Three years of solid growth

Dubai: In what is best to be described as an amazing journey for Dubai, full of great achievements, the UAE yesterday marked the third anniversary of the accession of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

Since January 4, 2006, when Shaikh Mohammad became the Ruler of Dubai, the emirate has never looked back.

The emirate has been transformed into a global hub of business and tourism. The name Dubai has become an international brand, synonymous with success and good governance.

Dubai's "race for excellence" went beyond the emirate's borders. Shaikh Mohammad's first cabinet, formed in early 2006, brought in eight new faces to usher in change.

But the real challenge was to turn around Dubai, in such a short time, to a key player in the world of business.

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

And the seal of such global status was affirmed with the establishment of institutions such as the Dubai International Financial Market, Dubai World, and the expansion of Emirates airline.

High-profile visits

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

He has done this while instituting transparency in government and combating corruption.

The establishment of the Financial Control Department - a new body that monitors the financial activities of government departments, institutions and companies in which the government owns a minimum 25 per cent stake and bodies financially assisted by the government - can truly be considered one of Dubai's great achievements under Shaikh Mohammad.

However, Shaikh Mohammad's endeavours have also gone into fields other than business and governance.

He has brought the best to Dubai with his endless humanitarian initiatives, such as Dubai Cares and Noor Dubai.

Both initiatives brought education and medical services to millions of people around the world.

Also, he issued an annual decree to cap the spiralling rents in Dubai, to allow limited income families enjoy the emirate's boom without having to sacrifice their way of life.

His support for the media resulted in the landmark decision to scrap jail terms in press offences.

Shaikh Mohammad never, in fact, missed a chance to express his unequivocal support for press freedom. He also donated Dh5 million to the UAE Journalists Association to enable it to meet its social and humanitarian commitments.