H.H. Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum (born 1949) is the leader of Dubai and the Prime Minister and Vice-President of the United Arab Emirates.

He is the third of Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum’s four sons. Sheikh Maktoum, Sheikh Hamdan and Sheikh Ahmed are his brothers. Sheikh Mohammed enjoyed a happy and carefree early childhood in the Al Maktoum family's Al Shindagha home. He was an athletic and energetic child; and played traditional children's games such as Luhol and Huwaim, better known as tag and hopscotch. Even as a toddler he liked nothing better than to kick a ball around. From the age of four, Sheikh Mohammed was privately tutored in Arabic and Islamic Studies. In 1955, he began his formal education at Al Ahmedia School, a small primary school in Deira. It taught Arabic grammar, English, mathematics, geography and history. At the age of 10 he moved to Al Shaab School and two years later he went to Dubai Secondary School. In August 1966, Sheikh Mohammed flew to London. He was accompanied by his cousin, Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al-Maktoum. They enrolled in the Bell School of Languages, in Cambridge, one of Europe's best-regarded language schools.

On January 3, 1995, Sheikh Maktoum, signed two decrees that appointed Sheikh Mohammed as Crown Prince of Dubai.

Sheikh Mohammed is considered the architect of modern Dubai and is projecting Dubai as a major financial centre and business hub in the region. He is considered a modern leader who wishes to take Dubai far ahead. Some of the projects he is credited with include the Palm Islands, a $4 billion exercise where three huge expanses of land in the shape of palm trees are reclaimed and thus stick out into the Persian Gulf and also, the Burj Al Arab hotel, a 5 star deluxe hotel. He is also promoting the construction of Burj Dubai which, if completed, will be the tallest building in the world.

Sheikh Mohammed has carved a name for himself in the equestrian world as a champion endurance rider. His love for horses has encouraged him to host the world's richest horse race - the Dubai World Cup, worth a whopping $6 million. His stables, the Godolphin stables, are considered to be among the finest in the world. He is considered one of the wealthiest men in the world and he loves to show it as reflected in his super yacht called Platinum over 500 feet long (525 ft)

He became the Ruler of Dubai on 4 January 2006 upon the death of his elder brother Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum in Australia.

He was also nominated by the President, HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahayan, to be the next Prime Minister and Vice-President of the UAE on January 5, 2006. The Members of the UAE Supreme Council accepted the President's nomination, and thus, Sheikh Mohammed became Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE.

Marriage and family

His first wife is Sheikha Hind bint Maktoum bin Juma Al Maktoum, whom he married on 1979. His second wife is Princess Haya bint Al-Hussein, daughter of Hussein of Jordan and half-sister of current king Abdullah II of Jordan, whom he married on April 10, 2004.

Sheikh Mohammed has 16 children, 7 sons and 9 daughters

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