A true leader does not derive power from his position, but from his ethics, from people’s love for him, and from his knowledge, education and excellence in his field of work.
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
I am at the traffic lights in Jumeirah on my way to work when I spot a familiar face in the car adjacent to me. At first, I can’t place him but he’s definitely local as he is wearing a pristine white kandura and ghutra, traditional dress for men in the UAE. He has a beautifully manicured beard and moustache and smiling eyes, yet there is gravitas about him. To be honest he could be anyone as most men in Dubai resemble him. Incidentally, they also smell great, wafting the local equivalent of Boss as they glide past you in a mall - not that I could smell him from inside the bubble of my air-conditioned Jeep. As we wait for the lights to go green, the man briefly turns, looks at me and half-smiles through his tinted window. Ah, what a friendly chap. I definitely know him but who is he? The lights change and, as he drives off ahead of me, I notice the car is a Mercedes G-Wagen and his number plate is Dubai 1. The penny drops. It is Sheikh Mohammed, the Ruler of Dubai.
To anyone who hasn’t lived in Dubai it may seem curious that a member of a royal family could navigate a city so freely, but when I arrived in Dubai in 2001 it was common to see Sheikh Mo, as he is affectionately known, out and about in his G-Wagen. He was often alone, going about his business like any other resident. I used to imagine him popping into Starbucks for his morning latte or the post office to pick up a parcel. Of course, he had minions who did that for him, but I bet he would have liked to do it himself - he always seemed so down to earth.
In the years following the 2001 World Trade Centre attacks, and with the onset of global paranoia, Sheikh Mo’s freedom was inevitably curbed. He still enjoyed free time outside the confines of his palace, just not alone.
Years later, when they built the Al Qudra Cycle track out in the desert, we used to see him cycling with his entourage - the inimitable Sheikh Mohammed on his carbon fibre bike sandwiched between Nissan Patrols full of bodyguards. Remove the entourage and he was no different to us really - a cyclist enjoying a sunset ride on a balmy spring evening.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum is the Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of the Emirate of Dubai. Born on the 15th July 1949, he is head of a large family with twenty-three children, nine sons and fourteen daughters, from at least six different wives. His extended family numbers hundreds.
The Maktoum family are descendants of the influential Bani Yas tribe, inhabitants of an area of the UAE that is now part of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. In 1833 the tribe settled in Dubai and their period of rule commenced.
Sheikh Mohammed is the tenth ruler in the family line, having come to power in 2006 after the death of his brother Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
Knowing he would one day be in a position of power Sheikh Mo was primed for public life from an early age. After completing school in Dubai, he moved to Cambridge in the UK and learned English before attending, what is today, the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, where he received the Sword of Honour for the best Commonwealth Student.
His return to Dubai in 1968 coincided with a milestone in the region’s history — the UK’s decision to terminate its treaties with The Trucial States, including Dubai, and withdraw its forces from the Gulf. Having been under British protection for 150 years, the seven former Trucial States now looked to each other for mutual support and commenced talks about unification. The constitution to form the federation of the United Arab Emirates was signed on the 2nd December 1971 and Sheikh Mohammed became the first Minister of Defence.
In 1995 he became Crown Prince of Dubai and began his journey towards becoming the iconic leader he is today.
As of writing, the Maktoum family is estimated to be worth over £13bn, a fortune amassed over just three decades through blatant self-promotion, gritty determination and oil money. It must have been remarkable for them to wave their magic wand and then sit back and watch Dubai’s shiny buildings grow out of a desert - placing a small town once inhabited by fishermen and camel herders onto the world stage.
Although it was his Father, Sheikh Maktoum, who dreamed up Dubai’s 21st century Masterplan, today the city is very much Mohammed’s baby. As CEO of Dubai Inc, the fictional company residents identify as the city of Dubai; there is nothing stopping this astute businessman on the path to success.
In the early days of Dubai’s development Sheikh Mohmmed even cared for his baby personally, as I was soon to find out.
***
I am sitting opposite my client George, the Marketing Director of Dubai Internet City. Like many Lebanese men working in Dubai, he oozes charm. He is smart and driven, a fugitive of a war-torn country embracing opportunity elsewhere. I am not surprised he has been handpicked to promote Dubai’s latest Free Zone, one of many entities in the Dubai Masterplan designed to attract foreign investment.
