Mohammed bin Rashid to Maktoum: Your presence by my side gives me great optimism for Dubai's future

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, addressed His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, First Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, in the book “Letters” that His Highness recently launched, affirming his confidence in him, his pride in his achievements and his optimism for the future of Dubai.

The letter stated:

"A message to Maktoum"

To Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum... son, support, strength, and trust...

To Maktoum, the custodian of our history, our journey, our heritage, and our city...

To Maktoum, the guardian of gains, the supporter of achievements, the custodian of the wealth of generations...

I write to you with my heart filled with trust in you, my pride in you filling me, and my optimism about you and the future comforting my conscience.

You were the best trustee for the tasks we entrusted to you, the best support for your brother, the Crown Prince, and the best son to your mother and father. May God protect you, grant you success, and watch over you.

I admired your broad knowledge, calm demeanor, and excellent listening skills. I also saw in you qualities reminiscent of your grandfather: a man of few words, strong commitment, prolific achievement, profound insight, and unwavering determination to continue the journey.

Maktoum bin Mohammed: Countries are like buildings; they have pillars that support them that we do not see, high walls that protect them, and outer courtyards and gardens that beautify them. And you, Maktoum, are one of the pillars of this nation, who carries his responsibilities silently, serves his people sincerely, and supports this huge structure by working day and night.

You took charge of the Union’s budgets and did well, you took charge of Dubai’s economic responsibilities and excelled, and you headed its Judicial Council and acted justly.

You continue to study projects with your brothers and your work team, maintain balanced budgets, monitor departments and services, and consolidate Dubai as a global center for finance and wealth, preserving these gains for our future generations.

May God grant you success, Maktoum. Know that my pride in you and my joy in your work are unparalleled. Your presence by my side lightens the burden of responsibility, fills me with peace and tranquility, and gives me immense optimism about Dubai's future, its place, and its standing.

In this letter, I wanted to share with you some of what life has taught me. Wisdom is the best thing I can give you, and experiences are not just events we recount, but rather experiences that summarize many years.

Life has taught me, Maktoum, that cities do not grow by accumulating experiences only, but by accumulating ambitions. The cities that led and dominated the world throughout history were not the richest cities, but the most attractive to ambitions... the ambitions of people, from scientists and traders to pioneers and adventurers.

These are the cities that create a sense of movement and energy; where there is ease of movement, speed of decisions, abundance of opportunities, density of relationships, and flow of knowledge and information.

Successful cities are those that provide an environment where wealth interacts with ideas and institutions.

Read the history of Abbasid Baghdad, Greek Athens, and Italian Venice. And in our modern history, cities like New York, London, Singapore, and others were all founded, in essence, on competition for human beings—their talents, ambitions, ideas, curiosity, discoveries, and adventures.

People flee, along with their ambitions, from pessimistic environments and fearful societies that do not respect dreams, reward ambitions, or engage with ideas.

Life has taught me that ports and airports don't just transport goods, but also knowledge, new ways of thinking, different technologies, and create unexpected wealth.

The job of enlightened governments is to create these environments and attract dreamers, to establish genuine tolerance capable of embracing these abilities and competencies, and to create a global center for the exchange of knowledge, ideas, goods and wealth.

Our region is frequently plagued by wars, challenges, and geopolitical shifts. I have no doubt that the model we have built is solid, strong, and enduring because our principles remain unchanged, our environment is unaltered, our services are evolving, and our energy for creativity, life, dynamism, and renewal never ceases. Therefore, we are not afraid. We possess the courage to experiment, the accumulated wisdom and knowledge, an open mind, and the principle that everyone benefits when they work with us.

Life has taught me, Maktoum, that cities do not suddenly collapse or decline due to overwhelming external reasons, but rather their decline begins from within... when their movement freezes, pessimism spreads in their environments, and their societies begin to close in on themselves and reject different ideas.

Life has taught me that the spirit of innovation in societies is a spark and a source of energy; once extinguished, it cannot be easily replaced. When this spirit dies, it is replaced by institutional traditions, rigid systems, and societies fearful of losing their gains. The creative energy that fueled prosperity then diminishes, and ambition emigrates—and the emigration of ambition is faster than the emigration of money.

Life has taught me, my son, that the success of cities lies not in their location, nor in their wealth and resources, but in their mindset. Cities that adopt a merchant mentality love exploration, embrace openness, cherish the exchange of goods, knowledge, and benefits, and have faith in the future. But cities that see others as a threat to their interests, that are wary of danger in every step they take, and that are controlled by the instinct of fear in all their relationships, have condemned themselves to decline and collapse.

Perhaps this is the most important lesson in continued prosperity, Maktoum... the story is in the mindset, not in the geography.

Maintaining the growth momentum begins with protecting this mindset and nurturing this culture... the culture of Dubai, the trader's mindset, the spirit of boldness and openness, and continuous movement.

May God grant you success, my son, and protect and care for you, and guide your steps on the path of glory and prosperity.

Your loving father...

Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum