FLASHESofTHOUGHTSheikhMohammedbinRashidAlMaktoumisthePrimeMinisterandVicePresidentoftheUnitedArabEmiratesandtheRulerofDubai.

Heis thedrivingforcebehindDubaisremarkable transformationintoamajorglobalcity.HisinitiativesincreatingstrategiceconomicopportunitiesforDubaihaveresultedinworld-leading enterprises such as Emirates Airline, Jumeirah Group, DPWorld, DubaiInternetCity,DubaiMediaCity,Dubai InternationalFinancialCentre andDubaiWorldCentral,theworldsfirstpurpose-builtaerotropolis.

Apassionateproponentofopen,service-ledgovernanceandstrategicplanning,SheikhMohammedhasdrivenmajor government reform in theUAE.He is the founder of thefamousGodolphin andDarley racingoperations aswell as theworlds richest race, theannual DubaiWorld Cup. A trained pilot and champion endurance rider, he is also anacclaimedpoetinhisnativeArabic.

AlsobyMohammedbinRashidAlMaktoum

MyVisionSpiritoftheUnionFlashesofThoughtFlashesofVerse

FLASHESofTHOUGHT

LessonsinLifeandLeadershipfromtheManbehindDubaiPOCKETEDITION

MohammedbinRashidAlMaktoum

FirstpublishedinGreatBritainin2015by

ProfileBooksLtd

3HolfordYard

BevinWay

LondonWC1X9HDwww.profilebooks.com

CopyrightTheExecutiveOfficeofHisHighnessSheikhMohammedbinRashidAlMaktoum2015

TherightofMohammedbinRashidAlMaktoumtobeidentifiedastheauthorofthisworkhasbeenassertedbyhiminaccordancewiththeCopyrightDesignsandPatentsAct1998.

Allrightsreserved.Withoutlimitingtherightsundercopyrightreservedabove,nopartofthispublicationmaybereproduced,storedorintroducedintoaretrievalsystem,ortransmitted,inanyformorbyanymeans(electronic,

mechanical,photocopying,recordingorotherwise),withoutthepriorwrittenpermissionofboththecopyrightownerandthepublisherofthisbook.

ACIPcataloguerecordforthisbookisavailablefromtheBritishLibrary.

eISBN9781782831853

ContentsSheikhMohammedandDubai

1 Simplicity

2 Theracetobenumberone

3 Keystoleadership

4 Positiveenergyandpositivethinking

5 Thevictorysign

6 Bigness

7 Motivatingteams

8 Theimpossible

9 Horseriding,poetryandleadership

10 TheArabSpring

11 Fightingterror

12 Nobodybenefitsfrominstability

13 Empoweringwomen

14 Twolongfriendships

15 SmartCities

16 Timemanagement

17 Ideasandcreativity

18 Takingrisks

19 TheBurjKhalifa

20 Challenges

21 Leadershipredefined

22 Endurance

23 Happiness

24 DubaiWorldExpo2020

25 OpportunitiesintheIslamiceconomy

26 Performance

27 Notimetowaste

28 Thebrainregain

29 Nurturingteams

30 Thegovernmentofthefuture

31 Aidtotheworld

32 Democracy

33 Achildsdream

34 Asoundleaderinasoundbody

35 Thegiftoflife

DSheikhMohammedandDubai

ubaiisoneofthesevenemiratesthatmakeuptheUnitedArabEmirates.Itbeganthe20thcenturyasahumbleport townhometo traders,seafarers, fishermenandpearl

divers. Itwasnotuntil the1950s,whenSheikhRashidbinSaeedAlMaktoumbecameruler,thatDubaibeganitsjourneytobecomingaglobalmetropolis.

Born and raised in Dubai, SheikhMohammed bin Rashid AlMaktoum travelled toEnglandformilitarytrainingattheMonsOfficerCadetSchool.HeservedasCommander-in-Chief of theDubai Police Force and laterUAEMinister ofDefence,was appointedCrown Prince ofDubai in 1995, and in 2005 becameRuler ofDubai aswell asVice-PresidentandPrimeMinisteroftheUAE.

SheikhMohammedisthedrivingforcebehindthetransformationofDubaiintooneofthe great cities of the modern world: a hub for business and tourism, and the worldsgatewaytotheMiddleEast.HeisalsoakeyfigureinestablishingtheUAEasasuccessstory of peaceful human development and a model of tolerance and moderation for atroubledregion.

SheikhMohammedsdrivefornumberonehasproducedcountless firsts forDubaiand the UAE: Emirates, the worlds fastest-growing airline; Dubai World Central, theworldslargestairport;andBurjKhalifa,theworldstallesttower,tonameafew.

Hisworkbehindthescenesislessvisiblebutnolessimportant.SheikhMohammedisaproponentandpioneerofopen,businesslike,service-ledgovernance:hisreformshaveearnedtheUAEthenumber-oneglobalrankingforgovernmentefficiency.

In his private life, SheikhMohammed is a world champion endurance rider with apassionforhorseracing.HefoundedtheGodolphinstableandtheworldsrichestrace,theDubai World Cup. He is also an acclaimed poet in Arabic, with several publishedcollections.

Driven, ambitious, determined and competitive, Sheikh Mohammed is a nationalleader,asoldier,apoetandahorseman.Thisunusualmixtureofattributeshascreatedaremarkableman.Hissenseofurgencyandwilltowinarelegendary.Hisreflectionsinthisbookonhowtobuildteams,succeedinbusinessandgetthemostfromlifecomefromamanwhohasexcelledindoingexactlythat.

I1Simplicity

Thekeytohappinessistoleadasimplelife.Refusetobeburdenedwithneedlesscomplexity.

tmightcomeasasurprisetosomepeople,butItrytoleadasimplelife.

Onmydaysoff, I start asalwayswithdawnprayers, ahabit Ihighly recommend.Wakingatdawnisnothardonceyougetusedtoit;itisasifaninneralarmclockrousesyou everymorning.After prayers, I have breakfastwithmy family and then I practisesomeofmyfavouritehobbies.Iridemybikeorgohorseridinginthedesert.Watchingthedeerandtherabbitsinthewildgivesmepeaceofmind.

Icallonfriendsattheirhomes,andwegooutforlunchinnearbyrestaurantsorforawalkonthebeach.Sometimeswegotovisitpeopleorgoonhuntingtripstogether.Mydayissimple,asismylife,butIamhappywithit.

Lifewascreatedsimpleanditisimportanttoliveitassuch.Simplicityisinherent;itleadstopeaceofmindandtranquillity.Iabsolutelydonotliketoovercomplicatethings,asthosewhoareclosetomeknowwell.

WeEmiratisareveryfondoftheseaandofthedesert,despitetheintensedevelopmentandmodernisationthatcanbeseeninourtownsandcities.

Thesplendouroflifeisfeltinthewarmsunshiningoverthedunes,inthemoonlitsky,in the pouring rain, in the green grass growingon the plains and in the valleys, and injoyfulgatheringswithfriendsandlovedones.Igreatlyenjoythebeautyofrunninghorses.

Itissuchabeautifullife,butmanypeoplespenditworrying,burdenedandfrowning.Youcaneasilyseethebeautyoflifeinthelaughterofachild,thetendernessofamother,thesmileofafriendortheloveofacompassionatewife.

Ourcountrysfoundingfather,SheikhZayed,Godblesshissoul,wasthemostdown-to-earth of all theworld leaders I have had the chance to know.Hewas also themostsmiling and cheerful of all. He loved the beauty of life and sought it in poetry and inprose,onlandandatsea,despitehisbusyscheduleandhisheavyresponsibilities.

My advice to all is to lead a simple life. Simplicity starts in the heart, away fromnegativityandpessimism.

W2TheracetobenumberoneIntendtobeawinner,oryouwillneverwin.

Firstistheonlygoalworthsetting.

hen I am asked aboutmy continued insistence on being number one, despite thedifficultyinachievingthisobjectiveinallfields,Ianswerthatnobodyremembers

runners-up. Who remembers the second person to climb Mount Everest? The secondpersontowalkonthemoon?Infact,whoremembersanyonewhocomesinsecond?Theansweris:nobody.

Wearenolessthannumberone.Whoeverconvinceshimselfthatheisnotworthyoffirstpositionhasdoomedhimselftofailurefromtheverybeginning.MypeopleandIarefondofbeingnumberone.

This is not a new characteristic, but one that we have inherited from our foundingfathers. Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid both loved to be the first and wanted theirpeopletobethefirst,too.FromtheoutsettheywishedtoseetheUAEattheverytopandtheirsuccessor,ourPresident,Godblesshim,isfollowingintheirsteps.

Iamnottheonlyonewhowishestobenumberone.AbuDhabi,forinstance,aspiredtoglobal leadership inalternativeenergy. It invested, innovated,waschosen tohost theInternationalRenewableEnergyAgency(IRENA),andcreatedMasdar,acityfocusedonsustainability.Asa result,AbuDhabihasbecomeamagnet forcompaniesandresearchcentres,andabeaconofinnovationinrenewableenergy.

AbuDhabi alsowished to become a cultural capital of theworld. Therefore it builtmuseums,hostedculturaleventsandembracedthefinestworksofartintheworld.Suchisthemodusoperandiofthosewhowishtobenolessthannumberone.

Wehavenoalternativetofirstposition.ThewordimpossibleisnowheretobefoundinthevocabularyoftheUAE.

Today theUAE is number one in theMiddleEast in terms of infrastructure, humandevelopment, technological development, knowledge economy, citizen happiness andsatisfaction,renewableenergy,safety,security, trade, tourism,andmanyotherareas.Weshallcontinueourpursuitofglobalexcellenceinallfields,forweareanationthatacceptsnothinglessthanfirstplace.

Letmeexplainwhyitissoimportantalwaystoaimfornumberone.Ifyouwanttorunonekilometre,youwillsurelyfeel tiredonceyoufinish.However, ifyoumakeupyourmindtorun10kilometres, thenyouwillnotfeeltiredafterthefirst,secondoreventhethird kilometre. Your determination and energy will be proportionate to your goal.Therefore, set a highgoal for yourself anddonot settle for anything less than theverybest.Thebestisexactlywhatyouwillgetifyouacceptnoless.

Never ever doubt your ability and never underestimate your capacities. Do not takeyourmindoffyourgoal.AlwaysworktowardsfirstpositionandtrustinGod,foritisGodwhograntssuccess.

A3Keystoleadership

Welcomecompetitionwithopenarms,harnessambitiontobeatyourgoalsandnurturecreativitytogeneratenewideas.

shortwhileagoImetwithagroupofaround500internationalexecutivesfromthebiggestcompaniesintheworldwhocametoDubaiforaconference.Theyaskedfor

a speech, so I told them I would recount three stories that summarise the three mostimportantcharacteristicstobefoundinbusinessleaders.

Thefirststorydatesbackto1985inDubai.Anairlinecontrollingaround70percentofthe air traffic inDubaiAirport asked us to put an end to our open skies policy,whichentitledanyairlinetooperateinDubaiAirport.Theywantedtoprotecttheirmarketshareandevensetusadeadlineofafewweekstocomply.Ifnot,theythreatenedtowithdrawfromtheairport,whichwouldlosealmost70percentofitstraffic.

We refused their request for a simple reason: we believe that competition, and notprotectionism, ishealthiest forourcountry.Sowerented twoaeroplanesandcreatedanairlinethatwecalledEmirates.Inshort,theyforcedustoestablishourownairline,whichnowranksthirdworldwide.

Thefirstlessontobelearntisthatcompetitionalwaysmakesyoustrongerandbetter.Competition is feared only by the weak. Our country is better because it is open tocompetition;ouremployeesarebetterbecausetheycompetewitheveryone;ourstreetsarebetter becausewewant them to surpass those of other countries. Even our governmentinstitutionsbecomebetterwhenwegiveoutdistinctionawardsthatencouragecompetitionforfirstplace.

