Mohammad marks three years since accession

Dubai: Dubai has not looked back since the accession of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, on January 4, 2006.

In the past three years, Dubai has developed even more as a global hub for business and tourism. The name Dubai has become an international brand, synonymous with success and good governance. Government officials, nationals and expatriates have all come forward to congratulate Shaikh Mohammad.

Saqr Gobash Saeed Gobash, Minister of Labour, said: "There is no doubt that Shaikh Mohammad is one of the leaders that history will remember for his achievements. His farsightedness was obvious long before his accession day [when he took over] as Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

Helping humanity

"His efforts for development and growth go beyond the boundaries of the UAE as several of his initiatives were aimed at lending a helping hand for humanity, regardless of race, nationality or sex. Initiatives such as Dubai care and Noor Dubai show that Shaikh Mohammad is a leader by nature, who is concerned about the development and well-being of humanity in general."

With the March 14, 2006 law that legalised freehold ownership of land and property for expatriates in some areas of Dubai, the emirate saw its skyline change, and its status grow as a modern, cosmopolitan metropolis.

Shaikh Mohammad has also enhanced Dubai's status with high-profile visits to India, China, Iran, South Korea, Germany and France.

Dr Hanif Hassan, Minister of Education, said: "Without a doubt his mission and vision are absolutely extraordinary, coming from an extraordinary personality who has completely transformed Dubai ... Signs of his great leadership can be seen in all fields, with a priority for education and his strong faith in the empowerment of the individual. All these qualities reflect his level of awareness and dedication to the role of education ..."

Timeline: Keeping up the good work

4/1/06: Appointed Ruler of Dubai following the death of Shaikh Maktoum Bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

5/1/06: Elected Vice-President by the Supreme Council. The council also approved the proposal of President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan to appoint Shaikh Mohammad as Prime Minister.

9/2/06: Formed the new UAE Cabinet ushering in eight new faces, but major portfolios remained unchanged including the Defence, Interior, Finance and Energy ministries.

19/2/06: Announces launch of Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE), a global aerospace manufacturing and services corporation with Dh55 billion of investments.

14/3/06: Issues Law No. 7 that legalises freehold ownership of land and property for UAE and GCC citizens, while allowing the same rights to non-GCC expatriates in pre-designated areas approved by the Ruler of Dubai.

23/04/06: Releases first copy of his book, My Vision - Challenges in the Race for Excellence.

09/09/06: Appoints Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum as the head of Dubai Executive Council.

3/10/06: Issues Law No. 20 for 2006, which established the Mohammad Bin Rashid Housing Establishment with a paid up capital of Dh12 billion.

12/12/06: Named New York Times' Entrepreneur of the Year.

01/01/07: Issues a decree stipulating that the rent increase should not exceed seven per cent of the annual rent of the property.

3/2/07: Announces Dubai Strategic Plan 2015, the nine-year economic plan that will fuel an 11 per cent annual growth in GDP to Dh396.36 billion by 2015.

19/2/07: Officially launches the services of du, a new telecommunications operator that ended etisalat's 30-year monopoly.

20/2/07: Sets up the Financial Control Department to monitor the financial activities of government departments, institutions and companies in which the government owns a minimum 25 per cent stake, besides bodies assisted financially by the government.

17/3/07: Issues a law setting up the Knowledge and Human Development Authority to foster a comprehensive human development strategy and find radical solutions to challenges facing the education system.

25/3/07: Embarks on his first visit to India, a landmark visit aimed at further strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries.

21/5/07: Starts his first ever visit to South Korea to further boost bilateral ties

19/9/07: Launches "Dubai Cares", a campaign which aims to fund education of poor children worldwide.

14/10/07: In an interview on 60 Minutes in the USA, Shaikh Mohammad voices his desire to see Dubai becoming number one in everything, be it education, housing or health. He makes a wish that all UAE residents should enjoy the highest standard of living, today, not in 20 years.

05/11/07: Shaikh Mohammad sets up the Dubai City Aviation, comprising the Dubai Airports, Dubai World Central, and Dubai Air Traffic Navigation.

25/11/07: Donates Dh1.7 billion to Dubai Cares, doubling the initiative's funds to Dh3.48 billion.

14/01/08: Receives US President George W. Bush in Dubai.

20/01/08: Establishes Arab philanthropy foundation to unify charitable work in the Arab region.

29/01/08: Approves the construction of the sixth arch-bridge to be built over the Dubai Creek at a cost of Dh3 billion.

01/02/08: Appoints Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Al Maktoum as Crown Prince of Dubai and Shaikh Maktoum Bin Mohammad Al Maktoum as Deputy Ruler of Dubai.

06/02/08 : Arrives on a two-day visit to Germany.

18/2/08: Visits Iran to boost bilateral ties

10/3/08: Orders setting up of The Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) Museum.

31/3/08: Begins four-day visit to China to hold talks with its leaders in order to boost bilateral ties of the two countries

31/3/08: Awarded the first Shaikh Khalifa UAE Book Award for his book "My Vision - Challenges in the Race for Excellence".

3/9/08: Launches Noor Dubai initiative.

20/9/08 Launches trial run of Dubai Metro trains on an 11-km track on Shaikh Zayed Road.

4/11/08: Receives British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and discussed bilateral relations and global economic issues.

18/12/08: The Arab League awards Shaikh Mohammad the title of the First Patron of the Arab Media.

- Compiled from Gulf News Archive