Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid pens heartfelt letter to Sheikha Hind: ‘The greatest gift God has given me’

Dubai: His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has shared a deeply personal letter to his wife, Her Highness Sheikha Hind bint Maktoum bin Juma Al Maktoum, reflecting on their 47 years together and her role at the heart of their family. The letter, titled “A Letter to Hind”, is part of Sheikh Mohammed’s new book, Letters, which draws on six decades of public service and includes messages to people who have shaped his life and journey. “To my life companion, the pillar of my home, and my entire life… mother of the sheikhs… Hind bint Maktoum Al Maktoum,” Sheikh Mohammed begins. He describes Sheikha Hind as his partner in life and in his dreams, his source of support and tranquillity, and “the closest person to my soul”. Reflecting on nearly five decades together, Sheikh Mohammed said she had been a devoted mother and wife, as well as the “quiet strength” with which he faced the world. He paid particular tribute to her influence on their children, describing her as their “first school, first teacher and first role model”. “I see in their humility today the traces of your words, in their compassion for people the traces of your heart, and in their devotion and loyalty to their country the traces of your love,” he wrote. ‘The journey with you was better than all the destinations’ Sheikh Mohammed also reflected on Sheikha Hind’s charitable work over the past 47 years, describing her as a source of generosity and goodness and a mother to orphans. “Your most beautiful deeds are known only to God, and your happiest days are those in which you relieve the worries of the poor,” he wrote. Looking back at the years they have shared, Sheikh Mohammed said their children had grown, achievements had multiplied and they had passed through many milestones. But, he added: “The beauty of the journey with you, Hind, was better than all the destinations.” “The most beautiful thing God has given me in this life is that I travelled this long distance with Hind by my side.” ‘Our true legacy’ Sheikh Mohammed said life with Sheikha Hind had taught him that a wife was not merely a partner, but “the foundation, the balance and the memory of every family” — someone capable of bringing people together, calming turmoil and giving everyone a sense of reassurance. He said their true legacy was not what they had built physically, but what they had instilled in their children. “Our true legacy, Hind, is not what we constructed, but what we built within our children — the love we placed in their souls, the values we instilled in them, and the goodness and compassion for humanity we left in their hearts.” He asked Sheikha Hind to pass those same lessons on to their grandchildren — teaching them about their ancestors, the greatness of their nation and their responsibilities towards others. “Remind them always that the nation awaits them — to safeguard its achievements, preserve its gains, and take it, and themselves, to the greatest heights,” he wrote. Sheikh Mohammed concluded the letter with a prayer that Sheikha Hind would remain a source of home, comfort and love for their children and grandchildren. He signed it simply: “Always and forever with love, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.”