Dubai: Prominent Emirati businessman and former minister Mohammed Saeed Rashid Al Mulla passed away today at 97.
Dr Anwar Mohammed Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the UAE President, took to his Twitter account to mourn the death of the veteran businessman and politician.
“Today, former minister and prominent businessman Mohammed Saeed Al Mulla has departed our world. He was one of the faithful men who worked dedicatedly and faithfully to achieve the vision of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and his brothers, the rulers of the emirates,” Dr. Gargash said.
“With his departure, we lost a national figure who served his country with all honesty and loyalty. My condolences to his family.”
Born in Shindagha, Dubai, in 1926, Al Mulla was appointed as the Minister of State for Union and Gulf Affairs in the first Cabinet the late vice president and prime minister of the UAE, Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum, formed.
In 1973, he was appointed as the Minister of Transportation and Communication during the formation of the second Cabinet. He maintained his portfolio as the minister of transportation and communication in 1977 in the third Cabinet reshuffle and remained in this post until 1997.
On May 2, 1975, the late Sheikh Zayed issued Resolution No. 2 of 1975, establishing a constituent committee to prepare a permanent draft constitution for the state. Mohammed Al Mulla was one of the 28 members of the constituent committee.
In 1965, Al Mulla was selected to be the first chairman of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry Board of Directors. He was also the first chairman of the Board of Directors of Emirates Telecommunications Company (Etisalat), established on August 30, 1976.
UAE businesses paid rich tribute to the business stalwart on Monday. Etisalat, tweeted, "We bid farewell to His Excellency Mohammed Saeed Al Mulla, a figure of great influence in the development of the UAE. His influence on the national economy and his involvement in various industries, including telecommunications."
Lieutenant-General Dhahi Khalfan Tamim, Deputy Chairman of Police and Public Security in Dubai, mourned the death of Mohammed Saeed Rashid Al Mulla.
In a tweet, Lt. Gen Dhahi Tamim wrote that he and his family mourn the death of Mohammed Saeed Rashid Al Mulla, asking Allah Almighty to bestow his mercy upon him and grant him a place in paradise along with prophets, martyrs and righteous people.
Emirati businessman Khalaf Al Habtoor also took to his Twitter account to mourn the death of Al Mulla.
“With faith in God’sGod’s will, today I received the news of the death of the late Mohammad Saeed Al Mulla. I extend my deepest condolences to his sons and family members. Al Mulla, a patriotic economic figure whom I learned a lot from him in my early days. May God bless him in paradise and grant his family patience and solace. We belong to Allah, and to Him, we shall return,” Al Habtoor wrote.