George has trusted me to produce his first promotional film and I am there to hear his feedback on the rough cut.
“Ok Jana, we like the film, there are a few small changes, but the Sheikh is happy.”
“What do you mean George, which Sheikh?” I ask. “I thought you were responsible for approving the film”.
“I mean the Crown Prince. You know, Sheikh Mohammed. He really loves the film, especially the way the film concludes. He thinks you’re really talented.”
This is a surprise to me, not that Sheikh Mo likes the film but that he wants to personally review it. Surely, he could make better use of his precious time. His desire to be a hands-on business leader tells me a lot about his commitment to Dubai’s success.
Sheikh Mohammed is, in fact, responsible for the creation and growth of a number of Dubai’s most influential businesses. These include Dubai Holding, which Dubai Internet City belongs to, and Dubai World, owner of Palm Jumeirah developer, Nakheel. He also launched Emirates Airline and Dubai’s two international airports.
Sheikh Mohammed effectively masterminded and instigated the Dubai we know today with its hotels glistening in the desert sun, theme parks delighting eager tourists and the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, tapering into the sky like a giant piece of Lego. For this he commands great respect and admiration, particularly from his own people.
Sheikh Mohammed is not a greedy man - the Government of Dubai takes social security to a whole new level for those with UAE nationality - free healthcare, tax free income, higher salaries, free education, land to build a home with interest-free loans. Emirati men even receive financial support when they marry, a sum of around $20,000, as long as they marry a fellow Emirati. It is no wonder Dubai nationals love their ruler, but they are not the only ones. Sheikh Mohammed is a much-loved leader with a global following. You only have to take a look at his Social Media accounts to see this -at the time of writing he has 4 million followers on Instagram and Facebook and almost 10 million followers on Twitter. It is a clever tactic in the world leader popularity contest. By actively sharing his life with us through Social Media he makes himself approachable - we feel like we know him and that he knows us.
After Sheikh Mo saw my film, I was convinced he knew me personally. A regular source of discussion and amusement amongst expats was speculating on how the local CID spied on us and tracked our every move, ready to deport anyone who did not do what they were told. I imagined there was a high-tech control room full of thousands of security cameras monitored by overzealous men in uniforms. A camera would be allocated to each expat and they could zoom in to check what they were doing.
“Let’s click on Dan Jones today… what a lucky man, he’s having sex with his wife, Amanda, in the back of his car in the desert, or is it is wife? Zoom in please Ahmed so I can check her face.”
“What’s Joanna Rudd doing?… She’s running on Jumeirah beach and she really shouldn’t be wearing those micro-shorts in the UAE, naughty girl.”
Periodically Sheikh Mo, being the big boss, would pop in to boost team moral. Whilst there, he would sneak a peek at some of the expat cameras.
“Show me Jana Murray’s camera please,” he would ask. “Ah, it’s great to see she’s busy working on her next film. I love her new office in Dubai Media City.
***
By 2006 Dubai was exploding with real estate developments popping up all over the city. Everyone wanted a promotional film and there was an opportunity to set up our own video production company. Two years later the global recession hit but it took a few years for the effects of it to reach booming Dubai. There is a law against sharing bad news and portraying Dubai in a negative light so many people turned a blind eye to world events. Whilst the world economy was stagnating, Dubai carried on building, seemingly oblivious, and I carried on churning out films for the promo hungry developers.
One of our first clients was an agency called Asdaa who were working with Emaar, the largest property developer in Dubai, government owned of course. Emaar’s flagship project was launched in 2008 - the monstrous Dubai Mall, allegedly the world’s largest mall with 1300 retail outlets, an aquarium, Olympic sized ice rink and 80 million visitors annually. If you like losing yourself (literally) in marble and bling, this is the place to go. Years later I still struggle to find my way around this labyrinth.
Asdaa commissioned us to produce a series of videos for The Dubai Mall YouTube channel and asked us to cover the formal opening of The Dubai Mall, with Sheikh Mo attending.
And here begins my next close encounter with Sheikh Mo.
***
It is a Friday evening in the UAE. Any sane individual is relaxing under the stars with a glass of wine. Not me though. I’m stuck in something akin to a rugby scrum, only I’m not chasing after an odd shaped ball; I’m hounding His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum at the official launch of The Dubai Mall.