Thesecondstorytookplaceintheearly1970s.Agroupoftraderspaidmeavisitandaskedmetodissuademyfatherfromundertakingaprojectthathehadsethismindupon.TheprojectwasnoneotherthantheJebelAliPort.

The traders believed that this project was unnecessary and would only burden theTreasury with huge costs. I spoke briefly with my father, God bless his soul. After amomentofsilence,he toldmethathewasbuildingsomethingfor thefuture,somethingthatwewouldnotbeabletobuildwithourdwindlingfutureresourcesofoil.Today,JebelAliPortremainsthelargestman-madeharbourintheworldandalsoranksamongthetop10busiestcargoportsworldwide.Ithasmorethan60giantberthsandafreetradezonehostingthousandsofcompanies.Moreover,ourexperienceinthisfieldhasqualifiedustorunover60portsaroundtheworld.

Themoralofthisstoryisthatweshouldarmourselveswithalong-termvision,highambitionsandfar-sightedness.Withoutavision toguideourpath,andwithoutambitionthatknowsnolimits,wecanneverbuildabrightfutureforgenerationstocome.

The third story dates back to 1999 when we considered building a business zonededicated to technology companies. We called the project Dubai Internet City. Theinvestmentwasmodest,but the ideagrew to includeseveral specialisedzones inmediaand education, and more. Today these zones encompass 4,500 companies and 54,000employees,makingDubaitheregionscapitalofcreativityinthesedomains.

Thisshowsusthatcreativityandideascanbuildcountriesandinstitutions.Thefuturebelongstothosewhogenerateideas.Today,theUAEistheonlycountryintheregiontohave achieved official categorisation as a knowledge-based and innovation-basedeconomy.

Ourobjectiveistorankamongthetopcountriesintheworld.Withthehelpofalong-termvision,highcompetitiveness,creativityandinnovation,wearesuretogetthere.

D4Positiveenergyandpositivethinking

Positiveenergyisbornofoptimism.Positivityisachoicethatempowersustosetandreachourhighestgoals.

uringmymeetingsIalwaystalkaboutpositiveenergy,itsinfluenceonourlivesanditseffectonhowmuchwecanachieve.IalsomentioneditinmypreviousbookMy

Vision.

Iamabelieverthatallofouractionsandaccomplishmentsaresimplyareflectionofwhatwebearinourhearts.Ibelievethatpositiveenergyandoptimismhelpustotakeupanychallenge in life and to succeed in even themost difficult tasks. I alsobelieve thatpositive energy is contagious: we can transmit it to others. In the same way, we canourselvesbeinfluencedbyotherpeoplespositivityornegativity.

Inthecourseofmylongcareer,Ihaveseenmanycolleaguesandfriendswithnegativeenergy that I justcouldnotchange.Whenever Iwouldproposeanyproject, theywoulddwellonitsimpossibilityordifficulty;andwheneverIwouldcomeupwithaninitiative,theywouldjustsay,Itisnotdoable.

EvenifIsaidthat thesunwasshining, theywouldanswerthat theycouldnotseeit;andifIsuggestedthattheycomeouttoseeit,theywouldreplythattheyjustcouldnotdoso.Indeed,Ihavemetquiteafewnegativeandpessimisticpeople.Ihavereplacedtheminmylifebyseekingoutmuchmoreoptimistic,enthusiasticandpositivepeople.

Apositivepersonisconfidentthatnochallengewillstandinthewayofachievinghisorhergoal

Ihavefacedmanychallengesinmyprofessionallife,butneverhaveIallowedmyselftobedefeated.Does runningwater stopwhen it reachesa rock?Ofcoursenot. It turnseitherleftorright,andcontinuesonitsway.Likewise,apositivepersonisconfidentthatnochallengewillstandinthewayofachievinghisorhergoal.

Startyourdaywithpositivityandoptimism,withapositiveideaandwithconfidenceinyour abilities. Itwill be reflectedonyour face, in your smile, in your interactionswithpeoplearoundyou,and in thewayyoudealwithdailychallenges.Haventyounoticedthatpositivepeoplehaveawidersmile,abrighterfaceandamorebeautifulspirit?Ontheother hand, negative people spend their time hiding from challenges and expecting theworstfromlife.

Positiveenergyisbornofoptimism.Ourreligionassuresusthatifyouareoptimistic,youshallfindwhatyouseek.Ifyouseetheworldaroundyouasfilledwithmisfortune,troubles,worries and sadness, so itwill be.On the other hand, if you see theworld as

aboundinginopportunity,adventure,happiness,comfortandachievement,itwillbethatway.Itisyourmindandyourwayofthinkingthatcreateyourreality.Youchoosewhetheryouwanttoliveyourlifewithpositiveornegativeenergy.

Positive energy turns hard times into beautifulmoments, hardships intomanageablechallenges,andtheimpossibleintonothingmorethanawordorapointofview.Itoffersyouabeautifulperspectiveonlifeandarmsyouwiththeambition,driveandmotivationyouneedtosucceed.

Myadvice to all is to armyourselveswithpositive energy and touse this energy toraise your teamsmorale, for a team is influencedmost strongly by its leader. Do notundermineyourteamsmoralewithpessimismorhesitation.Anarmyssuccessdependsonmore thanweapons and supplies; highmorale canbe thekey tovictory, just as lowmoralecanspelldefeat. Ifmorale ishigh,peoplewill interactwith their leadersvision,achieve his or her objectives and follow in his or her tracks. If low morale causesunderachievement, theblamewillundoubtedlyfallontheleaderandonnooneelse.Soofferyourteamoptimismandpositivity,andtheywillreciprocatewithachievementandcreativity.

P5Thevictorysign

Becreativeineverythingyoudo:evencelebratingsuccess!

eople often askme the secret behind the unusual hand gesture that I am known tomakeatmomentsofpersonalvictory,suchasinendurancehorse-ridingraces.Instead

ofthecustomarytwo-fingeredVforvictory,Iraisemythumb,indexfingerandmiddlefingertogetherinathree-fingeredsaluteofmyowndesign.

TheuniversalVforvictoryis traditionalelsewherearoundtheglobe,butnotforushereintheArabworld.Ithoughttomyselfwhyshouldwealwaysexpressourhappinessinthelanguageofothers?WeArabshaveadeep-rootedcivilisation,arichlanguageandimmensecreativity.

Therefore, Icameupwithmyownvictorysign. I raise threefingers toexpress threethings:successandvictory(whicharethree-letterwordsinArabic)andthethree-wordsentenceIloveyou.

Myvictorysignisasimpleyetsymbolicgesture.Itindicatesthatweshouldhaveourowndistinctpersonality,andthatweshouldtakeprideinourlanguageandourheritage.Creativityshouldbeintegraltoeverythingthatwedo.Creativityshouldalsobeintrinsictoourpersonality,ifexcellenceiswhatweseek.

I remembermore than 12years ago awork team froma public real-estate companycame up with the fresh and innovative idea to build an island in the heart of the sea.Demandforseafrontpropertywashighowingtoitsscarcity,soIapprovedtheidea.Aftersometime,theyshowedmetheplansanddrawingsoftheisland,whichwasintheformofacircle.Iaskedthemwhytheyhadchosenthisshape.Theyrepliedthatitwasthemostappropriateandhabitual form,andwas recommendedbyexperts. I explained that sincethiswouldbesuchahugeprojectthebiggestman-madeislandintheworldweshouldfind a way to leave our mark on it. It should not take a common shape. I suggestedbuildingitinsteadintheformofapalmtree.Thiswouldsymboliseourheritageandalsobearwitnesstoanimportantdimensionofourlifeonthisland.

Today, the Palm Islands are world-renowned landmarks that represent somethingimportantaboutus.Theirhugescale,whichmakesthemvisiblefromspace,isasymbolofour ambition, our positivity andour capacity to deliver.Their unique anddistinguishedshapesignifiesourspiritofcreativity,innovationandheritage.

So, I say tomy colleagues: if you accustomyourselves to creativity in small things,creativityona larger scalewill follow.Creativity is inherent inapersonsmake-upandway of thinking. To be creative is to add something new to life as opposed to being apassivepartofit.Wemaynotliveforhundredsofyears,buttheproductsofourcreativitycanleavealegacylongafterwearegone.

I6Bigness

Dontletfearmakeyousmall.Thinkbig,aimbig,andyoullachievebig.

nthelate1960s,whenmyfather,SheikhRashid,wasproposingtobuildDubaisfirstdeep-waterport,PortRashid,hedecidedtoconstructamaritimezonebasedaroundfour

berths.Atthetime,somepeoplewereverysceptical.Theydidnotunderstandhowasmalltownofsome60,000peoplecouldpossiblyneedsuchalargeport.

Halfwaythroughtheconstruction,hechangedhisplansandadded11moreberths.Theincreasedcostwouldbeachallenge,buthewasdetermined toexpandthenewport.Aseachnewberthwasbuilt, itwas immediatelyput intoserviceso that itcouldcontributerevenuetotheongoingcostoftheconstruction.Fouryearslater,in1972,PortRashidwasofficially inaugurated. Iwaswithmy father thatproudday:notonlywas theport fullyoperational,butits15berthswereallinuse,withshipswaitingoffshoretocomein.

Time after time he would describe a new project for the city. And doubtful peoplewouldshaketheirheads.Buthewouldbeprovedrightasourcitygrewbecausehisvisionwasbigenoughtobringthatgrowth.

Later, it fell tome to lead inhisplace.Andbecausehehad taughtmenever to fearscaleorvision,wehavecreatedabigcityinplaceofthatsmalltown:acityofovertwomillion inhabitants, home to one of the worlds busiest airports, the largest man-madeharbourandtheworldstallesttower.TherearemanymorefirstsinDubaitodayandweplanmanymoreforthefuture.Ouraimistobefirstinallwedo.

Thepointisthis:justbecauseDubaiwassmall,itdidntmeanwehadtothinksmall.Itmeantwehadtothinkbig.Everybodystartssmall.Weallbeginlifeasasinglecell.Everybusinessstartsasonepersonwithanidea.Howfastyougo,howfaryouget, is inyourhands.Thebiggeryourvision,thebiggeryourachievementwillbe.

Willyoustumbleontheway?Perhaps,butwecannotletfearkeepussmall.Wehavetobebravetobebig.

T7Motivatingteams

Itisimportanttoempowerandrewardpeople,butthetopprioritymustbetolisten.Onlyamanagerwholistenswillsucceed.

hefirstkeytomotivatingapersontowardsbetterperformanceistoempowerhimorher to achieve.Nothingmotivates an employeemore than seeing the results of his

ownachievements.Grantingpowerinthiswayisalsoanexpressionoftrustandrespect.Isometimes receive complaints in my personal email from employees who spend longyears in their jobswithout any realpower, and thereforewithout any real achievementsthat they can call their own. Do not be afraid to give real power to your employees,becauseyou tooonce stood in their shoes, and if youhadnot beengiven thepower toachieve,youwouldnothavearrivedwhereyouaretoday.

We must believe in the capabilities of our teams. Every person has tremendouscapacities. A true leader is onewho creates a favourable environment to bring out theenergy and ability of his team.A great leader createsmore great leaders, and does notreducetheinstitutiontoasingleperson.Wesometimeslookforsecond-lineandthird-lineleadersinaninstitution,butfindnone,becausethepersoninchargehasnotsufficientlyempoweredhisteamtobringoutandrefinetheircapacityforleadership.

