Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum: The Life and Career of Dubai’s Ruler

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum is one of the best-known leaders in the United Arab Emirates.

His public career started young.

Very young, actually.

Born in Dubai in 1949, he entered government service in the late 1960s. He later became Crown Prince of Dubai and, in 2006, succeeded his brother as Ruler of Dubai.

Right now, he holds three major offices: Ruler of Dubai, Vice President of the UAE, and Prime Minister of the UAE.

His public life also reaches beyond government. Horses, writing, humanitarian work, aviation and economic planning have all been long-running parts of his story.

Quick Facts

Fact	Details
Full name	Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Arabic name	محمد بن راشد آل مكتوم
Date of birth	15 July 1949
Age	77, as of September 2026
Birthplace	Dubai
Nationality	Emirati
Father	Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum
Mother	Sheikha Latifa bint Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Current position	Ruler of Dubai
Federal roles	UAE Vice President and Prime Minister
Became Ruler of Dubai	4 January 2006
Became UAE Vice President	5 January 2006
Became Prime Minister	February 2006
Former federal role	UAE Minister of Defence
Defence portfolio ended	July 2024
Wife publicly identified by Dubai government	Sheikha Hind bint Maktoum bin Juma Al Maktoum
Major interests	Government, horses, racing, poetry and writing
Racing organisation	Founder of Godolphin

Early Life in Dubai

Sheikh Mohammed was born in 1949 as the third son of Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum.

He grew up in Al Shindagha, an old part of Dubai close to Dubai Creek.

His grandfather was Sheikh Saeed bin Maktoum Al Maktoum, who ruled Dubai before Sheikh Rashid.

Those early years mattered.

Dubai’s official government profile says the young Mohammed often attended his grandfather’s majlis. He also developed an early interest in horses, falconry and public affairs.

His father later became Ruler of Dubai in 1958.

Sheikh Rashid became closely linked with Dubai’s early infrastructure, trade and port development during his rule.

Who Was His Mother?

His mother was Sheikha Latifa bint Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

She was the wife of Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum.

In September 2026, Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum wrote publicly about her grandmother and described the close relationship between Sheikha Latifa bint Hamdan and her son Sheikh Mohammed.

That source also records her social and charitable work.

She mostly stayed away from publicity.

Education

His first lessons were private.

They covered Arabic and Islamic studies.

He later attended Al Ahmadiya School, followed by Al Shaab School and then Dubai Secondary School.

He completed his secondary education in 1965.

Then came Britain.

In 1966, he attended the Bell School of Languages in Cambridge.

This detail often gets mixed up online.

The official Dubai record identifies the school as Bell School of Languages. It does not say he attended the University of Cambridge.

He later undertook military training at the Mons Officer Cadet School in Aldershot.

The Dubai government says he received the Sword of Honour after gaining the highest mark among international cadets.

His First Government Position

The government work started in 1968.

Sheikh Rashid appointed his son as Head of Dubai Police and Public Security.

It was Sheikh Mohammed’s first official public position.

Three years later, the UAE was formed.

His responsibilities grew quickly.

UAE Minister of Defence

After the formation of the United Arab Emirates in 1971, Sheikh Mohammed joined the country’s first federal Cabinet as Minister of Defence.

He kept that portfolio for decades.

That changed in 2024.

On 14 July 2024, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum was appointed UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence.

So, right now, Sheikh Mohammed should not be described as the current UAE Minister of Defence.

That information is outdated.

Aviation and Dubai International Airport

Aviation became another major part of his work.

In 1977, he was placed in charge of a committee managing Dubai International Airport.

The Dubai government also connects him with Dubai’s open-skies approach and the growth of the emirate as an aviation centre.

Then came Emirates.

And that story moved fast.

His Connection With Emirates Airline

In 1984, Sheikh Mohammed asked Sir Maurice Flanagan, then managing director of dnata, to study the idea of creating a new airline in Dubai.

A business plan was ready by December.

The airline was named Emirates.

