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“You cannot understand an animal without understanding the environment in which it lives and where it belongs. The same applies to humans.
This was my mother. She ate only after we ate. She rested only after we were asleep, and she rejoiced only after our grief had dissipated.
When you surprise someone you love and they rejoice in it, your joy will be much greater, believe me!
Pearls constituted the largest trade sector in the region until the collapse of the pearl market in the 1930s. That crisis cut off the lifeblood of the economy, but Dubai never stopped looking to its future and diversifying its trade.
My grandfather’s legacy was to ensure economic diversification so that Dubai would never again rely on just one source of income.
When was the last time you did something for the first time?
times of crisis reveal people’s true colours.
they would not permit themselves to cry openly because this would seem like objecting to God’s will.
I realised then that after the death of a ruler, his successor has no time to think about himself and his family. Time marches on, but responsibilities never stop.
Whether in government or business, this is my idea of a leader – a person who progresses, creates, builds and serves others.
Only an ignorant person turns a blind eye to advice.
Today’s leaders are the silent giants who possess the money, not the politicians who make the noise.
To this day, I personally cannot understand anyone who does not respect their elders.
An airport is the first face of a country that any visitor encounters.
It was a great insult in the Arab world to cross your legs so that the sole of your shoe faces your guest.
The UAE is the only country that was built by Arab leaders through agreement rather than force;
Not least of the challenges left in the wake of colonialisation was that of arbitrary national borders left behind by the departing powers, creating time bombs for future conflicts.
The feeling of complete freedom was paired with another feeling; I felt a heaviness, the sense of absolute responsibility.
My visits to these people made me determined to limit the budget for defence and the military as much as I could, because we needed funds to build schools, clinics, roads, and housing, and had an even more urgent need to invest in developing our nation’s people.
The essence of any country’s power lies less in its military strength than in its reach, knowledge and development.
a wise enemy is better than an ignorant and foolish ally.
Stable rule, respect for the power of the state and upholding its constitution are all foundations of a sound polity.
the sky really was the limit.
BOAC refused giving the excuse that their studies found scarce demand for seats on that route. My father answered: “Make the link between Dubai and Bombay and I shall cover the cost of any vacant seats on the flight.” BOAC agreed, and began operating a regular flight. The plan worked, with one airline after another adding flights to and from Dubai, until 15 operators were linking us to 42 destinations across the Middle East and Europe.
Sometimes companies destroy themselves through fear of competition, leading to the creation of a competitor that will go on to eliminate them.
True, we would lose customs revenue but we would gain much more from inward investment and increased trade.
I dreamed that Dubai would one day become like Beirut.
In those days, I felt a heavy burden weighing on my shoulders. I did everything I could to prepare my men for their time in Lebanon. I memorised each of their faces and made sure I knew everything about their families, their hopes and their dreams. I understood that I was sending them into danger, a hideous burden for any leader to bear.
The wounds are always deepest when you have good memories of a place;
War never ends as swiftly as it erupts; instead its damage lasts for years, even decades. That is how it was with Iraq.
in the world of politics, it is important to keep a small line of communication open for times of crisis.
I knew that war with Iraq was a goal for George W. Bush. We tried to convince him not to invade. I asked him to invest his money and energy into helping the people of Iraq rebuild their schools and hospitals and pave their streets instead, but I realised he was resolute in his decision to use force.
No one can rule with the power of fear for long,
Just as history has taught us time and again, there are no winners in war.
Every day, I delegate authority to young men and women, striving to empower them to lead their country and add their contribution to it. We do not tolerate corruption, we do not undermine the rule of the law, nor are we lax in the implementation of the plans we launch. That is how we are building Dubai today.
Change cannot happen with the scale of corruption we witnessed during our visits to Libya. Change needs a clear, clean and transparent environment to flourish.
Champions refuse to depart in an ordinary way, but in a manner that immortalises them in the minds and hearts of those who love them.
I set up a system to monitor the ministries’ plans using 3,000 performance indicators.
“People pass and money passes. Only the homeland remains; only the things that we have done for our people will endure.”
Giving to others blesses us in return with happiness, peace of mind and tranquillity.
I have never heard of anyone who has been impoverished because they gave, who has had to stop working in order to do good or whose achievements were diminished because they gave to others.
The purpose of government is to serve the people, the aim of public administration is to serve society and the role of government procedures, systems and laws is to serve human beings.
If you fall in love with the position, you will never have the courage to make decisions that will raise you to meet your ambitions.
When you do not have a plan, you are setting yourself up for failure.
There must be clear performance indicators to ensure you are moving in the right direction to achieve the plan. Do not cheat yourself and your country by setting weak benchmarks and ineffective monitoring systems.
Build a team that will elevate your objectives to new horizons. Delegate authority to them, guide them, teach them and empower them. Help the genius and the creativity inside them emerge, reward them and shine the spotlight on their achievements.
You build your image through the media, you establish transparency in your government and people will know where your administration is heading.
Compete with yourself and others. Companies succeed when they compete in an open environment.
A real leader is one who builds up other leaders, and a real organisation is one that produces leaders.
Never underestimate your role, your work or your efforts, for you are in the business of shaping lives, planning futures and building nations.