The second key to motivation is the need to reward distinguished and creativeemployees. They should be held up as examples for the whole institution. Humancompetitioniscentraltoeveryaspectofourlife.Evenourreligionrequiresustocompeteindoinggooddeeds.Youcannevercreateacompetitiveenvironmentunlessyourewardandpraisecreativity.Praisingemployeesmeansgivingcreditforsuccesstothem,andnotonlytoyourself.Itmeanshonouringtheiraccomplishmentsandshowingyourbeliefthatthe success of the institution embodies the success of every single one of them. Ifemployees see their leader attributing success to them rather than to himself, theywillholdhiminhighesteem.Theywillregardhimastheirrolemodel,notonlyastheirleader.

Thethirddriverofmotivationisrelatedtotheideathatthejobofthegovernmentistoensure the happiness of society. Well, employees are part of this society, and so it isnecessarytoensuretheirhappinessinorderthattheyinturncanbringhappinesstoothers.

Ahappyemployeeismoreproductive,moreenergeticandmorecreativehencetheimportance of creating a happy environment within every institution. In order tomakeemployeeshappy,wemustshowthatwecareaboutthem,wemustshareintheirjoysandpains, wemust help them to create balance in their lives, andwemust add value andmotivationtotheirjobs.Mostimportantly,wemustlistenattentivelytowhattheyhavetosay.Asuccessful leader listens tohisorheremployees,for listeningisanexpressionofrespectandappreciation.

Itisimportantformanagerstoworkinthiswaytonurturetheiremployeeshappiness;

foronesjobisamajorpartofoneslife,andlifeistooprecioustospendinmisery.

I

8Theimpossible

Thereisnosuchthingasimpossible.Everythingisachievablewithambitionanddrive.

mpossibleisawordcoinedbythosewhodonotwanttowork,orrather,thosewhodonotwantustowork.

ImpossibleisnowheretobefoundinthedictionaryoftheUAE.Itisawordusedbysomepeoplewhofeartodreambig.Itislikechainsthattieapersondown,hinderinghisevery move. It can confine a person like a great prison, preventing him frommovingaround,livinglifeandachievinggreatheights.

We were told that developing a tourism industry in our hot desert was impossible;todaywereceiveover10millionvisitorsyearly.Weweretoldthatbuildingtowersinthesea was impossible; today we have the biggest man-made island in the world withhundreds of towers housing thousands of people. We were told that our region wasteemingwith tension and therefore our trade couldnot thrive; todaywe are thebiggestpartnerintheMiddleEastforthemostimportanteconomiesintheworld.Weweretoldthat bringing Arabs together was impossible; today the UAE has proved itself to be aunionofunprecedentedsuccess.

Ihavenocluewhoinventedthewordimpossible,butitwasclearlysomeonelookingforaneasylife

Theseeminglyimpossibleisnotagaugeofourstrengthandpotential,butratherofourfaith in ourselves, of our confidence in our capabilities and of our belief. Do not everallowthewordimpossibleintoyourlife,becauseitwouldmeanthatyouareweak,orthat those around you areweak. That said, the truth is that there is no such thing as apersonwhoisstrongorweakonlyapersonwhoiswillingorresistant.

Ihavenocluewhoinventedthewordimpossible,butitwasclearlysomeonelookingforaneasylife,alifeofsleepandinactivity.Wehaveneverhadfaithinthisword.TodayIhear the expression beyond the realms of possibility. It is said that there are threeimpossibilities in life: first, the griffin, a mythical bird that never lands but is alwaysflying,tothepointoflayingitseggsinthesky,wheretheyhatchintofledglingsinflightandneverreachtheearth;second,theogre,ofwhichwehaveneverseenanytrace,forittoo is amyth; and third, a loyal friend.Mind you, these are notmywords, andmanypeoplehaveaddedotherimpossibilitiestothislist,eachaccordingtohisconvictions.

Lastbutnotleast,Iwouldliketotellyouthattheimpossiblecannotbewherethereisperseveranceandfaith.Thereisnoimpossibleinlife.

D9Horseriding,poetryandleadership

Everyleadermusthaveapassioninlife.Passionsdefinealeadersuniquequalities.Passionsdistinguishaleaderfromthecrowd.

omypassions for horse riding andpoetry contribute tomy role as a leader?Mostsurely.

Horseridingissynonymouswithpride,chivalry,dignityandnobilityallofwhichareindispensablecharacteristicsforaleader.Ihavelearntalotfromhorseridingandhorses.Ilove my horses and they love me too. Horse riding is a beautiful world and whoeverdiscoversitfallsinlovewithitandcannotstayaway.

Our loveforhorsesandhorseriding issecondnature,and thiscomesfromourArabroots. I would like to add that horse races, particularly 160-kilometre endurance races,require planning, patience and high control all qualities that should be found in anyleader.

Poetryisanotherworld.Apoetseyeisbondedtohisheart.Theeyeandheartofapoetaredifferentfromthoseofothers.Apoetseeswhatothersfailtosee.Hescansthesky,theseaandthedesertunhurriedly.Hislookisfilledwithpassionandhetakesinthebeautyoflifearoundhim.Hisheartisverysensitive.Heknowshissocietywell,heistouchedbyitsjoys and concerns, which he translates into verses full of sincere emotions and poeticfeelings.LookatthehistoryofArabswehaverecordedandpassedonourstoriesintheformofpoetry,andwehavefoundthatstoriestoldinversearedeemedmoresincereandmoretrustworthythanmereprose.

Everyleadershouldhaveapassioninlifethataddsdepth,uniquenessandstyletohisleadership

WhatImeanisthatapoetsknowledgeofhissocietybringshimclosertoothersasaleader. A poets perception of the aesthetics of life around him is also reflected in hisdecisionsandchoicesasaleader.Evenhisprojectsbecomelivelypaintingsthatspeaktopeople and interact with them, instead of mere rigid projects isolated from the peoplearoundthem.

Horseriding,poetryandleadershipformatriad,positivelyinteractingwithoneanothertomake you a better horseman, a better poet and a better leader. Of course, I am notsaying thatevery leaderhas tobeapoetorahorseman;butevery leadershouldhaveapassioninlifethataddsdepth,uniquenessandstyletohisleadership.

N10TheArabSpring

Changeoryouwillbechanged:leaderswhoneglectthegoodoftheirpeoplewillbeforsaken.Leadershipisaservice,notagatewayto

privilege.

owadays,theArabSpringanditsrepercussionsontheregionarehottopicsateverymeeting and summit.However, these issues did not appear overnight. The general

feeling of discontent and dissatisfaction that unleashed thiswave of transformation hadbeenfeltformanyyears.

Duringthe2004ArabStrategyForum,IremembertellingArableadersloudandclearthat if they did not carry out radical reforms with tangible benefits for citizens, theirpeoplewouldforsakethemandhistorywouldjudgethemharshly.Iadvisedthemtobringaboutchangeoracceptthattheythemselveswouldbechanged.

Iwasnotforeseeingtheunseen,forGodalonemayknowwhatthefuturehasinstore.Iwas simplydrawingon lessons fromourhistory,whichgavea clear indicationofwhatwas bound to happen. For every action there is a reaction, and every incident hasrepercussions.

Iremembervisitingsomeleadersandtellingthemfranklywhatwaslikelytohappen.Someofthembecameangryandrepliedthatnoneofthatwasmentionedintheirbriefingreports.SoIsaidtothem,Yourproblemliesinyourbriefingreports.Thisismyhonestadvice to you and it is not driven by anymotives. I only had theArab peoples bestinterestsatheart.

Ialsoreasonedwithotherleaders,saying,Youtookoverbyrevolutionandnowyouneed to provide a revolution for your citizens. You should give them something. Yourpeopleareultimatelyseekingalifeofdignity,andyoushouldspendallthatyouhaveonthemandgivethemallthatyoucan.Theirexcuseatthattimewasthattheydidnothaveanythingtogive,knowingfullwellthattheypersonallywerenotshortofmoney.

Theythoughttheirpeoplewouldcontinuetobelievethem.Youcanlietoyourpeopleforayearorperhapsfortwo,butsurelynotforever.Thebiggestproblemwasthattheythemselvesbelievedtheirownlies,andforcedtheirpressandmediatohighlightonlythepositiveaspectsofthesituation.Theyendedupbelievingthesestoriesandfellundertheillusionthatnoproblemsexisted.Theinfluenceofsocialmediawasgrowing,manytruthswere being unveiled, and peoples patience was wearing thin. The explosion wasimminent.

Iaminnopositiontojudgetheoldornewgovernmentsofthesecountries;andIamcertainly in no position to judge their people or their revolutions.My onlywish is forpeopletoachievestability,security,peaceandprogress.Insayingso,Iamalsovoicingthe

hopes,wishesandgoodwillthatmycountryholdstowardsallArabs.Peoplewantgovernmentsthatprovideexcellenthealthcare,education,housing,justice

and safety.Theywant real economic development. This is our singular focuswhenwestrive toprovide leadership ingovernment services.Until all governments commit theirenergytosuchprinciples,unrestandcriseswillcontinuetoshakeourworld.

P11Fightingterror

Everydaywetakeasteptowardsdeliveringeconomicdevelopment,creatingjobs,andraisingstandardsofliving,weunderminethe

ideologiesoffearandhatethatfeedonhopelessness.

eople are asking about this newwaveof terror in theMiddleEast. Im surprised:wereno strangers to terrorismor struggleor conflict in our region. I dearlywish I

couldclaimotherwise.Theproblemshavealwaysbeenthere,thesolutionsalwaysjustasclearastheyaretoday.

If we are to prevent fanatics and terrorists from leading our agenda, we mustacknowledgethatwecannotextinguishthefiresoffanaticismbyforcealone.Theworldmustunitebehindaholisticdrivetodiscredittheideologythatgivestheextremiststheirpower,andtorestorehopeanddignitytothosewhomtheywouldrecruit.

AsthebattlesandwarsthathaveragedinIraq,SyriaandAfghanistan(and,inhistory,elsewhere in our region) show,military containment is only a partial solution. Lastingpeace requires three bigger ingredients:winning the intellectual battle; upgradingweakgovernance;andgrassrootshumandevelopment.

Such a solution must begin with concerted international political will. Not a singlepolitician inNorthAmerica, Europe, Africa or Asia can afford to ignore events in theMiddle East. A globalised threat requires a globalised response. Everyonewill feel theheat,becausesuchflamesknownoborders.

GroupssuchasAlQaedaandISarebarbaricandbrutalorganisations.Theyrepresentneither Islam nor humanitysmost basic values.Nonetheless, they emerge, spread, andresist thosewho oppose themwith ferocity.What we are fightingwhenwe face thesetypes of group is not just terrorist organisations, but the embodiment of a maliciousideologythatmustbedefeatedintellectually.

Iconsider this ideology tobe thegreatestdanger that theworldwill face in thenextdecade.ItsseedsaregrowinginEurope,theUnitedStates,Asia,andelsewhere.Withitstwisted religious overtones, this pre-packaged franchise of hate is available for anyterroristgrouptoadopt.Itcarriesthepowertomobilisethousandsofdesperate,vindictiveorangryyoungpeopleandusethemtostrikeatthefoundationsofcivilisation.

ItisthesameideologyfuellinggroupssuchasAlQaedaandISandtheiraffiliatesinNigeria,Pakistan,Afghanistan,Somalia,Yemen,NorthAfricaandtheArabianPeninsula.What most worries me is that a decade ago, such an ideology was all that Al Qaedaneededtodestabilise theworld,evenfromaprimitivebase in thecavesofAfghanistan.Today,adherentsofterrorgroupsindestabilisedareasoftheMiddleEasthaveaccesstotechnology,finance,potentiallyhugelandbases,andaninternationaljihadistnetwork.Far

from being defeated, their ideologies of rage and hate have become stricter, morepernicious,andmorewidespread.

Thedestructionofterroristgroupsisnotenoughtobringlastingpeace.Wemustalsostrike at the root to deprive their dangerous ideologyof the power to rise again amongpeople leftvulnerablebyanenvironmentofhopelessness anddesperation.And,on thisnote,letusbepositive.

