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Kindle Notes & Highlights
I love to set challenges because I believe development and evolution come from demanding the ‘impossible’
He was far from this, closer to simplicity, closer to the people. Yes, the secret to being a successful leader is to remain close to your people. This is the greatest of all lessons.
A fundamental difference exists between our governance and that of these countries, namely remaining in close proximity to our people, while maintaining modesty in serving them and ensuring their happiness. This is the simple difference between prosperity and collapse, success and failure, decency and disgrace.
Not all that hurts you is evil. Sometimes pain teaches us and protects us
I dislike gossipers and conspirators. They’re toxic, they incite you to act against humanity, destroy group morale, undervalue achievements, only focus on the negative and never see the good in others
Desert scorpions are easier to handle than their human counterparts. Desert scorpions look only for warmth at night and, rather than attacking, prefer to leave as the cold starts to recede. They only sting when they sense danger. The human scorpion, however, loves to bite and hurt. It is said that human scorpions dwell on the Earth in the form of gossipers and conspirators, who trouble souls, destroy relationships and subvert the spirit of communities and teams.
“You cannot understand an animal without understanding the environment in which it lives and where it belongs. The same applies to humans.
“When you spend the night hungry, you will learn your lessons more intensely the next morning.”
Every son can recall the love reflected in his mother’s face. My mother was unique, tranquil and gentle
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. Regardless of the passing of days and nights, your love remains always in my heart. You are the brightest moon of all. All my love and affection flows to you.
Anyone who has never experienced a mother’s love and affection has not fully experienced life. A mother’s fatigue hurts us, a mother’s grief breaks us into pieces and a mother’s sickness exhausts us.
This was the third tenet of Dubai’s unwritten constitution – to remain open to all, to adopt free trade principles and to welcome all who want to add value to our economy.
The leaders we create are the eyes through which we see, the hands with which we build and the creative energy we add to our own to realise our vision.
The impossible is a choice, and the world opens doors to those who know what they really want!
An airport is the first face of a country that any visitor encounters. It reflects the power, economy and status of a country. It also reflects the wish of millions of people to visit the city.
A leader must be on the ground living among the people, enduring their conditions and experiencing their lives
First moments are precious – the birth of a first child, the first pang of love... I still remember the birth of the United Arab Emirates
Countries succeed when the people’s dreams are echoed in the personal aspirations of their leaders.
Countries succeed when leaders abandon their egos to fulfil the hopes of society and achieve great things.
Countries succeed when political power is used as a means to cement the people’s desires, and not simply as an end unto itself
I needed clarity and guidance, the harmonisation between my intentions and the will of God. I was, and still am, in need of the help of God and His guidance in all of my affairs.
We must acknowledge Divine power over everything. We strive, but success comes from God. We act, but direction and support are delivered by Him. We purify our motives to serve people, but it is the Sustainer of all beings who grants us accomplishments in accordance with our intentions. Guidance, care and protection all come from God.
“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”
You cannot attain wisdom in life unless you fully comprehend complex facts, situations and lessons
Wilson’s words reflected the United Kingdom’s great size compared to our nation, as well as its almost unchallenged ability to act as it wished. My father’s message was very clear: do not underestimate us because of our size, for we are strong and have a determination that may not be visible to you – we are more than capable of protecting ourselves.
I am but from a tribe, if it errs, so do I, and if it is rightly guided then so am I.
We only drink if water is pure, while others drink from murky depths.
Stable rule, respect for the power of the state and upholding its constitution are all foundations of a sound polity. They are prerequisites to maintaining order and peaceful interaction between all elements of society.
Visions are passed down through generations, our minds conceive and share new ideas and our parents pass their characteristics on to us.
Sometimes I think that we need to reconsider our cooperation mechanisms in the Arab world, whether through the GCC or the Arab League, and rethink its fundamental structures and modes of operation. These mechanisms are managed by politicians, mainly ministers of foreign affairs, who are primarily concerned with firefighting political crises and therefore overlook longer-term opportunities and agendas.
We were not making good use of our wealth, we had no faith in the ideas of youth, and we were not willing to try anything new or different
My answer to them was, “Build it and they will come.” They used to say to me, “Logically, it’s demand before supply, you must have demand first, and then invest in the supply.” I always replied, “This theory could be true, but we know best how to develop our country.”
These principles are based on openness to the world, equality for all, the rule of law, fair competition, the creation of opportunities for everyone to work, invest and be creative, and the right of every entrepreneur to compete fairly with every other, even if the latter was a ruler or the government. These are solid principles that have shown their worth over generations.
I hate conflict because it is neither a smart nor civilised way to resolve problems. But, if the other party refuses to act in a civilised manner, then I am forced to act decisively.
Sometimes companies destroy themselves through fear of competition, leading to the creation of a competitor that will go on to eliminate them.
I read a United Nations report about the ravages of the Syrian war; more than 400,000 dead – most of them civilians – five million refugees forced to leave the country, six million internally displaced persons and about $400 billion in infrastructural damages. I sincerely hope that Syria will one day succeed in healing and resurrecting its broken society. The Syrian people, who built 40 civilisations, are capable of building a better new one. Of this, I am utterly convinced.
They asked me why I did not lament my father, when lamenting a father is a debt we owe. You who blame, how unjust you are, when I have no mind left to express how I feel.
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.
If the economy in the region were to improve, personal income were to increase and the number of educated, talented individuals were to rise, then Dubai would be ten times better off. A rising tide raises all boats.
Change needs a clear, clean and transparent environment to flourish.
quite capable of turning things around for themselves. As
Governments are the traffic police and their role is to facilitate the movement of life for the people who are driven to build their futures and their nations. Unfortunately, our region suffers from an excess of failed traffic policemen.
He who builds nations does not die. He who empowers leaders does not die. He who lives a good life does not die
He had soft, shiny skin, through which you could see hundreds of veins, especially the artery leading from the heart, which reflected the life and energy that beat in his veins The face of a horse also speaks volumes about him.
“People pass and money passes. Only the homeland remains; only the things that we have done for our people will endure.” I wish Sheikh Zayed was still among us today
Giving to others blesses us in return with happiness, peace of mind and tranquillity. We are often more in need of giving than the needy are of receiving our aid. When you give to others, God gives to you. When you humble yourself, God elevates you.
The average person can serve humanity just as well, or better, than thousands of business people who earn millions, because goodness stems from the heart, and compassion is part of the soul.
