to a series of major victories.

• In 1994, Mohammed bin Rashid founded the Maktoum family’s private Thoroughbred horse racing stable named ‘Godolphin,’ which was named after the Godolphin Arabian, a desert horse who became one of the three founding stallions of the modern Thoroughbred breed.

• In January 1995, Mohammed’s brother, Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the then-ruler of Dubai, signed two orders. One order appointed Mohammed bin Rashid as crown prince, and the other appointed their brother Hamdan as the deputy ruler of Dubai.

• In the same year, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid established the ‘Dubai Shopping Festival,’ which is an annual month-long event put together by the Dubai Festivals & Retail Establishment (DFRE), which is a part of Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism.

• The Dubai Shopping Festival, under the guidance of Mohammed bin Rashid, has become a significant contributor to the economy of the UAE.

• In 1995, upon getting appointed as the crown prince of Dubai, Mohammed bin Rashid launched various infrastructure projects for the new digital economy and launched the eGovernment initiative.

• In the same year, Mohammed’s strong involvement in racing caused a big disagreement with top trainer Henry Cecil. They argued about a horse that Mohammed thought was injured and shouldn’t race. When Cecil spoke about it publicly, Mohammed took all his horses out of Cecil’s stable.

• Dubai Millennium, a British-bred Thoroughbred racehorse and sire, was Mohammed bin Rashid’s favourite horse because he won nine of his ten starts before succumbing to injury, followed by grass sickness in 2001.

• In 1996, Mohammed bin Rashid created the annual Thoroughbred horse race named ‘Dubai World Cup,’ which is held every year at the Meydan Racecourse in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It is held on the last Saturday in March as the final race of the Dubai World Cup Night.
  

  Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum (wearing yellow) at the Dubai World Cup in 2017

• The Dubai World Cup was launched as the richest horse race in the world, attracting the famous American dirt track horse Cigar to compete. The event offers a total prize of $27 million.

• In the UK, Mohammed bin Rashid’s horses have won multiple Group One races, including several of the British Classics. They’ve also claimed victories in the Irish Epsom Derby Stakes, the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in France, and the 2006 Preakness Stakes in the US with Bernardini.
  

  Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, after winning the Epsom Derby, which is Britain’s richest horse race, and the most prestigious of the five Classics (2018)

• In 1997, he launched an Emirati state-owned luxury hotel chain and a hotel management company named ‘Jumeirah.’ The company became a part of Dubai Holding in 2004.

• In 1999, Mohammed bin Rashid inaugurated the Luxury Hotel in Dubai named ‘Burj Al Arab,’ which is one of the tallest hotels in the world. Mohammed wanted it to be a ‘truly iconic’ building which styles itself as ‘the world’s most luxurious hotel.’

• In the same year, Mohammed bin Rashid launched a plan to make the entire Dubai Government operate online within 18 months, aiming to make Dubai the world’s first fully digital government.

• The Burj Al Arab was constructed on an island offshore from the Jumeirah Beach Hotel, and it was the first property managed by Mohammed bin Rashid’s company, Jumeirah.

• In 1998, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum founded the Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Centre for Cultural Understanding (SMCCU), which is a non-profit organisation that helps non-citizens and foreign visitors in the UAE learn about Emirati culture, customs, traditions, and religion, while also working to break down cultural barriers.

• In 1999, Mohammed announced the establishment of the information technology and business park named ‘Dubai Internet City (DIC),’ which is also a technology hub and free trade zone. Under his leadership, the ‘Dubai Internet City’ housed 100 companies at the time of launch.

• The main goal of Mohammed bin Rashid in starting the Dubai Internet City was to offer companies long leases, full ownership, and fast access to government services.

• When Dubai Internet City (DIC) was launched, Mohammed promised media freedom. In 2007, after some journalists were jailed for libel, he issued an order banning the imprisonment of journalists.

• In 2000, Mohammed bin Rashid donated €4 million for the construction of the Essalaam Mosque in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

• In 2001, Sheikh Mohammed ordered the arrest of Obaid Saqr bin-Busit, who was the head of Dubai Customs and the chairman of the World Customs Association. He was arrested on corruption charges, and he and two top aides were accused of amassing tens of millions of dollars through corrupt practices.