The solution has three components. The first is to counter malignant ideas withenlightened thinking, open minds, and an attitude of tolerance and acceptance. Thisapproach arises from our Islamic religion, which calls for peace, honours life, valuesdignity,promoteshumandevelopment,anddirectsustodogoodtoothers.

Only one thing can stop a suicidal youth who is ready to die for terror: a strongerideology that guides him onto the right path and convinces him thatGod created us toimproveourworld,not todestroy it.Credit isdue toourneighbours inSaudiArabia inthis field for their successes in de-radicalisingmany young people through counsellingcentresandprogrammes. In thisbattleofminds, it is thinkers and scientistsof spiritualandintellectualstatureamongMuslimswhoarebestplacedtoleadthecharge.

Thesecondcomponentissupportforgovernmentseffortstocreatestableinstitutionsthatcandeliverrealservicestotheirpeople.ItshouldbecleartoeveryonethattherapidgrowthoftheterrorgroupsofnorthernIraqandSyriawasfuelledbytheSyrianandIraqigovernments failings: the formermadewar on its ownpeople, and the latter promotedsectariandivision.Whengovernmentsfailtoaddressinstability,legitimategrievancesandpersistent serious challenges, they create an ideal environment for hateful ideologies toincubateandforterroristorganisationstofillthevacuumoflegitimacy.

ThefinalcomponentistoaddressurgentlytheblackholesinhumandevelopmentthatafflictmanyareasoftheMiddleEast.ThisisnotonlyanArabresponsibility,butalsoaninternationalresponsibility,becauseprovidinggrassrootsopportunityandabetterqualityof life for the people of this region is guaranteed to ameliorate our shared problems ofinstability and conflict.Wehave a critical need for long-termprojects and initiatives toeliminatepoverty,improveeducationandhealth,buildinfrastructure,andcreateeconomicopportunities.Sustainabledevelopmentisthemostsustainableanswertoterrorism.

Ourregionishometomorethan200millionyoungpeople.Wehavetheopportunitytoinspirethemwithhopeandtodirecttheirenergiestowardsimprovingtheirlivesandthelivesofthosearoundthem.Ifwefail,wewillabandonthemtoemptiness,unemploymentandthemaliciousideologiesofterrorism.

Everydaywetakeasteptowardsdeliveringeconomicdevelopment,creatingjobs,andraising standards of living, we undermine the ideologies of fear and hate that feed onhopelessness.Westarveterroristorganisationsoftheirreasontoexist.

Iamoptimistic,becauseIknowthatthepeopleoftheMiddleEastpossessapowerofhope and a desire for stability and prosperity that are stronger andmore enduring thanopportunistic and destructive ideas. There is no power stronger than that of hope for abetterlife.

T12Nobodybenefitsfrominstability

Whenourregionistornapartbyconflictanddivision,nobodywins.Weneedtofocusonpeace,notprofit.

heUAEhasformanyyearsbeenknownasapillarofstabilityintheMiddleEast.Ourstatusasasafedestinationforinvestmentislinkedtoourroleasaregionalbusiness

hubandeconomicgateway.Recently,questionshavebeenaskedabouttheextenttowhichwebenefitfromfundsflowinginfromthecountriesaffectedbytheArabSpringandtherecentunrestintheMiddleEast.

IambotheredbycommentsintheArabmediaabouttheUAEderivingbenefitfromunrestinothercountries.Andwhatbothersmemostisthefactthatthereisnoevidenceto back up such claims.TheUAE is even being described as living off the tensions inothercountriescountriesthataredeartousandwhosestabilityisouronlywish.

First,IwouldliketosayloudandclearthattheUAEdoesnotworkthisway.Werankamong the top countries when it comes to helping other nations to achieve stability,prosperity and development.We also rank among theworlds top countries in terms offoreignaidasapercentageofnationalincome.

Second,theUAEeconomyisbuiltonstablefoundations.Wearedevelopingamodelforachievingsustainabledevelopment, rather than temporarydevelopment that livesoffregionaltensions.Ourcountryembracespeoplefrom200nations,allworking,investingand giving the best they have to offer. Every year we welcome more than 10 milliontouristsfromallaroundtheworld.

Ourcountryembracespeoplefrom200nations,allworking,investingandgivingthebesttheyhavetooffer

OurstrategictradepartnersdonotincludeanyArabSpringcountries.Indeed,noneofour top ten partners is an Arab state, apart from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Theinvestments flowing into theUAE come from all over theworld and are all published,totalling30billiondirhams(aroundUS$8billion)in2012.WorldwideinvestmentsintheUAEwereflowingstronglylongbeforetheArabSpring.Theyhavecontinued,andwillcontinue,toflow.

Third,realestateandothertypesofinvestmentsmadebyUAEcompaniesintheArabSpring countries are far greater than the capital flows thatwe receive from these samecountries.

Tothosewhosaythat theUAEbenefitsfromregionalunrest, Ibluntlyreply that theUAEwouldbenefitdoubleandtriple,weretheregionstableandfreeoftensions.

S13Empoweringwomen

ThoseintheWestwhoconsiderArabwomenrepressedwillfindtheoppositetobetrueintheUAE.Empoweredwomenarethesoulofthis

nation,thedrivingforceofourdevelopment.

ome people still wonder about the empowerment of women in our society. Suchquestionscomemostoften fromabroad.Myanswer is this:wehavealreadymoved

beyond the phase of empowering women. Indeed, we are empowering society itselfthroughitswomen;weareempoweringoureconomybystrengtheningtheroleofwomen;weareadvancinggovernmentserviceswhenwomenoccupyleadershippositions;wearelaunching development projects under the direction of women; we are improving ourinfrastructure,ourhealthandeducationservices,andevenourmilitarybyrelyingheavilyonwomensrolesinthesefields.

The strong representation ofwomen in such areas arises naturally from the fact thatalmost70percentofuniversitygraduatesarewomen.Thisreflectsanongoingprocesstostrengthentheroleofwomeninsociety.Perhapsthisiswhywearethetopcountryintheregionforgenderequality,accordingtointernationalreports.

Over 65 per cent of UAE government employees are women; over 30 per cent ofleadership positions are held bywomen. I personally could notmanagemy dailyworkwithoutwomen,since85percentofmypersonalteamareEmiratiwomen.

Ihavesaiditloudandclear:Beware,men,lestwomendepriveyouofalltheleadershippositionsinthecountry.

WomenaremuchmorecentraltoEmiratilifeandtothefabricofoursocietythanmanypeoplethink.Canapersonlivewithoutamotherorasister?Canahouseoverflowwithtendernesswithoutadaughterorawife?Canasocietytakeanystepforwardwithoutitsbetterhalf?

Womenarealsotheveryheartofourcountry.Wewouldneverhavebecomewhatwearetoday,wereitnotforthecontributionofourloyal,confidentandambitioussisterswhoare in constant pursuit of excellence and progress, armed with strong will anddetermination.

I have great confidence in Emirati women and deep faith in their capacities. Theirachievementsspeakforthemselvesanddissipateanypossibledoubtinthisregard.Sometimeago, theCabinet issuedanorder to includewomenin theboardsofdirectorsofallcompanies and government bodies in the country.When people askedme about this, Ireplied thatwomen represent over half theworkforcewithin these institutions, half thecustomersofthesecompaniesandalsohalfthesocietyinfluencedbythepoliciesofthesegovernmentbodies,soisitfairthatwementakeallthedecisionsintheseinstitutionson

theirbehalf?Wehavereadinbothancientandmodernhistoryaboutmanygreatfigureseducatedby

theirmothersandmanygreatwomenwholefttheirlastingmarkonhistory.Werecognisethegreatnessofwomen,bothatworkandathome.Awomanwhoraisesgreatleadersisherselfagreatleader.Womenhavegreatcapacityforgenerosity,givingandcompassion.

There isa sayingabout rain: itproducesabundancewherever it falls. It isour job toprovide an enabling environment forwomen to achieve their highest potential. In otherwords,wemustprovidethesoil thatyieldsthebestharvestfromthisrain.Ourjobis toprovideanenvironment thatunlockswomenspotentialone thatprotects theirdignityand femininity, helps them create the necessary balance in their lives, and values theirtalents and potential. Given this environment, I am confident thatwomenwill performnothingshortofmiracles.

I14Twolongfriendships

Investinginafriendshipisaninvestmentinthefuture.

travelledwithmy father toAmerica in 1963.You can only imagine the impactNewYorkhadonmeasayoungmanoffourteen,bornandbroughtupinthesmalltownof

Dubai in a timebefore electricityor runningwater. I remember sitting in thebackof averylargecarlookingupatrowsofunimaginablytallbuildings.

Mymemoriesofthattriphavestayedwithmethroughoutmylifeandonthatshockingday in2001whenNewYorkcameunderattack,mythoughtswentback to thecity thathadwelcomedayoungmanfrom thedesertand introducedhim toanotherworld. Iamproudthatwecouldhelpwiththereliefeffort,donatingtothevictimsfamiliesbutalsoputtingourresourcesbehindthesearchfor thepeoplebehindtheatrocity:oursolidaritywas not only a gesture, it was important that all humanity stood together against darkforcessuchasthese.

TheUAEandAmericahavelongbeenalliesandpartners,indevelopmentandtradeaswellasindefenceanddiplomacy.Itisclearlyanimportantrelationshipforbothcountriesthat is cemented on a long history of goodwill and mutual understanding and, mostimportantly,trust.

EachpassingdayofafriendshipisaninvestmentinthefutureTheotherlongfriendshipinmylifehasbeenwiththeUnitedKingdom.WhenIwasa

young man, my father was keen I should learn English. He spoke only Arabic andrecognisedthatEnglishwastheinternationallanguageofbusinessandtrade.

IfirsttravelledtotheUnitedKingdomin1967,tostudyEnglishattheBellEducationalTrustLanguageSchoolinCambridge,withmycousinMohammedbinKhalifa.TheUAEwas a British protectorate until 1971whenwe gained independence and I had alreadyinteractedwithBritish teachers at school, aswell aswithBritish children. But nothingpreparedmeforlifeabroad.ImetwithkindnessandunderstandingfrompeopleinBritainas I foundmy feet in a very different culture tomy own. Imademany friends in theUnitedKingdomandwastomakemoreonmyreturntoDubaiasourBritishexpatriatecommunitygrewwiththecity.Todaythereareover250,000BritishexpatsinDubaiandtheUAEisoneof theUKsmost important tradingpartners. It isa friendship thatgoesbeyondthelifetimeofouryoungcountryandonethatisdeeplyimportanttome.

True friendships stand the test of time. They are cemented by the time we spendtogether,thesupportwelendeachother,andthetrustwebuildforeachother.Inaway,eachpassingdayofafriendshipisaninvestmentinthefuture.Themoreyouhavesharedtogether,themoreyouhaveatstakeinyourfriendshipandthestrongeritwillemerge.

S15SmartCities

Technologyprovidesunlimitedopportunitiestoempowerpeople.Governmentsmustgraspthischancetobecomemoreagileand

responsivetocitizens.

ince the dawn of the information age, Dubai has always invested to remain at theforefront of the Middle Easts journey towards human development through

technological innovation. This journey has always fascinated me. We come to usetechnologies in ways that surprise even their inventors. Technology has fundamentallychangedhowwecommunicatewitheachotherandaccessinformationaboutourworld.Itseemsthereisnolimittohumaningenuity.

That is what Dubais Smart City initiative is about: we are harnessing and linkingtogethereveryavailabletechnologythatcanmakepeoplesexperienceofeverydaylivingin the city simpler, easier,more convenient and efficient. It is about government usingtechnologytohelppeoplebehappier.

