View of part of the Fujairah Corniche and the Hajar Mountains in the Background

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Judged One of The 75 Most Influential People of the 21st Century

Esquire magazine, in their poll released on 16 September 2008 included Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, 59 years, ruler of Dubai, prime minister of the United Arab Emirates, Dubai as one of the 75 most influential people of the 21st century.

The judges affirmed this “because Dubai will soon stand comfortably in a league with Paris, London, New York, and Rome.”

The List of 75
The magazine reached its conclusion this way:

“We set out to find them across every field of endeavor, the people who are bending history right now. It was an impossible task, but the result is a determined, defiant, earnest, brilliant, philanthropic, space-going, smoking-hot group, and together they are writing the first chapter of the rest of our lives.”

About Sheik Mohammed
The magazine included this in their recently released statement (8 October 2008):

“The true innovation of "Sheik Mo" is that he runs his 1,500-square-mile, oil-poor plot of desert as a kind of postmodern state without borders or geography. It consumes, produces, and sells money…Sheik Mo has perfected a model of rapid development that relies not on natural resources or labor but something more rare--frictionless commerce.”

To read the entire article on Sheik Mohammed and Dubai click on this link.

To see the photo gallery of the Top 75 click on this link.

What one feature about Sheik Mohammed do you find influential or impressive?

Dr Geoff Pound

Image: HH Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. (Photo courtesy of Esquire at above link)