Sheikh Mohammed to Sheikha Hind: You are my greatest achievement and life’s most beautiful gift
Vice President pays deeply personal tribute to his wife and companion of 47 years
Dubai: His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has paid a deeply personal tribute to his wife, Sheikha Hind bint Maktoum bin Juma Al Maktoum, describing her as his lifelong companion, the pillar of his home and the quiet strength with which he has faced the world.
The message appears in Sheikh Mohammed’s new book “The Messages”, the second part of “Lessons from Life”, and reflects on 47 years of marriage, family, sacrifice and shared memories.
Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - simply click here.
“To my companion on life’s journey, Hind bint Maktoum Al Maktou, the pillar of my home and my whole life, the mother of sheikhs ,” Sheikh Mohammed wrote.
“My greatest achievement, my most beautiful memories and my sweetest moments. Hind, my partner in life, my partner in my dream and my companion on my journey.” He described Sheikha Hind as his “support, home and homeland”, the person closest to his soul and dearest to his heart.
‘The quiet strength with which I face the world’
Reflecting on their life together, Sheikh Mohammed said Sheikha Hind had been a source of home, security and reassurance throughout their marriage.
“For an entire lifetime, Hind, you have been the home, the homeland and the reassurance. You have been a great mother, a loving wife and the quiet strength with which I face the world,” he wrote.
Sheikh Mohammed praised Sheikha Hind's role in raising their children, describing her as their first school, first teacher and first role model.
“I see the imprint of your words in their humility today, the imprint of your heart in their compassion for people, and the imprint of your love in their devotion and loyalty to their country.”
Sheikh Mohammed also highlighted his wife’s charitable work and years of giving, saying much of what she had done was known only to God.
“For 47 years, the mother of Sheikh Hamdan, Maktoum and Sheikhs, we have not forgotten your hard work, patience, sacrifices and prayers,” he wrote. “For 47 years, you have been a source of giving, a river of goodness and a mother to orphans," Sheikh Mohammed said, adding that Sheikha Hind's happiest days were those in which she could ease the hardship of people in need.
‘The beauty of the journey with you’
Looking back over nearly five decades, Sheikh Mohammed said their children had grown, achievements had multiplied, and they had passed through many stages of life, but the journey itself mattered more than any individual milestone.
“The beauty of the journey with you, Hind, was greater than all the destinations. The most beautiful gift God has given me in this life is that I travelled this long road with Hind by my side,” he wrote.
Sheikh Mohammed said their life together had taught him that a wife was far more than a partner. “She is the foundation, the balance and the memory of every family. She witnesses its transformations and preserves its history. She is the one who can bring together what has become scattered, calm what has become unsettled and bring reassurance to everyone.”
Our true legacy
Sheikh Mohammed said the couple’s true legacy was not what they had built physically, but the values they had instilled in their children.
“Our true legacy, Hind, is not what we have built, but the love we have built in the hearts of our children, the values we have instilled in them, and the goodness and compassion for humanity we have left in their hearts.”
He urged Sheikha Hind to play the same guiding role for their grandchildren, telling them the stories of their ancestors, the greatness of their homeland and the responsibility people have towards one another.
“Teach them that a person’s life is not measured by years, but by achievements, by the number of hearts they touch and the ambitions they help fulfil,” he wrote.
“Always remind them that their country is waiting for them, to protect its achievements, preserve its gains and take it to even greater heights.”
Sheikh Mohammed concluded with a prayer that Sheikha Hind would remain a source of home, comfort and love for their children and grandchildren.
“May God preserve you, Hind, as a homeland, a home and a heart for all our sons and daughters,” he wrote, signing his message: “Forever and always with love."