SowhatisaSmartCity?Itisaboutusinginformationintelligently,aboutmakingthemostofourknowledgeandsharingitfreelyandopenlytothebettermentofcitizenslives.Thepossibilitiesareinfinite.Wecanbuildagridofsmartwaterandelectricitymetersthatcanallbemonitoredandmanaged.Wecanupgradeschoolstogivesparentsacloserroleintheirchildseducation.Wecanbuildatransportnetworkthatisdynamicandresponsivetotheflowofpeopleintheirdailyworkandleisure.Asagovernment,weusetechnologytoencouragepeopletoparticipateactivelyinshapingpolicyandservices.ASmartCityisallofthesethingstogether:communication,integrationandco-operation.

How could this work?When you fly business or first class with Emirates, the staffgreet you by name and know your food and other preferences to offer a highlypersonalised service because they have access to that data.We aremaking governmentworkthesameway.Whenyouneedagovernmentservice,thepersonyouaredealingwithshouldhaveaccesstoalltherelevantrecordswithoutrequiringyoutostandinlineorfillin forms. We are building more dynamic government systems and rolling out newapplications that give access to government information, services and resources. Thissmartapproachiscoretoeverythingwearebuilding.

Smartgovernment ismobileandagile.Weare improving information flowsbetweengovernment departments and also between citizens, businesses and government. Thatmeanspublicprivatesectorco-operationonalargescale.Weaimtoprovidegovernmentservices that are equal to or better than our best customer service experiences in theprivatesector.Wearebenchmarkinggovernmentagainstthebestbanks,thebestairlines,thebesthotels.

Thischallengestraditionalthinking.Butthereisnoroomfortraditionalthinkingwhen

ourgoalistoachieveexcellenceandleadthewaytothefuture.Attheheartofallofthisarepeople.AndsoourvisionforaSmartCityhas,atitsheart,

ourpeople.

I16Timemanagement

Timeisourgreatestassetandourmostfiniteresource.Makeeverysecondcount.

haveoftenbeenaskedhowImanagemytimetogetsomanythingsdone.Iwouldliketomakeclearthatcreditisduetothethousandsofpeoplehard-workingteamswho

standbehindouraccomplishments.Iamnothingmorethantheirleader.

As regards time, I say thatwe all have24hours a day.Thequestion is not howwemanageour time,butratherhowweinvestour time.First, thereareplentyof tasks thatcanbeperformedinlesstime.Forinstance,whatcanbesaidinathree-hourmeetingcanbesummedupinhalfanhour,andwhatcanbecompletedinonemonthcanalsobedoneinoneweek.Suchaskillisindispensableifyouwishtoachievemoreinlesstime.

Ontheotherhand,timemanagementshouldbewellbalanced,forcreatingbalanceinyourtimeentailsbalanceinyourlife.Youshouldhavetimeforyourfamily,timeforyourwork,timeforyourself,timeforyourhobbies,timeforself-development,andsoforth.

Timeislifeand,assuch,itcannotbestoredorpaused.Timeislikeaflowingriver:youcannotstepinthesamewatertwice.Oneofmyprinciplesinlifeisthateveryminuteofourlifeisworthfillingwithaccomplishments,happinessandgooddeeds.Ifyouwishtoachieve,makethemostofeverysingleminuteofyourlife.Neverstopworking,thinking,innovatingandenjoyingeverysingleminute,andsureenough,allofthiswillbearfruit.

Everyminuteofourlifeisworthfillingwithaccomplishments,happinessandgooddeeds

Every new day brings new opportunities. Those who do not value every passingminute,everypassinghourandeverypassingdaycannotvaluetheirlife.Itsaddensmetoseeyoungpeopletodayspendingsomuchtimeincoffeeshops,watchingTVorplayingvideo games, for their time is a great asset to the development and prosperity of ourcountry,society,familiesandgenerations.

Some see the year as equivalent to 365 days.Well, I say that a year is equal to thenumberofdays thatyouhave invested inyourself,your family,yoursocietyor inyourspiritual life.Theseare theonlydays thatactuallycountwhenwriting thestoryofyourlife.Somakethemostofthem,manageyourtime,knowyourpriorities,enjoylife,leaveyourmark and,most importantly, never ever allow anyone to steal your time for bydoingthat,theywouldbestealingyourlife.

T17Ideasandcreativity

Alltruecreativitybringschange.Embracingchangeisthefirststepinanycreativeprocess.

hefreshthinkingthatfuelsconstantprogressingovernmentdoesnotcomeonlyfromthe centre and the top, but fromall around and from the roots.Employeesmust be

empoweredasasourceof innovation.Creativeideasarethefruitof interactionbetweenleadersandtheirteams.

Military leadership has taught me that a commander must listen to his soldiers.Consultation and collaboration are ingrained in our culture. What better example ofleadershipcouldtherebethanthatofourProphet,peacebeuponhim,whoalwaystookheedofhiscompanionsviews?

Ideas come from all kinds of people: citizens and residents, children and adults,officials and employees. Everyone contributes ideas, nomatter how simple. I have thehabitofaskingeveryoneImeettoprovidemewithfreshideasthatmaycontributetoourdevelopment.

Iwill digress a little to highlight the importance of creativity.Creativity is themostvaluable asset in any public institution.Without it, you can never challenge your pastachievements,changeyourcurrentsituationorsurpassothers.

Progressivegovernmentsembracecreativity.Itisthelifebloodofourquesttoimproveservices,advanceourpeopleanddevelopourcountry.Acreativegovernmentisalivingsystemthatgrowsanddevelops.In2012theUAEgovernmentwasabletocomeupwithmore than 20,000 fresh ideas. Some of our officials talk about creativity and placesuggestionboxesintheirinstitutions,thinkingthatthisrendersthemcreative.Itdoesnt.In order to produce genuine,meaningful, beneficial change, creativitymust become anestablishedculturewithintegratedsystems.

Creativitycanneverthriveinaninstitutionalenvironmentthatdoesnotfavourlearningandthedisseminationofknowledge.Norcanitthriveinaninstitutionthatresistschangeor fails to encourage the clear and transparent exchangeof ideas andviews. I knowaninstitution that was able to increase its returns by 100million dirhams (aroundUS$27million) and to cut costs by 240 million dirhams (around US$64 million) thanks tocreativity. The key to this achievement was this: the institution began rewardingemployeesaccordingtotheircreativecontributions.

Iwasonceaskedhowtobecomecreative.Irepliedthatweshouldgetaccustomedtonotgettingaccustomed.Accustomingyourself toasituationgivesyoucomfort,whereaschangerequireshardworkandgettingoutofyourcomfortzone.Peoplearenotusuallyfondofchangeandtendtofightthosewhocallforit,becauseitrequiresthemtochangetheirhabits.

Toallcreativeminds,Isay:youwillalwaysfindsomeonewhowillfightyourideas.Thiswillbethefirstindicationthatyouareontherighttrack.Toallmanagers,Isay:donotfightchangeembraceit.

T18Takingrisks

Totakerisksandfailisnotafailure.Realfailureistofeartakinganyrisk.

he UAE is well known worldwide for its remarkable pace of development.Whenpeople see ambition and construction on this scale,when they see us launchmajor

projects and plans even amid global economic challenges and regional instability, theyoftenask:Dontyoufindthatrisky?

Myreplyisthatnoprojectwaseverachievedwithoutrisk.Everykindofworkentailsacertain degree of risk. So, do we stop our life and work? Even banks entrusted withpeoplesmoneyrunrisks.So,dowestopbanksfromoperating?Goingtoworkbycarwearetakingrisks.Travellingbyplanewearealsotakingrisks.So,dowestopgoingtoworkortravelling?

Certainly not. Life is full of risks. How can we achieve our objectives, boost oureconomyandensurepeopleshappinessifwedonotlaunchnewprojectsandtakesomecalculatedrisks?

Challenges are omnipresent and so are risks.Whoever perseveres towards his goalswillsurelyachievethem.Whoevercomesupwithexcusestostopgrowingwillneverbeshortofexcuses.

Witheachnewprojector ideathatwelaunch,Ifacethesamequestionsaboutrisk.Ialwaysrepeat that thegreatest riskofall isnot to takeanyrisk. It is true thatweneverlaunchaproject that isnot thoroughlyexaminedand researched;however,we refuse toinstilfearintoourmindsandintoourteams.

Werefusetomagnifytheriskssurroundingus.Werefusetobehinderedfromworking,buildingandgrowing,evenwithtensions,unrestandwarsgoingonaroundus.Ourregionhas witnessed three significant wars in the past three decades. If we had waited forstabilitytoberestoredbeforelaunchingourlargeprojects,wherewouldwestandtoday?

Thebestresponsetoregionaltensionsandalsotointernationalchallengesintheglobaleconomyistoworkfasterandtocompletebiggerprojectsthanever.Developmentfavoursstability. When economies are less stable, they can be boosted and anchored by largeprojects.

OurregionanditspeoplesareindireneedofasuccessfulmodelintheArabworldonethatgivesthemhopeandprovesthatfocusingongrowthisfarbetterthanfocusingonwars;thatlaunchingprojectsisfarmoreusefulthanlaunchingrockets;andthatbuildingthefutureisonlypossiblebyconsensus,reconciliationandteamspirit.

Everynationcanharnesstheenergyofitscitizens,eithertowardsconstructiveworktogenerateoptimismandhope,ortowardstensions,unrestandwar.

Arabs are smart people and I am optimistic for the regions future, despite all thetensionsitiscurrentlywitnessing.

Youcannotdiscovernewoceansifyoulackthecouragetolosesightoftheshore

Iwouldlike tomoveontoanotherdimensionofrisk-taking, that is, takingrisksatapersonallevel.

Apersonwhodoesnottakerisksinlifewillavoiddifficulties,problemsandloss;buthewillnevermatureorlearnnewthings.Hewillneverchange.Hewillneverevendaretolove. In short, hewill never live his life to the full. There is a saying that you cannotdiscover new oceans if you lack the courage to lose sight of the shore. Life is full ofexperiences,people,placesandadventures;byavoidingrisks,youwillloseoutonallofthis.

Quiteoftenweseetwopeoplecomingfromthesamebackground,havingreceivedthesameeducationandenjoyingthesamelevelofintelligencebutoneofthemisfarmoresuccessfulthantheother.Whyisthat?Itisbecauseonepersondaredtocementhisideasinto reality, to experiment with his innovative side and to transform his life, while theotherdidnothavesuchcourage.

Totakerisksandfailisnotafailure.Realfailureistofeartakinganyrisk.

W19TheBurjKhalifa

Takeprideinthescaleofyourambitions.Havefaithinyourabilitytoexecutethem.

hydidwewanttobuildthetallesttowerintheworld?Whyaspiretosuchadifficultfeatofengineeringandconstruction?TheBurjKhalifa is indeedmore than justa

construction project. It is a story towhich thousands of people have contributed and apowerfulsymbolofprogressinournation.

The drawings that I first receivedwere for an 80-storey tower surrounded by a fewsmallerbuildings,aswellasgardensandgreenspaces.Iconcludedthefirstmeetingwiththeprojectteamwithoutcommentingontheplans,sotheprojectteamknewtheywouldhavetodobetter.Theyreturnedamonthlaterwithanewplan;stillitwasnotthebest.

Itoldthem:Iwantthetallestbuildingthatmanhasevermade,onthisspot.Wewantittobethebiggestandthebest,withthebestgardensandfountains,andwithhotelsandmarketsthatarealsothebiggestandthebest.Wewanttobuildthegreatestneighbourhoodeverknowntoman.

