Dubai: His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, addressed a message to Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), as part of his book “Letters,” which he launched recently, and which includes 26 letters addressed to his children, his family, his work team, the people of his country and the world. The book summarises the essence of six decades in public service, and forms a knowledge and intellectual reference for current and future generations.
In his dedication, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid said: “My daughter Latifa bint Mohammed, serving the nation is the highest mission and the greatest job. There is no stronger people than a nation that loves its homeland, believes in it, and lives for it. I dedicate to you some of what life has taught me.”
The following is the text of His Highness's message:
A letter to my daughter Latifa bint Muhammad,
Life has taught me that our lives are part of the story of our homelands, and the wisdom lies in adding a chapter worthy of being read by future generations.
Life has taught me that wisdom is not just to build something for people, but to build something in them... and honesty is to leave something that can shorten the path for those who carry the responsibility after you.
These are words I write based on what experience, life, and six decades of public service have taught me. I write them because life passes and fades away, but ideas grow and endure. I write them because we are not immortal in our years, but we remain through our legacy, our ideas, and our deeds.
I learned a lot from experiences, challenges, and thousands of decisions.
I learned a lot from the days... the days in which we made achievements, and the days in which wisdom was instilled in us.
I have learned from what we have done in the past, and what the past has done to us. Today, through a series of messages, I address them, hoping they will stir minds and hearts and benefit people.
We are all messengers. The difference is that some of us know our message, and some are unaware of it. Some play their part, and some do not know the meaning of their lives.
I write these messages to my people, my children and grandchildren. I write them to my work team and my companions on my journey and path. I write them to my brothers and sisters, the sons and daughters of the Emirates. I write them to the world, and to everyone who sees in our experience something worth learning and reflecting upon.
I write this after nearly 60 years dedicated to public service — a distillation of lessons learned, experiences gained, decisions made, projects completed, and a life devoted to serving others. I write because I am certain that our message will reach those who come after us, and that our generations will face a world unlike ours, but they will preserve the values and principles that shaped our experience, built our nations, and safeguarded our achievements.
Life has taught me that a sincere word, a heartfelt message, and a genuine idea will reach its audience, spread, and flourish. We ask God to grant us success, to make our ideas beneficial, to protect our homelands, and to guide our future generations.
With love,
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Her Highness responded to the message via her official account on the X platform, saying: “My father, my support, and my first teacher… From you we learned that the homeland is a trust, that life is a message, and that the impact remains as long as the intention is pure… From you we learned the meaning of loyalty, giving, and responsibility, and we have followed your example, and on your path we walk with confident steps. We renew our pledge to remain loyal to this precious homeland, to give for its sake all that we can, and to continue the journey of giving and working with sincerity. We ask God to grant you health, wellness, and a long life, and that we make your message our message, and your approach a path by which we continue the journey of the homeland.”