In March 1985, Maurice Flanagan received the task of launching the airline within five months with $10 million in seed funding.

Emirates operated its first flights on 25 October 1985, flying from Dubai to Karachi and Mumbai.

Sheikh Mohammed helped start the project, but Emirates has its own executive management.

That distinction matters.

Jebel Ali and Trade

Trade was another big focus.

In 1985, Sheikh Mohammed took responsibility for the Jebel Ali Free Zone project, according to Dubai’s official leadership profile.

Jebel Ali later became deeply connected with Dubai’s shipping, logistics, industrial and international trade sectors.

It gave businesses a base.

Dubai kept building around it.

Becoming Crown Prince

A major change came in 1995.

On 3 January 1995, Sheikh Mohammed was appointed Crown Prince of Dubai by Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

He remained Crown Prince for eleven years.

During that period, his public work covered aviation, business districts, technology projects, government programmes and city development.

Becoming Ruler of Dubai

Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum died in January 2006.

On 4 January 2006, Sheikh Mohammed succeeded him as Ruler of Dubai.

Things moved quickly afterward.

On 5 January 2006, the Federal Supreme Council elected him Vice President of the UAE.

He was also nominated to become Prime Minister.

On 11 February 2006, Sheikh Mohammed and members of the new Cabinet took their oaths of office.

His Current Government Positions

As of September 2026, Sheikh Mohammed remains:

• Ruler of Dubai
• Vice President of the UAE
• Prime Minister of the UAE

The current UAE Cabinet lists him in all three positions.

As Prime Minister, he chairs Cabinet sessions and oversees coordination between federal ministries and federal executive bodies.

He also sits within the UAE’s federal governing structure as Dubai’s ruler.

Dubai Economic Agenda D33

One of his major recent economic programmes is the Dubai Economic Agenda D33.

He launched it on 4 January 2023.

The programme set economic targets worth AED32 trillion over ten years.

Its stated targets also include raising Dubai’s foreign trade to AED25.6 trillion over the decade and reaching AED650 billion in foreign direct investment during the same period.

These numbers are targets.

They are not completed results.

That difference is important.

Artificial Intelligence and UAE Government

AI has become part of his recent federal work.

In April 2026, Sheikh Mohammed chaired a Cabinet meeting that announced a UAE government framework aimed at moving 50% of government sectors and services toward Agentic AI within two years.

His Cabinet activity continued during September 2026.

The UAE Cabinet’s current website lists meetings and government activity chaired by him during the month.

Mohammed bin Rashid Global Initiatives

His name is also attached to a large group of humanitarian and social programmes.

The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, known as MBRGI, works across areas such as education, humanitarian aid, health, knowledge and community support.

Its 2025 Year in Review reported spending of more than AED2.3 billion.

MBRGI said its projects reached 165 million people across 122 countries during 2025.

Those figures come from MBRGI’s own annual reporting.

Horses and Godolphin

Horses have remained close to Sheikh Mohammed throughout his life.

This goes back decades.

Godolphin records that his first international racehorse success came with a filly called Hatta at Brighton in Britain on 20 June 1977.

He later founded Godolphin, the international thoroughbred racing operation.

Godolphin now operates across several continents.

Its official site reports more than 9,000 race wins worldwide.

He is also closely linked with the Darley breeding operation.

Horse racing is clearly more than a side interest in his public life.

It has lasted for decades.

Writing and Books

Sheikh Mohammed also writes.

His published work covers government, personal memories, public service, horses, poetry and lessons from life.

His known books include My Vision, Flashes of Thought, and My Story: 50 Memories from 50 Years of Service.

In September 2025, he released the first part of Life Taught Me.

The book contains 35 chapters covering experiences and lessons from his long public career.

He also writes Arabic poetry.

Nabati poetry has been one of his long-running cultural interests.

Wife: Sheikha Hind bint Maktoum

His wife Sheikha Hind bint Maktoum bin Juma Al Maktoum is publicly identified by the Dubai Government Media Office.