Today,DowntownBurjKhalifaisacityattheheartofacity,circledbyanavenuethatisconsideredamongthemostelegantintheworld.Itoffersthebiggestmallandthetallestwater fountain in theworld. It contains grand hotels, luxury restaurants and residentialtowershometothousandsofpeople.DowntownBurjKhalifahasbecomeakeylandmarkforallvisitorstoDubaiandtheUAE.Thetowerturnedouttobegrandandmagnificent,sowechosetonameitafteragreatfigure,hencethenameBurjKhalifa,inhonourofourPresident,SheikhKhalifa.

Foreignofficialsandthemediasometimesaskuswhywechosetomakeitthetallestbuilding. Theywonder whether Dubai really benefited from building a tower that costoverUS$1.5billionandaspartofanoverallprojectcostingUS$20billion.Inanswertotheirquestions,Iwouldliketoclarifythefollowingthreepoints:

First, building the tallest tower on earth is a national accomplishment, a historicmilestone and a key economic turning point. It is a symbol of pride, not only to theEmiratipeople,buttoallArabs.Fourthousandyearsago,thetallestbuildingsknowntomanwerefoundinourregion:Egyptspyramidswereasourceofprideandasymboloftheadvancementofcivilisation.TheyremainedsoformillenniauntilsurpassedinheightbyLincolnCathedralintheUK,whosecreationmarkedaneweraofcivilisation.Today,Ihope that Burj Khalifa symbolises the new global changes taking place: a new worldwhere EastmeetsWest, where civilisations come together andwhere human creativityreignswithnoheedtogeographic,ethnicorreligiousboundaries.

Thousands of engineers, workers, consultants and others from all over the worldworkedtogethertoconstructthisimpressivebuilding,andnewtechniqueswereusedfor

thefirsttimetoreachsuchheights.ThisistheUnitedArabEmirates:anewglobalhub,wherethebestmindscometogethertomakethegreatestdreamscometrue.Intheyearstocome, theUAEwill become increasingly prominent on theworldmap, becausewe arewellawarethatanewerahasdawnedupontheworld.Thefutureisforthosewhodaretodreamandfindthecouragetopursuetheirdreams.

Second,wedonot seek toderivegreat economicbenefitdirectly from thisbuilding.Rather, its returnswill benefit the economy as awhole.BurjKhalifa has enhanced theimage of Dubai in particular and the UAE in general, saving millions of dollars onbranding.Wenowhaveanintegratedcitywithalandmarkknownandvisitedbypeoplefromallaroundtheworld.In2012,over65millionpeoplevisitedtheDubaiMall,partofDowntownBurjKhalifa.Tothosewhoremainunconvinced,wesay: thegreatestriskofallisnottotakerisks.

Third,buildingBurjKhalifa sendsamessage toourpeopleand to theworld.Toourpeople,wesaythatwecanachievesomuch;wecanbenumberoneworldwideinvariousfields;wecanimpresstheworld.Wearenostrangerstohistoryandcivilisation,andwewillpaynoattentiontothosewhowishtoundermineourconfidenceinourabilitiesandourpeople.Totheworld,wesaythattheUAEisanewpresenceintheglobaleconomy,oneasfirmlyestablishedasBurjKhalifa.

L20Challenges

Challengesaretobeconfronted,notavoided.Byovercomingandlearningfromchallenges,wetransformthemfromobstaclestosignposts

onthepathtosuccess.

ife is filledwith challenges.The livesofour fathers andgrandfathers, and alsoourownlives,havebeenthiswayeversincetheinceptionoftheUAE.Growingfroma

simple country to aglobalnationdidnothappenwithout challenges.Hadweceased tograspthesechallenges,ourcountrywouldhavestoppedprogressing.

In the UAEwe have two great rolemodels for stepping up to every challenge thatcomesourway:our foundingfathers,SheikhZayedandSheikhRashid.Throughouthislife, Sheikh Zayed never failed to rise to a challenge. The greater the challenge, thestrongerhisdetermination.Thanks to suchperseverance,wehavebeen able to conquereachandeverychallengethathascomeourway.Wesimplynevergiveup.

ThegreatestchallengethatIhaveeverfacedpersonallyhasbeenconvincingmyteamstobelieveinmyvisionandtotrustinthechangeIseek.Wordsalonearenotenough;itisnecessary to succeed a few times in order to reassure people that you are on the righttrack,andtoconvincethemtoembraceyourvision.

Greatmen are defined by the challenges they take up. I personally cannot judge anindividualsstrengthandcapability,unlessIconfronthimwithachallenge,forchallengesbringoutapersonsbestandworstsides.Theyarealsothebesttoolforrefiningateam.Just as high temperatures remove impurities fromgold, challenges purify the capacitiesandstrengthofthosewhotakethemup.

GreatmenaredefinedbythechallengestheytakeupSince its inception in 1971 the UAE has faced many challenges, both internal and

external, but fortunatelyGod gave us strong andwise leaderswho stepped up to thesechallenges,settinganexamplefortheirpeople.

Every challenge is an opportunity for learning, a chance to test our capabilities andknowledgeaswellasthecharacterofthepeoplearoundus.Withoutchallenges,victoriesandachievementswouldbemeaningless.

Trueexperienceismeasurednotbythenumberofyearsthatwehaveworked,butbythenumberofchallengesthatwehavetakenup.Isometimesencounterpeoplewhoholdnoacademicqualifications,butwhoenjoygreatwisdomandabroadmind,andhavemoreachievements under their belt thanmany others. The reason is that they have taken upmorechallengesthanothers,andtheirfeatsbearwitnesstothis.

Aneasylifedoesnotmakemen,nordoesitbuildnations.Challengesmakemen,anditisthesemenwhobuildnations.

W21Leadershipredefined

Thekeystoleadershiplieintheabilitytodevelop,learn,supportandinspire.

hoeverasksthequestionIsleadershipinherentoracquired?hasalreadytakenhisor her first step on the path to leadership. Leadership is a combination of

intelligence,resourcefulness,wisdom,astrongpersonalityandaspirationtothegreatestofthings.Mostofthesequalitiesareinnateandhereditary,whilesomecanalsobeacquired.However, even those who are born with such qualities must refine them througheducation,practiceandcommunicationinordertobecomesuccessfulleaders.

Leadershipisneitherconferredbychanceatbirth,norguaranteedbystudyevenatthefinest academies. I personally know many graduates from such academies who haveworkedonthemselvesandexpandedtheirknowledgetoreachhighleadershippositions,whileothersstoppedatsomepointbecausetheirqualitiesandskillsdidnothelpthemtoprogressanyfurther.

Wehaveseenthatanenquiringnatureplacessomepeopleaheadofothersonthepathtoleadership.Wealsowanttochangetheconceptofleadershipsothatitincludesanyonewhohastheambitionandthewilltochangehimself,andalsotobenefithissociety.

Everylifeyouchangeandeveryskillyouacquirebringsyouonestepclosertobecomingabetterleader

Whenwesayleader,people tend to imaginepolitical,militaryorhistorical figureswho have changed the history of their peoples and countries. They may also imaginesuccessful economic leaders who have transformed companies or given life to newcreations and inventions. The hereditary qualities of those people, combinedwith theirenvironmentandtheirgreatself-developmentefforts,havemadethemexceptionalleadersandenabledthemtotransformtheirsocietiesandpeoples.

But today, theconceptof leadership is farwider-reaching.Anyonewhocan improvethelifeofthosearoundhimisaleader.Similarly,anyonewhocanservepeopleandmakethem happy is a leader. A leader is also a person capable of creating positive change,whetheratworkorathome,andofinnovatingandcreatingeventhesimplestofthings.Aleaderexcelsinhiscraft,art,talentorprofession.

Allpeoplearebornwiththeseedsofsuchqualities,whichtheycannurtureandgrow,sothatbitbybit,theyadvanceonthepathtoleadershipandultimatelyevolveintogreatleaders.

Everysingleachievementyoumake,everysinglelifeyouchangeandeverysingleskill

you acquire brings youone step closer to becoming a better leader.Everydayyou canimprovetheleaderinyoutobecomeabetterpersonandagreaterleader.

Werewetolimitleadershiptoexceptionalpolitical,economicandscientificfigures,wewouldconfinesuchavastfieldtoaverylimitedcircleofhumanbeings.Everythingcanbelearntandeverypersoniscapableofself-development.Humandevelopmentrequiresentiregenerationsofleaderstoliftuptheirnationsandpeoples.

Agreatvisionneedsnotonlyagreat leader,butalsoagreatwork teamwithdiverseleadershipqualities.

Looking at leadership from this perspective, there is no need to ask whether it isinherentoracquired;ratheraskwhetheronewantstobecomealeaderornot.

E22Endurance

Knowyourbattlefield.Knowledgeisevenmoreimportantthancapability.

ndurancehorseracing isapopularsportboth in theUAEandinternationally. It isatestingexperienceforbothhorseandrider,withraceslastingmanyhours.In2012I

wasfortunatetowintheWorldEnduranceChampionships,heldintheUK,agreathonourformeandavictorythatIworkedhardtoachieve.

This long-distance horse race was organised in the north of the country in unstableweather.Participantscamefromallaroundtheworld:theUSA,theUK,Australia,Japan,theMiddleEast,theNearEastandseveralEuropeancountries.Therewere150horsemenfrom38countries in total.Thehorseswere thebestandthestrongestof theirkind.Thehorsemenwerefull-timeathletesandtrainers.Allofthisaddedtothetension,especiallysinceIamnotafull-timehorseriderandpractisethissportonlyasahobby.Nonetheless,Ilovehorseriding,andIknewmyhorseanditscapabilitieswell.

Ihadnominatedfourhorsestopickfromandmyfinalchoicewasonethathadneverparticipatedinsuchalarge-scalerace.Ihadboughtitsixyearsbeforefromasmallranchforarelativelymodestsum.IhadtrieditamonthearlierduringasmallraceinItaly,anditwasthenthatIdiscovereditscapabilities.IknewthatIcouldbetonthisparticularhorsebecausetheterrainoftheracetrackrequiredagreatcapacityforascendinganddescendingmountains.

Atthebeginningoftheracetheweatherwasremarkablyunstable,forcingustocope,inturn,withrain,bittercoldandwind.Inanendurancerace,youareconstantlyadaptingyourplanaccording toyourhorsescapabilities, aswell as the terrainand lengthof therace,whiletryingtokeepupwiththeothers.Rushingyourhorsewilltireit,whileslowingitspacewillkeepyoubehind.Ifthereisamountainahead,youshouldmakesuretorestyourhorsebeforeproceeding;ifthereisaplain,youcantakeadvantageofthesituationtoprogress,andsoon.Thechallengelayinbalancingallofthesevariables,butwithGodshelpIwasable tocomefirst in this international race, raising theprofileofmycountryandtakinghomeagoldmedal.

Iwouldliketodrawonmymodestexperiencetogivesomeadvicetowhoeveraspirestoattainthetitleofworldchampioninanysport,foraspeoplesay,itisbyteachingothersthatyoubroadenyourknowledge.

My first piece of advice is to acquire knowledge. You should surpass others inknowledge, for knowledge is the shortest path to victory, even in sports. Know yourcapacity. Know the capacity of your horse. Know and examine the capacity of youropponents.Knowtheterrainoftheracetrack.Learnitsdetailsbyheart.Knoweverypartof your horses anatomy andhow it interactswith the racetrack.Themore you surpassyouropponentsinknowledge,thecloseryoucometobeatingthemintosecondplace.

Araceislikeabattle.HereIquotethefamousChinesephilosopherSunTzu,authorofthemilitarytreatiseTheArtofWar:Ifyouknowyourenemyandknowyourself,youwillnotbeimperilledinahundredbattles;ifyouknowyourselfbutnotyourenemy,youwinoneandloseone;ifyouknowneitheryourenemynoryourself,youwillbeimperilledineverysinglebattle.Iwouldliketoadd:knowyourbattlefieldforknowledgeismoreimportantthancapability.

