I was a simple tribal man with little education. But today I own businesses and real estate. The Bin Sougat Shopping Centre is a popular landmark in the city. My son, Abdullah Bin Hamad Bin Sougat, heads the Dubai International Financial Centre's special division. He is the CEO of its lifestyle group. All my five daughters are married and well settled and here I am going strong and still looking forward to tomorrow.
But Rome was not built in a day and neither was Dubai nor the UAE. Our leaders have a strong will to succeed and we have an abiding faith in their vision and the capacity to work hard under their guidance.
We believe that people are the truewealth of a nation. One who is truly worthy can do anything and if you give him knowledge, support and facilities (such as human resources), the sky is the limit tohis achievement.
Success to me means having strong and sturdy faith that holds you in good stead always. Success to me means the ability to hold on to hope even in a crisis. There have been many ups and downs I have faced - as has Dubai in the course of its evolution. But it is this belief or shall I say, philosophy, that has played a prominent role in helping me bounce back with renewed vigour every time.
I feel very proud of what has been achieved in such a short span - both by the city and me. Success does not mean money, wealth and real estate. In the true sense of the word, it is a precious sense of warmth and an optimism that lies deep in our hearts and which tells us that tomorrow will be a better day. It is this feeling that fired us with enthusiasm and hope in the early 1950s when Dubai was just a sleepy hamlet.
Taking baby steps
I do not know my exact age, but I would say I am in my eighties. I belong to the Falasi tribe and we are a sub-group in the Baniyas tribe. I wouldn't also say that life was tough in our times; yes, compared to the luxuries of the modern day, life then was very simple, but it was also very normal.
People were very friendly, very helpful and the community was very close-knit. People supported each other and stood by each other in difficult times. The most remarkable spirit of those days was our unshakeable belief that no harm would befall us. In the olden times, our innate knowledge about human nature and the collective wisdom of the tribes and clans helped people live successful lives.
I grew up in Deira. During my childhood I studied the Quran at home as there was no formal schooling. There were no schools or teachers. It was much later that teachers started to come to the UAE or to Dubai to teach Arabic and foreign languages. I studied at the Al Ahmadiya school in Shindagha in later school years.
Before the development phase, most people in Dubai had small businesses such as trading in foodstuff and spices, dhow-building and so on. Many were pearl divers by profession. Yes, there is a lot that is different today. In the past not many people had access to education. Today people are highly educated - they are learning good Arabic and English.
Big dreams, even bigger determination
In the past the most important thing a person had to help him survive was a strong character. I think this was ingrained into our minds by the strong character of our Rulers.
When I was a young man, I spent a very big part of my life in the august company of the late Shaikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, former Ruler of Dubai. Most of my time during the day was spent with him. What inspired the common people was the conscientious attitude of Shaikh Rashid. Success to most of us was not personal; it was about pushing for the success of Dubai. From the day Shaikh Rashid took up his post as Ruler, he was very keen to develop the city. He worked very hard and he possessed a tremendous vision. Although he had a comparatively limited budget for development, he still set up initiatives that led to the far-reaching progress of Dubai. He had very great dreams for Dubai and worked very hard to realise them. Even then, he dreamed of Dubai becoming a big, bustling city, which would be the pride of the world. He worked very hard to develop his country and improve the life of his people.
I would like to give you just one instance of his great vision and his ability to see the full picture at one go. One of his biggest projects was the dredging of the Dubai Creek in 1959. He wanted to make the creek bed deeper so it would help big ships dock with ease, which would be a tremendous advantage for Dubai in developing as a port city. As his vision proved, we have been witnessing the remarkable results of how his decision increased our sea trade. At that time, however, few could have fully understood the scope of his vision. He was a leader who could envision multiple strategies all at one time. For example, the huge volumes of sand that came out of the creek were used for development in another area close to the creek. I helped sell the land in this area to upcoming business families. The money that was generated from the sale of these plots of land was used by Shaikh Rashid to build the Shindagha tunnel. So the dredging idea sustained two more projects and all of them have had a positive long-term impact on the trading culture of the city.
Sweeping foresight
Success for us did not mean immediate gains. We always looked at the long-term impact an event or tradition was likely to have on the city and the country. Dubai even in the past was always the business hub. People needed food supplies, they needed to build sturdy dhows to go fishing, which was a livelihood for many... so the timber and foodstuff market was very vibrant. So was the textile and garment trade with traders coming here from India. The pearl trade ensured that people from all over the region came here and a lot of raw materials required for building big ships to sail on high seas were also traded. Many skilled professions and shipbuilders set up shop here. The business was strong and healthy. The current dry docks area was once the nerve centre for dhow and shipbuilding. The strongest emotion people shared in those days was a robust hope and a solid anticipation that the city would grow to be really big and strong.
Humility played a big role in the way we approached life and our Rulers always had a very inclusive policy. They would include the opinion and thoughts of all who cared to share them. Every day, after the Asr prayers, the prominent men of the society would assemble at Shaikh Rashid's majlis in Jumeirah. He would lend a patient ear to their suggestions.
Recipe for success
The two most important ingredients for success, according to me, are credibility and trust.
My advice to the younger generations is to build on the foundation of tradition laid down by your fathers and grandfathers. Preserve your customs and keep your faith deep and strong. This will help you possess wisdom, insight and enlightenment to lead a better life. Today's generation has the gifts of high-quality education and a very high standard of living that make life better for them. Although we did not have these privileges, we had other extremely valuable gifts - a strong Bedouin culture, a strong love and attachment for each other and mutual trust and respect.
I think these are the principles on which the success of Dubai is built and the new generation needs to hold on to these principles with absolute tenacity if it intends to keep the success story going. F