In January 2025, Sheikh Mohammed launched the “Thank You Sheikha Hind” campaign.

He referred to her publicly as his wife and life partner.

She has been involved with social and charitable work in the UAE.

Marriage to Princess Haya

Sheikh Mohammed was also married to Princess Haya bint Al Hussein, daughter of the late King Hussein of Jordan.

A published UK High Court judgment records that they married on 10 April 2004.

They have two children together:

Sheikha Al Jalila bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, born on 2 December 2007.

Sheikh Zayed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, born on 7 January 2012.

The marriage later ended.

A UK court judgment records a divorce in February 2019.

Children

Sheikh Mohammed has a large family.

A UK High Court judgment published from proceedings in 2019 stated that he had 25 children at that time.

That is a dated court record.

It should not be turned into a claimed current total without newer reliable documentation.

Several of his children hold major public positions.

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed is Crown Prince of Dubai, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence.

Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed is First Deputy Ruler of Dubai, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance.

Other members of the family hold posts in culture, sport, government and charitable organisations.

UK Court Findings and Public Record

A complete public profile also needs to mention the UK court proceedings involving Princess Haya and members of Sheikh Mohammed’s family.

Context matters here.

These were civil and family court findings, not criminal convictions.

In judgments published by the High Court of England and Wales, the court found on the civil standard of proof that Sheikh Mohammed had ordered and arranged the forced return of his daughters Shamsa and Latifa to Dubai in separate incidents.

The court also found allegations concerning intimidation of Princess Haya proved, apart from one separate allegation involving forced marriage.

The proceedings record Sheikh Mohammed’s responses and his rejection of allegations made against him.

A later judgment dealt with Pegasus spyware.

The court found that phones connected with Princess Haya and members of her legal and security teams had been targeted or compromised, and found on the civil standard that the surveillance occurred with Sheikh Mohammed’s express or implied authority.

Again, these were findings made in UK family proceedings.

They should not be described as criminal convictions.

A Career Spanning Decades

The timeline is long.

It starts before the UAE itself.

Sheikh Mohammed entered public service in 1968, joined the first UAE federal government in 1971, became Crown Prince of Dubai in 1995 and became Dubai’s ruler in 2006.

He remains in office today.

His work has covered government administration, aviation, trade, economic policy, charity, technology policy and international horse racing.

Some projects started decades ago.

Others are still developing.

Final Thought

Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has spent most of his adult life in public office.

His career connects several periods of Dubai’s history — from the city he knew as a child in Al Shindagha to the large international business and aviation centre it is today.

The record is broad.

Government is only one part.

Aviation, trade, horses, books, charity and economic planning also appear repeatedly across his career.

For readers researching him now, one date matters most: September 2026.

He is currently Ruler of Dubai, Vice President of the UAE and Prime Minister of the UAE.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum?

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum is the Ruler of Dubai, Vice President of the UAE and Prime Minister of the UAE.

How old is Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum?

He was born on 15 July 1949. He is 77 years old as of September 2026.

When did Mohammed bin Rashid become Ruler of Dubai?

He became Ruler of Dubai on 4 January 2006, following the death of his brother Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

Is Mohammed bin Rashid still UAE Minister of Defence?

No. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed was appointed UAE Minister of Defence in July 2024. Sheikh Mohammed remains UAE Vice President and Prime Minister.

Who is Mohammed bin Rashid’s wife?

Dubai government sources identify Sheikha Hind bint Maktoum bin Juma Al Maktoum as his wife.

How many children does Mohammed bin Rashid have?

A 2019 UK High Court judgment stated that he had 25 children at that time. A newer complete official count has not been established in the sources used for this article.

Did Mohammed bin Rashid start Emirates?

He played an early part in its creation. In 1984, he asked Maurice Flanagan to study the launch of a Dubai airline. Emirates began flying in October 1985.

What is Godolphin?

Godolphin is an international thoroughbred horse racing and breeding operation founded by Sheikh Mohammed.

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