Mysecondpieceofadviceistraining,trainingandmoretraining.Iamnotafull-timeathlete, but I trainedwell for this race. I trainedmybodyalong the track. I trainedmyhorse to increase its stamina. I trainedmyselfonsettingdifferentstrategies to reach thefinishline.Trainingopensyoureyestoyourweaknesses,boostsyourself-confidenceandbringsyouastepclosertovictory.

MythirdpieceofadviceistotrustinGodandinyourself,andtobeoptimistic.Thesepsychological elements are perhaps themost important of all, for they distinguish youfromyouropponents.Trust inyourselfwithoutfeelingarrogantorunderestimatingyouropponent. Be optimistic, but do not neglect the smallest details that will ensure yourvictory.Andmostimportantly,trustinGod,foritisGodwhograntssuccess.

God,ofcourse,knowsbestaboutallthings.However,IsincerelyhopethatthesefewwordsofadvicethatIhavedrawnfrommymodestexperienceinsportswillbeofusetomyfellowathletes.

T23Happiness

Goodgovernanceisaboutnothingmoreorlessthancreatinghappiness.Itreallyisthatsimple.

hejobofgovernmentistoachievehappinessforpeople.Indeed,ourdailyworkisallaboutachievinghappinessforpeople.

When governments evolve and develop services to make peoples lives easier, theycontribute to their comfort and happiness. When governments create opportunities forpeople, thismakes themhappy.Whengovernmentsoffer thebest education, theyequipyoung people to build their future and so to achieve happiness for themselves. Whengovernmentsprovideexcellenthealthcare,patientscannotbehappier.Whengovernmentsdevelop infrastructure, they reduce the amount of time wasted travelling, whichundoubtedly contributes to peoples happiness and comfort.When justice is served, thewholesocietyissatisfiedandreassured.

Thereisnothingmorebeautifulthantocreatejoyinpeopleshearts.Thisisouraimindevelopingservicesanddiscoveringthebestgovernmentpracticesoutthere.WewanttomakepeoplehappyandweaskGodtohelpusinourquest.

Whenanyofficialputshismindtothispurpose,hisdays,hisdecisions,hisprojectsandevenhis interactionswithpeoplewill changecompletely.Evenhis self-satisfactionwillimproveagreatdealwhenheknowsthatheiscontributingtothehappinessofthousandsofpeople.

Thisiswhatwehavelearntfromourfoundingfathers,whoseonlyconcernwastoleadtheirpeoplefromalifeofhardshiptoanewlifeofcomfortandwell-being.

Canyou imagine that thegross incomeof theUAEhas increasedbyover190 timeswithinjust40years?Also,thattherewereonly74publicandprivateschoolsintheUAEin1971?Today,wehavemore than1,200schools. In1971theUAEhadnotmore thansevenhospitals;todaythereare90hospitalsandover2,000primaryhealthcarecentresinthepublicandprivatesectors.In1971thecountryhadnomorethan40graduatesandnouniversities,butthousandsofjobsthatneededgraduates;today,wehave73collegesanduniversitieswithtensofthousandsofstudents.Allofthis,andmuchmore.

Itiscleartomethatthedrivingforcebehindourfoundingfatherstirelesseffortswasnothingotherthantheirquesttopleasepeopleandtoensuretheircomfort.Inthisway,ourleaders succeeded in building a nation, while elsewhere, established countries weredestroyed by leaders driven by different priorities. Our leaders have always aimed toplease the people and contribute towards their well-being and they have succeeded indoingso.Thatiswhythepeoplelovethemandshowthemgratitude.

We could think of happiness as the foundation for many of our ideas and policies.

Indeed, some international institutions have even adopted citizen happiness andsatisfactionasscientificindicatorsofdevelopment.

Weseethegovernmentasanactivepartofsociety,neverassomethingthatisseparateor isolated. The government works for the people, achieves its objectives through thepeopleandmeasuresitssuccessthroughtheirsatisfaction.Thegovernmentisanauthority,but it is an authority at the service of the people and not an authority over them. Itsmissionistopleasethemandtobuildapromisingfuturefortheirchildren.

I24DubaiWorldExpo2020

DubaiWorldExpo2020willbring25millionpeoplefromeverynationtogetherunderthethemeConnectingMinds,CreatingtheFuture.

t is perhaps dangerous to dwell toomuch in the past it is the future that holds ourattention and potential, not the past. And yet nature places us astride both, the past

definingwhowearetodayandthefuturewhowecanbeifwecanharnessourpotentialandqualities.

DubaiWorldExpo2020isrootedfirmlyinarichandimportanttraditionandyetitisallaboutwhatwecanallbecome.

Morethan1,200yearsago,whileEuropewasinitsDarkAges,theMuslimworldwasruledbyadynastyofIslamicleaderswhoembracedfreethoughtandcreativityfromallcorners of the globe. Never before had history witnessed such cultural openness andsymbiosis as during the reign of the Abbasid Caliphs. They built the worlds firstuniversity,nameditBaytAlHikma(HouseofWisdom),andfilleditslibrarywiththefinestcultural,scientificandliterarycreationsknowntomankind.

Asearlyastheninthcentury,undertheCaliphAlMamoun,Baghdadhadbecometheworldscapitalofscienceandculture.Thecitywasrenownedforembracingallracesandreligions.Itbecameamagnetforintellectuals,freethinkersandinnovatorsfromEastandWest.Itspeopledevelopedapassionforgatheringtogetherallofthefruitsofmankindsquest for happiness. This celebration of human creativity flourished formore than fivecenturiesandsetthestagefortheEuropeanRenaissance.

LookingattheMiddleEastanditschallengestoday,itistemptingtothinkbacktothatgoldenageofIslamicculturewithwistfulnostalgiaforafarawaytime.ButAlMamounsvisionismorethanancienthistory.Itisalsoasolutionforthepresentandthefutureamodelthatweareactivelyrebuilding,rightnow.

Myowncountry theUnitedArabEmirates standswhere it stands todaybecausesinceour inceptionwehavegiven theutmostpriority to thehumanmind.Our landhasalwaysbeenasafeharbourforgreat thinkers.Wehavewelcomedinnovativemindsandgiven them the freedom to create. By working together, thousands of experts andspecialists from theUAE and around theworld have constructed inDubai someof theworldsmost iconicbuildingsandfastest-growingbusinesses. InourcapitalAbuDhabi,theybuilttheworldslargestcarbon-freecity,completewithadvancedresearchfacilitiesfor renewable energy.Great artistic and culturalminds are collaborating to build a vastculturalandartisticcitycompletewiththegreatestinternationalmuseums.

Dubaiwasfoundedontrade,notoil.Today,thecityishometotheworldsbusiestandlargestairports.Wesitatthecentreofaglobalnetworksupportedbyoneoftheworldsleading airlines, Emirates, and by effective international communications networks.

Millionsof tonnesof freightcome throughDubaisportsand tensofmillionsofpeoplepassthroughthecityeveryyear.

We travel the seas and skies of the world to drive our trade and to bring ideas,inspiration and innovation to our communities.We are a home to people of over 220nationalities,arichresourceofculture,creativityandinnovation.Fromthiswewillfosteraspiritofglobalco-operationandforgelinksthatwillendureformillions.

DubaiWorldExpo2020willbringtogetherexpertthinkerstoshareinventivewaystodealwith pressing issues such as energy andwater supply.Greatmindswill also cometogether to share smart solutions for transportation, sustainability and global economicstability.

Whenweproposedtohosttheworldsbiggestculturalevent,wepromisedtoastonishtheworld.Todaywepledgetobreathelifeintoourslogan:wewillbringmindstogetherforabetterfuture.

We proposed to host this international event in 2020 to deliver three importantmessages.

Ourfirstmessage is to tell theworld that theMiddleEast isnota regionofconflict,warandtension.Itshistoryandgeographyprovethatthisisaregionwhereculturesandcivilisations can meet and innovation flourish. Initiatives such as Expo 2020 are anopportunitytorestorethisrolebyplayinghosttotheworld,communicatingpositivelyandopenlywith its diverse cultures, accepting and embracing ideas and interactingwith allpeople.Weare at theheart of theworld.Two-thirdsof theworlds population live lessthaneighthoursaway.Wearedestinedtobeameetingpointformankindandameltingpotforculturesandcivilisationsthatwillprovidehumanitywithamazinginnovationsandcreations.

Oursecondmessageistothepeopleofourregionwhoaretiredofconflictandtension.We tell them that we have a culture, a religion and a language in common: ifcommunicationamongdifferentculturescanbringaboutabetterfuture,imaginewhatitcoulddoforuswithallourcommonalities.Wehavebeentryingformorethansixdecadestocommunicateandinteractpositivelywithinourregion.

We have alwayswanted to establish connections, real connections, to build a betterfutureforthepeopleofourregionanditsyouthinparticular.Itistimeforourregiontoreclaimitsroleinhistoryandcivilisation.Ourhistoryandourculturehavedestinedusforgreatness,andourfutureshouldshowcasethisdestiny.

Wearethankfultothecountriesthatannouncedtheirsupporttous;andtothepeopleoftheworldourmessageisthatofloveandpeace.Oursloganwillalwaysbethatconnectingmindscreatesabetterfuture.

ItisasloganofwhichCaliphAlMamounwouldhavebeenproud.

T25OpportunitiesintheIslamiceconomy

Thecreativity,beautyandpeaceofIslamunderpinatrulyglobaleconomicopportunitybasedonprinciplesoffairness,justiceand

equality.

heideaofanIslamiceconomyisbasedaroundtheprinciplesofsocialresponsibilityand fairness that are central to our faith. These principles have influence across all

areas of life, and so our approach to the Islamic economy is not only about Sharia-compliantfinanceandhalalfood.ItalsobuildsonIslamicideasinareassuchastourism,entertainment,artanddesign.

TheIslamiceconomyisworthover$6trillionagreatopportunity,byanystandard.But it isalsoattractive forother reasons.The ideaof trading incommodities, ideasandproductsthataredistinctiveinqualitybecausetheyderivefromtheprinciplesofIslamisonethatIfindhighlyappealing.

In January 2013 I outlined a strategy to establishDubai as the global capital of theIslamiceconomy,comprising46strategicinitiativesgroupedundersevenpillars:finance;halal food; family-friendly tourism; the digital economy; fashion, art and design;economiceducation;andstandardsandcertification.

Together these pillars provide guidelines for Islamic governance and for a range ofinnovations, services and offerings thatmeet the needs of not onlyMuslims, but thosewhofindaspectsoftheIslamiclifestyleappealingtothem.

YoudonothavetobeaMuslimtoappreciatefinecalligraphyorabeautifullypreparedhalalmeal.AndyoudonothavetobeaMuslimtoinvestinasukukanIslamicfinancevehicle in fact,manyWestern banks are launching Islamic finance products and thatmarketissustainingrapidgrowth.

YoudonothavetobeaMuslimtoappreciatefinecalligraphyorabeautifullypreparedhalalmeal

Sothemarketopportunitygoesevenfurther,tothewiderworld.Dubaiisintheidealposition to grow this opportunity aswe can address not onlyWesternmarkets, but themarkets ofAsia too a number ofwhich, such asMalaysia, have large and importantMuslimpopulations.

Notonlythat,itgivesusanopportunityasMuslimstoshowthecreativity,beautyandpeaceofIslamtoourfellowmen.Anambitiousgoal,perhaps,butDubaiwasbuiltonambitious goals and I am particularly proud to have set this one for my team ingovernment.

P26Performance

Wemustnotbecomesetinourwaysatwork.Wemuststaycreativeandtakeriskstodrivepositivechange.

erformancemonitoringisoneofthemostimportantpillarsofsuccessfulgovernment.Weempowergovernmentofficials,givethemauthorityandentrustthemwithbudgets.