• In 2004, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum established a global investment holding company and personal investment portfolio company named ‘Dubai Holding.’

• Under Dubai law, all undeveloped land belongs to the ruling family, allowing them to benefit greatly from real estate development.

• Ever since Mohammed bin Rashid’s rule, Dubai’s population has grown rapidly, leading to a real estate surge. This growth was partly driven by his 2002 order allowing foreigners to buy property in the city.

• In 2005, Mohammed opened the Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government (originally founded as Dubai School of Government), which is an academic and research institution in the area of public policy and administration.

• Mohammed bin Rashid is responsible for the academy’s creation of the Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government.

• In March 2006, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum founded the investment company named ‘Dubai World,’ which was created by a decree which was approved by him.

• His main goal while creating ‘Dubai World’ as a holding company was to bring together key assets like DP World, Nakheel Properties, and Istithmar World. The group now has over 50,000 employees in more than 100 cities and invests in real estate, logistics, and other businesses in countries like the US, UK, and South Africa.

• Under his leadership, the Dubai World company manages and supervises a portfolio of businesses and projects for the Government of Dubai across a wide range of industry segments and projects that promote Dubai as a hub for commerce and trading. He also holds the majority ownership in the company.

• After nearly a decade of de facto rule (a rule or situation that exists in practice, even if it’s not officially written or legally recognised), Mohammed bin Rashid became the ruler of Dubai on 4 January 2006, upon the death of his brother, Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

• In 2006, Mohammed bin Rashid inaugurated the Palm Islands, which are the three artificial archipelagos: Palm Jumeirah, Dubai Islands (earlier known as Palm Deira or Deira Islands), and Palm Jebel Ali. The Island is located on off the coast of Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

• On 5 January 2006, the Federal National Council of the UAE selected him as the new vice president of the UAE. On 11 February 2006, the Council approved President Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s nomination of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum for prime minister of the UAE.

• Mohammed succeeded his brother as UAE vice president, UAE prime minister, as well as the ruler of Dubai.

• Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum is referred to as the absolute monarch of Dubai.

• His government is called autocratic because there are no democratic systems, and people are not allowed to disagree or speak out against it.

• People have often said that it’s hard to tell the difference between the money and property owned by the Dubai government and that owned by the Al Maktoum ruling family.

• In 2006, Mohammed issued a law to form the Dubai Establishment for Women Development, which was renamed by law in 2009 as the Dubai Women Establishment. It was an organisation established by Mohammed in order to support women in the United Arab Emirates.

• In 2007, Mohammed bin Rashid introduced the UAE Government Strategy to promote sustainable development nationwide, make better use of federal resources, and ensure accountability and transparency in all federal institutions.

• After the 2008–2009 Gaza war, Mohammed bin Rashid donated 600 houses to support people in Gaza.

• In 2008, Mohammed’s Darley Stud paid nearly $500 million to buy Australia and New Zealand’s largest integrated poultry producer, named Ingham’s entire Woodlands Stud racing and breeding empire.

• In the same year, he almost purchased the Charlton-based professional football club named ‘Charlton Athletic Football Club,’ but he later turned down the deal.

• In 2009, Mohammed bin Rashid published his book titled ‘Poems from the Desert,’ which is a collection of his Nabati verses.
  

  The cover of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s collection of Nabati verses titled ‘Poems from the Desert’ (2009)

• In an interview, he explained that he writes poems made up of many questions, unlike the single-line riddles common in Western cultures, and invites people to solve them.

• In 2012, Mohammed bin Rashid announced the establishment of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, which is one of the world’s largest renewable projects based on an independent power producer (IPP) model.

• In 2013, after the UAE national football team won the Gulf Cup, Mohammed bin Rashid rewarded them with 50 million dirhams ($13.7 million). His wife added another 25 million dirhams ($6.8 million), and their grandsons contributed 12 million dirhams ($3.3 million) more.

• In 2014, Sheikh Mohammed launched a seven-year National Agenda to help achieve Vision 2021.

• He also introduced UAE Centennial 2071, which is a long-term plan to prepare future generations with the skills and knowledge needed for a changing world. The goal is to make the UAE the best country by 2071 and boost its global reputation.

• Under Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s leadership, the UAE Cabinet was reshuffled 14 times to adapt to changes and new developments, showing the government’s flexibility in meeting national priorities and future goals.