I’m not often involved in the rough and tumble of live event coverage so I arrive early. I plonk my tripod down in what appears to be the best spot next to the Red Carpet, but it’s obvious I’m a newbie. Fortunately, a seasoned photographer from the local paper, Gulf News, is standing next to me and offers a few friendly tips.
“It’s mostly down to luck. You must be in the right place at the right time. Oh, and you need to push past the Sheikh’s bodyguards if you want to get close to him.”
Oh great, how am I possibly going to manage that? Not only am I one of a hundred media representatives attending the event, I’ve been told His Highness will be accompanied by over forty bodyguards and associates. I’m average height for a woman, so I can’t imagine how I will ever get past these burly chaps to capture a useable shot of the Sheikh. Then again, Arabic culture dictates that men should not get too close to women; could my gender save me? Perhaps the mass of male bodyguards will miraculously open like the Red Sea?
A few loud cheers indicate Sheikh Mo has arrived. I am poised for the moment and there he is in the viewfinder, perfectly framed, for a second. My Gulf News mate has disappeared, and a circle of frenzied photographers and cameramen have engulfed the Sheikh. I step back dazed and disappointed that I have missed the unveiling of the plaque, praying that Sandy, operating the second camera, has had more success.
Sheikh Mo is quick and has evaporated like a genie before I can catch my breath. I had been warned about his keen pace. As I move around the rugby scrum, I spot Sandy.
“I got it! I got the shot!” he shouts, beaming.
Relieved, I move towards the kick off for the Mall Tour but Sheikh Mo has a head start on me. I sprint through the mall ahead of him, tearing past the general public who are intent on blocking me with their selfie sticks.
I manage to move ahead and I can see the scrum coming towards me. I am in their direct path and one of the bodyguards tells me to move. I smile sweetly at him and his face softens a little. Then Sheikh Mohammed sees me and raises his hand to wave. Our eyes lock and I am positive he recognises me, the producer whose film he liked, who he checks up on in the CID Control Room. Now he is waving at me, yes me, and the shot is in the can.
This gives me confidence. There are many kiosks in the walkways of The Dubai Mall and they all seem to have acquired an Ikea bar stool. I have an idea. I grab one of the bar stools and jump on to it. I receive a few strange looks but I’, high above the crowds and I can see the Sheikh coming towards me. It’s another great shot.
I keep running ahead of the Sheikh and see another opportunity. I am in the right spot. Then a chain of security guards appears out of nowhere and blocks my way. I flash my Media Pass, to no avail. The Sheikh walks past and I take a shot of the back of a security guard’s head as they push backwards onto me and I desperately try not to fall over.
No problem. I know where he is going because I was one of the few Media who bothered to attend the rehearsal yesterday. I dash to the top of the next down escalator just in time to grab a prime spot alongside the selfie mob. I capture a great shot of the Sheikh going down the escalator, the tidal wave of white dishdashas following behind him.
Now I relax a little. I know my second camera is ahead of me, so I see no need to rush. Big mistake. When I arrive at the Waterfront for The Dubai Mall Fountain Show, the finale of the event, access to the VIP area has been closed. “No more Media past this point Madam,” an officious Indian security guard tells me as he barricades the entrance with outstretched arms. I plead and I beg but to no avail. Negotiation is dead but I am feeling brave. I duck under his arms and he pretends he hasn’t seen me.
I spot the same friendly bodyguard from earlier and he smiles warmly. Behind me Sheikh Mohammed sits serenely in awe of the dancing fountains. I take some shots of him watching the Show. Then a space miraculously appears at the front directly overlooking the lake. The fountains do their magic and I head off satisfied that we have enough in the can to make a good film.
I don’t know if Sheikh Mo ever saw my film of The Dubai Mall Official Launch. By then he had more important jobs to do than reviewing films, like rubbing shoulders with Queen Elizabeth at the Ascot races. It doesn’t matter though because he saw me in The Dubai Mall and he recognised me. Sheikh Mohammed knows me, I am sure of it. And herein lies his success as a leader. Sheikh Mo makes you feel like he knows you. Of course, he doesn’t, but that feeling is enough to command our enduring love and attention.