Atthesametime,wemonitorandholdthemaccountablefortheirperformance.Sowhathappenswhenanofficialmakesamistakeorfallsshort?Howmanychancesshouldhebegiven?Iwillexaminethisquestionbothintermsofthesystemsthatweusetomanageandadjust performance across government; and in terms of my personal philosophy fortoleranceofmistakesatanindividuallevel.

Thefirstlevelofmonitoringconsistsofmeasuringperformanceaccordingtoastrategicplan. We use a comprehensive electronic system that encompasses thousands ofperformance indicators formeasuring theachievementsofministriesagainst theirplans.Thatway,Imyselfcanfollowupon theperformanceof theseministriesdirectly.Everyministercancheckhisministrysownindicatorsaswell.Wesendreportstothedifferentministriesonanyshortcomingssothattheycanfixthemastheyoccur.

The second level consists of field follow-up, which means monitoring the level ofcustomer service.Wehavemystery shoppers and also customerswhopay thousandsofvisitstoministrieseachyear.Theypreparereportsoncustomerservicethatareforwardedtotheconcernedministerforreviewandareusedtofixanyshortcomings.

Wetooreceivecopiesofthesereports,butIdonotbasemydecisionssolelyonthem;hence the third level of monitoring, whereby I personally pay visits to governmentinstitutions. I follow up on their projects, check the successful models implemented atsomegovernmententities,andmeetandlistentosecond-lineandthird-linemanagers.Idonot believe in monitoring performance only from the office. Field monitoring gives abetter idea of the levels of services and the implementation of policies, and thereforeformsanimportantbasisforpracticaldecisions.

Beyond that, we are held to account by layers of independent external checks andaudits. Because in the end, we all rally around one national vision that of ensuringhappinessandadecentlifeforourpeople.

Toerr ishumanandweall fall short inourworksometimes;but themost importantthingisnottobenegligentormakeerrorsonpurpose.Thisistheconceptthatguidesourthinking when considering, for instance, how many chances to give an official beforedismissinghim.

Itisbymakingmistakesthatapersonlearns.Ifapersonfallsdown,hedoesnotgetupwherehehasfallen,butratherafewstepsahead.Similarly,apersonwhoerrswillgainknowledgeandexperienceasaresultofhiserror.Thisdoesnotmeanthatwegoeasyon

mistakes, but thatwe allow some flexibilitywith loyal and hard-working officers for, Irepeat:toerrishuman.

I might go easy on people whomake mistakes, but never on people whomake noeffort.Idonotlikeourofficialstohaveanexaggeratedfearofmistakes.Thatkindoffearstandsinthewayofcreativity,innovationandchange.Afewmistakesmadebyapersonworkingproductivelycostfarlessthanapersonparalysedbylazinessorfear.

W27Notimetowaste

Ifyouachievetodaywhatyoucouldhavelefttotomorrow,yourefreetomorrowtoachieveevenmore.Whywastethetime?

henpeopleremarkonmyconstantrushtoexecuteprojects,Irespondthatthefuturestartstoday,nottomorrow.Whenpeopleask,Whydoyouwanteverythingnow?

I answer, Why not? There is no point inwaiting. Ifwewait until tomorrowwewillforeverprocrastinate.Sowheneverwe feel thataprojectwill serveourpeople,developoureconomyandadvanceourcountry,weundertakeitwithoutdelay.

TheUAEhastransformeditselffromanariddesertintoawell-developednationontheglobal stage in just four shortdecades.Wehaveneverhad the luxuryof time.Wehaveneveraccustomedourselvestowaiting.Werushtoexecutedevelopmentprojectsbecausewebelievethatastatewitheconomicpoweralsoreapsthebenefitsofpoliticalpower.

Noneofour countrys achievementswouldhavebeenpossiblewithout theeffortsofworkteamsfromeveryemirate,fromAbuDhabitoFujairah;orwithouttheparticipationofeveryoneofourpeople,fromthePresidenttothelowest-rankingemployee.

Thefuturedoesnotwaitforhesitantpeople.Themoreweachieve,themorewerealisehowmuchmorewecanachieve.

HereIwouldliketorecountapersonalanecdote.Ihavegotusedtoinvitingthemediato dinner each year after evening prayers during the holymonth ofRamadan.At thesetimes,wegetthechancetodiscussdifferentsocialissuesanddevelopments.Afewyearsago during one of those dinners, a journalist came up to me and asked the followingquestion:Howmuchofyourvisionhaveyouachievedso far?Shewanted toknowapercentagefigure.Itriedtododgethequestion,butinvain.SoafteramomentofthoughtItoldherthatourambitionsweregreat,asweretheexpectationsofourpeople,andthatwehadaccomplishedaround10percentofourvision.

A couple of years later, at the same time of year and in the same place, the samejournalistcameup tomeandasked thesamequestion.WehadrecentlycompletedBurjKhalifa, launched DubaiMetro and inauguratedMeydan City, in addition to a host ofother impressive projects. After pondering her question she once again asked for apercentage Ianswered thatwehadaccomplishedaroundsevenpercentofourvision.Surprised,sheexclaimed,Butyouranswerwas10percentacoupleofyearsago!TowhichIreplied,Ofcourseforthegreaterouraccomplishments, thewiderourvision,thebroaderourhorizonsandtheclearerourperception.

Timeistooprecioustowasteonpostponingourpeoplesdreamsand

expectationsThisisalifelongjourneywithnofinishline.Eachtimewecompleteonephase,new

possibilitiesunfoldbeforeoureyes.Wewillcontinuewithouthaltorrest,forhaltingisawasteoftime.Wewillpassonthetorchforgenerationstocome.WeaskGodtohelpusleaveourmarkonthiscountryandtoserveitasbestaswecan.

Returning to our topic, our objective is to make our people happy and there is nodelayinghappiness.Timeistooprecioustowasteonpostponingourpeoplesdreamsandexpectations. You just have to multiply the days of delay by the number of people tocalculatetheyearswastedinprocrastination.Whywastemillionsofdaysofourpeopleslivesinhesitationandwaiting?Whydeferourpeoplesluxury,happinessandcomfort?

Theysaythatrushingisaqualityofsuccessfulleadersbecausetheirtimeisprecious.Well, I say that rushing is aqualityof successfulnations that accorddue importance totimeandduecredittothepassingdays.

A successful nation forges its own path to success without relying on the situationaround it.A successful nation does notwait for the future, but rolls up its sleeves andmakes the future.A successful nation does not put off todayswork for tomorrow, butstartstomorrowsworktoday.

I28Thebrainregain

Byattractingthebesttalentfromaroundtheworld,wecancreateavibrantanddiversesocietythatfuelsinnovationandprosperitywhich

inturnattractsstillmoretalent.

n 1968, while studying at theMonsOfficer Cadet School in the United Kingdom, Ineededtovisitahospital.ThereImetadoctorwho,tomysurprise,spokefluentArabic.

IlearnedthathewasnewtotheUK,soIaskedifheintendedtostaylongorreturnhome.HerepliedwithanArabicsayingthattranslatesas:MyhomeiswhereIcaneat.

That doctors words stayed with me for many years, because they underscored thecontradiction between our idealised view of home and the harsh realities of life thatpushtalentedpeopletoleave.

The doctor was a classic case of the brain drain phenomenon that has afflicteddeveloping countries for decades. These countries spend scarce resources educatingdoctors,engineersandscientists,inthehopethattheywillbecomeenginesofprosperity.ThenwewatchwithdismayastheymigratetotheWest,takingwiththemthepromiseoftheirtalent.

It is, of course, everyones right to choose a better life, wherever in theworld theywish.Weunderstandwhytheygo.Talentisdrawnlikeamagnettoopportunity.

Forthecountriesleftbehind,however,itfeelslikeanendlessviciouscycle:theyneedtalenttocreateopportunity;butwithoutopportunity,talentgravitatestothebrightlightsoftheWest. Indeed, theUnitedNations and theOECDreport thatmigration forworkhasrisenbyonethirdsince2000.OneinnineuniversitygraduatesfromAfricanowlivesandworksintheWest.Manywillnotreturn:skilledworkersaresixtimesmorelikelytostayaway.

But now something remarkable is happening: in some countries, the brain drain hasreverseditsflow.Thecausesarefascinating,andthereisreasontobeoptimisticthattheviciouscyclecanbebroken, transforming thebalanceofhopeandopportunitybetweendevelopinganddevelopedeconomies.

AstudybyLinkedIn, theworlds largestonlineprofessionalnetworkandrecruitmentplatform,measuredthenetinternationalmovementoftalentamongitsmembers.Toppingthelistasadestinationfortalentismyowncountry,theUnitedArabEmirates,withanettalentgainof1.3percentof theworkforce in2013.Othernettalentmagnets includeSaudiArabia,Nigeria,SouthAfrica,IndiaandBrazil.

Mostinteresting,fewerthanonethirdofnettalentimportersaredevelopedcountries.Infact,thetoptalentexportersinthisstudyareSpain,theUK,France,theUnitedStates,ItalyandIreland.Richcountriesthatuntilrecentlyhadbeentemptingawayourbrightest

mindsarenowsendingustheirown.Ofcourse, this isonlyonestudy,andmanypoorcountriesstillsufferfromachronic

talent exodus.OECDdata show thatmany countries inAfrica andLatinAmerica havemigrationratesforgraduatesabove50percent.

We do know that brain drain is often a function of safety and security as much aseconomicopportunity.PartofthetragedyplayingoutinMiddleEasterncountriesbesetbyconflictandinstability is that ifonly theirmost talentedsonsanddaughterscouldapplytheir skills at home, they would become part of the solution: agents of peace throughdevelopment. This makes it all the more important to examine how some developingcountriessucceededinreversingtheoutwardflow.

Thebasic ingredient isopportunity.Talent flowsnaturally to countries that create anenvironment for economic growth; that make life easy for enterprise; that attract andwelcome investment; and that nurture a culture of achievement. Skills are attracted tochallengeandpossibility.

OpportunityonthisscaleisbecomingascarcecommodityinmanypartsoftheWest.Not so in the developing world at least among countries with the appetite anddeterminationtodeploystronggovernanceandcontinuallyraisetheircompetitiveness.

Second, quality of life matters greatly. A generation ago, many talented individualswouldconsiderworkingoutsidetheWestahardshipposting.Today,standardsoflivingin theUAE, for example, are among the highest in theworld.Wehave shown that thebusiness of reversing the brain drain is also the business of creating a better life forcitizens and residents. Building happiness is, after all, the primary business of goodgovernmenteverywhere.

Ours is a storyof great hope for theMiddleEast in particular,wheregenerationsofconflictanddespairhavedrivenhighlevelsofoutwardmigration.Ihavealwaysarguedthat, besidesgoodgovernance, thebest solutions to thedivisions and strifeof theArabworldlieingrassrootsdevelopmentandeconomicopportunity.Now,wehaveshownthatitispossibletoreversetheforcesthathaddrivenawayourmosttalentedyoungpeople.

Another source of hope: this turnaround can happen remarkably quickly. Researchshowsthatsmallcountriessufferdisproportionatelyfrombraindrain.ButwehaveshownthatevenforasmallcountryliketheUAE,andeveninaregiondividedbyconflict,itisworthbuildinganislandofopportunity.

But letmebe clear: reversing the brain drain is aboutmore thanplugging a leak. Itmeans flipping a vicious cycle into a virtuous one. By attracting the best talent fromaround theworld,we can create avibrant anddiverse society that fuels innovation andprosperitywhichinturnattractsstillmoretalent.

To make this work, we must believe in people. Human beings their ideas,innovations, dreams and connections are the capital of the future. In this sense, thebrain regain is not so much an achievement in itself as it is a leading indicator ofdevelopment,becausewheregreatmind