Sheikh Mohammed praises Sheikh Maktoum and shares lessons behind Dubai’s success
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has shared a deeply personal letter to his son Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, praising his leadership while reflecting on the principles that have helped Dubai grow into a global centre for business, finance and talent.
The message is the fourth letter released from Sheikh Mohammed’s new book The Letters, the second part of his Lessons from Life series. The collection contains 26 letters based on almost six decades of public service.
Sheikh Mohammed praises Maktoum’s leadership
Sheikh Maktoum serves as First Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, holding responsibilities that span both federal government and Dubai’s economic development.
In the letter, Sheikh Mohammed praises his calm character, ability to listen and commitment to public service, describing him as one of the pillars supporting the UAE.
He highlights Sheikh Maktoum’s work overseeing federal budgets, helping manage Dubai’s economy and chairing the emirate’s Judicial Council.
Sheikh Mohammed also notes his role in reviewing major projects, maintaining balanced budgets, improving government services and strengthening Dubai’s position as an international centre for finance and wealth.
Dubai grows through ambition, not experience alone
Beyond the personal message, the letter develops into a wider reflection on why some cities continue to grow while others lose momentum.
Sheikh Mohammed argues that successful cities are built by attracting ambitious people — entrepreneurs, researchers, pioneers, investors and people willing to experiment.
He points to cities throughout history, including Baghdad, Athens and Venice, as well as modern global centres such as New York, London and Singapore.
Their success, he suggests, came not simply from geography or existing wealth but from their ability to attract talent, ideas and ambition.
For Dubai, that principle has remained central to its development.
Movement and openness create successful cities
Sheikh Mohammed describes thriving cities as places where people and ideas can move quickly.
Decisions need to be made efficiently, opportunities must remain available and information should circulate freely.
He also emphasises the wider importance of ports and airports.
They do more than move passengers and goods, he explains. They also bring knowledge, technology, new ideas and international connections into a city.
This is why openness and connectivity have played such an important role in Dubai’s economic model.
The ‘merchant mindset’ behind Dubai
One of the strongest ideas in Sheikh Mohammed’s letter is what he describes as the “merchant mindset.”
For him, successful cities approach the world with curiosity rather than fear.
They explore new opportunities, welcome people from different backgrounds, exchange ideas and goods and believe that cooperation can create mutual benefit.
Dubai’s traditional identity as a trading city is therefore not only part of its history — it remains central to the way the emirate approaches its future.
Sheikh Mohammed argues that prosperity ultimately depends more on mindset than geography.
Why cities begin to decline
The letter also contains a warning.
Sheikh Mohammed says cities rarely decline simply because of one dramatic external event. Problems often begin internally when societies become less open, movement slows and fear replaces ambition.
When institutions become too rigid and communities begin rejecting different ideas, the creative energy that originally produced prosperity can disappear.
Talent then starts looking elsewhere.
In Sheikh Mohammed’s view, protecting Dubai’s future therefore means protecting the culture that helped create its success in the first place — openness, experimentation, ambition and confidence.
Confidence in Dubai despite regional challenges
The letter also acknowledges the geopolitical instability that has repeatedly affected the Middle East.
Despite those challenges, Sheikh Mohammed expresses confidence in the model Dubai and the UAE have created.
He points to continued improvements in services, a strong culture of openness and the constant arrival of new ideas and talent as reasons for optimism.
Rather than responding to uncertainty by becoming more cautious or closed, his message is that Dubai must continue moving forward.
A personal message about Dubai’s next generation
At its heart, however, the letter remains a message from a father to his son.
Sheikh Mohammed expresses pride in Sheikh Maktoum and confidence in the role he will continue to play alongside his brothers and Dubai’s wider leadership team.
The message connects personal trust with a broader question about how Dubai preserves what it has built.
After decades of extraordinary growth, Sheikh Mohammed’s advice is clear: the city’s next generation of leaders must protect not only its institutions and achievements, but also the mindset that made them possible.
For Dubai, that means continuing to welcome ambition, encourage new ideas and remain open to the world.
