How Sheikh Mohammed saved 140 lives in 1973 hijack in Dubai when he was just 24

Screened at the Mohammed bin Rashid Leadership Forum on Wednesday, the documentary, titled The Negotiator: Mohammed Bin Rashid, sheds light on the tense 80-hour standoff that unfolded in July 1973 when Japan Airlines Flight 404 was hijacked and diverted to Dubai International Airport.

Though Sheikh Mohammed had earlier written about his ‘first conversation with a terrorist’ in Chapter 30 of his book Qissati (My Story), this documentary provides the first visual account of the high-voltage hijack drama, showcasing how he averted the “threat to kill passengers every hour.”

At the time, Sheikh Mohammed, serving as the UAE's Minister of Defence, was thrust into an unprecedented crisis that would test his leadership skills in ways no training could have prepared him for.

The decision was taken to give responsibility to the defence minister, Sheikh Mohammed, the documentary revealed, highlighting the immense pressure placed on such young shoulders.

International crisis

Japan Airlines Flight 404, originating from Paris, had departed from Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport on July 20, 1973, bound for Tokyo via Anchorage, Alaska, before returning to Japan.

The Boeing 747-246B, carrying 123 passengers (including five hijackers) and 22 crew members, was seized by members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and the Japanese Red Army. The terrorists demanded the release of Japanese Red Army member Kozo Okamoto, serving a life sentence in Israel for involvement in the Tel Aviv attack.

After several governments refused to permit the hijacked aircraft to land, Dubai stepped forward to accept responsibility for the crisis.

"You don't want that on your ground, because it's not going to do good for your country's image. So, it's someone else's problem. [Yet] fortunately, Dubai stepped up, accepted the problem and dealt with it," military and aviation historian Patrick Boniface noted.

"They were lucky that they landed in Dubai," said broadcaster and journalist Angelino Schintu.

The hijackers issued a chilling ultimatum to Sheikh Mohammed: "They told Sheikh Mohammed they would begin killing passengers on Flight 404, one an hour, until they secured the release [of Okamoto]," recalled Schintu.

The crisis had already taken a tragic turn when one of the hijackers, a female terrorist, accidentally detonated a grenade, killing herself and terrifying the remaining passengers.

Masterful diplomacy

Despite having no prior experience in hostage negotiations, Sheikh Mohammed demonstrated extraordinary composure and strategic thinking throughout the crisis.

"Sheikh Mohammed was calm. He was collected. He acted as a person beyond his years," Schintu reminisced.

"Regardless of how young Sheikh Mohammed was at the time, to the families of the passengers, he was their only hope and saviour," said Dr. Naonori Kusakabe, lecturer on Japanese Red Army affairs at Rikkyo University, Tokyo.

His negotiation tactics were both psychological and practical, noted Philip Williams, former head of British Counter Terrorist Command.

Sheikh Mohammed gradually earned the respect of even the hijackers, speaking in the name of the President and people of the UAE and appealing in the name of humanity to release the innocent passengers.

He authorised refuelling of the aircraft to keep air conditioners running and ensure passenger comfort, while also arranging food for everyone. Strategically, "he was making the hijackers nervous, and he was doing this by getting helicopters to fly around the area and vehicles to drive around the area, so that the situation became quite unnerving for the hijackers,” said Schintu.

"He was getting himself into a position where he would be able to negotiate in a more powerful position. And he did this psychologically," he added.

Breakthrough moments

Sheikh Mohammed’s patient negotiations began yielding results, as he secured the release of some hostages through careful exchanges.

"You basically deal with terrorists by saying, ‘Look, we'll give you this if you give us something.’ And he got it. He got these two people off the plane," Boniface explained.

The hijackers acknowledged the release as a response to “the sincerity and compassion of the defence minister.”

Williams noted that the hostage-takers had developed respect for Sheikh Mohammed because of his conduct. “Well done! Respect!” he added.

Resolution achieved

After 80 gruelling hours in the control tower, Sheikh Mohammed’s persistence paid off. He made it clear to the hijackers that "there was no outcome here in Dubai for you," forcing them to consider alternative solutions.

Since Israel refused the release of Okamoto, hijackers eventually agreed to fly to Benghazi, Libya.

"I gave you an honest, Arab promise and I will not break it. The passengers won’t get harmed. If anyone suffers, it’ll be me first," said one hijacker.

Sheikh Mohammed also ensured the flight was checked by engineers before departure.

"By the end of the time that they are on the runway at Dubai, they are actually much more pliable to release the passengers and then stay alive," Boniface noted.

In Benghazi, all passengers and crew were released safely on July 23, 1973. Minutes later, the hijackers destroyed the aircraft with explosives they had carried on board.

"About 10 minutes after everyone disembarked, the whole thing just went up. They had a bomb on board," witnesses recalled.

International recognition

Sheikh Mohammed’s handling of the crisis earned international praise. In an unusual departure from protocol, then-Crown Prince Akihito wrote personally to the UAE’s Defence Minister to express gratitude. The incident strengthened ties between the two nations.

Sheikh Mohammed was also invited by Japanese Foreign Minister Kiichi Miyazawa to express gratitude for saving the lives of the passengers.

The success established Sheikh Mohammed as a skilled crisis negotiator, skills he later applied during the Lufthansa Flight 181 hijacking in 1977 and the Indian Airlines Flight 421 hijack in 1984.

Legacy established

Experts described the 1973 incident as “a prototype hijacking,” where “no one knew what you needed to do to get to where you needed to be.” Sheikh Mohammed’s approach “sort of set the bar for it,” influencing future hostage negotiation protocols worldwide.

"The hijackers' hearts and minds were completely turned around, and I think that's the power behind Sheikh Mohammed's words that day," said Schintu, highlighting how a young leader's composure, strategic thinking, and diplomacy saved lives and established him as a natural leader.

Nerves of steel

The documentary ends with the words of Captain Akira Harada, chief pilot: “As we say in Japanese, he has nerves of steel.”

Hijacker Osamu Maruoka, who escaped during the Benghazi incident, was later arrested and died in prison in 2011.

The documentary also features Kazuo Kino, former Director of Flight Operations; Tetsu Ohmori, former Director of Cabin Crew of Japan Airlines; and Audrey Cinnamond, daughter of a Flight 404 engineer among others.

It received thunderous applause from participants at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Leadership Forum, which gathered around 1,000 key government and private sector leaders, focusing on future leadership and management transformation in line with Sheikh Mohammed’s vision of making Dubai the world’s best city.