• In 2015, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum founded the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI).

• The MBRGI foundation was launched to strengthen the work of some 33 charitable foundations, entities and initiatives which, together, implement more than 1,400 development programs, including the Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Centre for Cultural Understanding (SMCCU).

• In 2015, Mohammed bin Rashid established the Gender Balance Council (GBC), which is an Emirati federal entity responsible for developing and implementing the gender balance agenda in the United Arab Emirates. Mohammed appointed his eldest child, Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum as the chairwoman of the council.

• In the same year, Mohammed founded the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre, which is an organisation working on the UAE space program, which includes various space satellite projects, such as the Emirates Mars Mission, the Emirates Lunar Mission, and the UAE astronaut program.

• The ‘Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre’ announced it would be launching a spacecraft to Mars to study the planet’s atmosphere. Mohammed bin Rashid announced that the mission would be called ‘Hope’ after a public vote, as the name would send a message of optimism to millions of young Arabs.

Arab civilisation once played a great role in contributing to human knowledge, and will play that role again #EmiratesMarsMission

— HH Sheikh Mohammed (@HHShkMohd) May 6, 2015

• In 2017, two new projects were added by Mohammed bin Rashid to the Mohammed Bin Rashid Global Initiatives under the ‘Empowering Communities’ area, and they were the International Institute for Tolerance and the Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Award for Tolerance.

• That year, Mohammed bin Rashid passed several laws to set up the Institute, form a board, and appoint a director. The goal of these efforts is to spread tolerance, create a more united society, improve the UAE’s image as a tolerant country, reject extremism and discrimination, and honour those who promote peaceful and respectful dialogue.

• In October 2020, Mohammed bin Rashid led the UAE Council of Ministers meeting that officially approved a peace deal with Israel named ‘Abraham Accords Peace Agreement: Treaty of Peace, Diplomatic Relations and Full Normalisation Between the United Arab Emirates and the State of Israel’ in order to restore diplomatic ties.

• Later, under his leadership, the Council agreed to open a UAE embassy in Tel Aviv, Israel, in January. A month after that, Mohammed swore in Mahmoud Al Khajah as the UAE’s first ambassador to Israel.

• In 2020, he announced a second space mission, this one to the moon named ‘Emirates Lunar Mission.’ The Emirates Lunar Mission used a lunar rover named Rashid (named after Mohammed bin Rashid), which was reportedly fully built in the UAE. It was launched on 11 December 2022 on a Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket.

• On 9 February 2021, Mohammed bin Rashid announced that the ‘Hope mission,’ which was initiated to study the Mars atmosphere, had succeeded at orbit insertion. The Hope mission was the first space mission by an Arab country and the first of three missions launched in July 2020, including ones from the United States and China, to reach the planet Mars.

• Mohammed bin Rashid has led the development of many businesses and economic projects in Dubai, with several managed through two companies he owns named ‘Dubai World’ and ‘Dubai Holding.’

• Mohammed’s personal corporate portfolio is the Dubai Holding Group, which is involved in a variety of investments across Dubai. Dubai Holding benefits from its association with the ruling family of Dubai, as it is given free land by the Dubai government.

• He is one of the renowned people in international thoroughbred horse racing and breeding.

• In 2021, the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project estimated that Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid owned assets worth $14 billion.

• In the same year, Mohammed bin Rashid announced a new federal government strategy to speed up progress and focus on key priorities. He also told all government bodies to follow the UAE’s 10 ‘Principles of the 50,’ approved by the President, when planning their work.

• A 2021 analysis by Transparency International revealed that Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum ranks among the largest landowners in the UK, with holdings exceeding 100,000 acres.

• In 2024, Mohammed bin Rashid, in collaboration with his Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, contributed Dh43 million ($11.7 million) in direct food aid for Gaza during the unresolved Israeli–Palestinian and Gaza–Israel conflicts.

• Discussing about the Palestine situation, Mohammed was quoted as saying in an interview that
  

  The Palestinian issue will remain in our conscience, in the conscience of every Arab and Muslim and in the conscience of every human being who possesses true moral standards. The UAE will remain supportive of the cause and seek to bring peace. We will continue to support the brotherly Palestinian people.”