On January 4, 2006, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid became Ruler of Dubai, following the death of his brother, Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid.
Under his 17 years of rule, Sheikh Mohammed, who is also Vice President and Prime Minister, has turned Dubai into a global centre of tourism, finance and commerce.
A remarkable feat, considering that just a few decades earlier, Dubai was still a small town centred on the Creek.
It was his father, Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed, who first turned what was a small fishing town into a regional commercial centre.
Sheikh Mohammed had a front-row seat to his father's achievements and often accompanied him on key trips, such as to London in 1959 when Sheikh Rashid secured agreement to build Dubai's first airfield. At the time, Dubai was still a British protectorate and Sheikh Mohammed just a boy.
“My father was determined, arguing that he knew what Dubai needed best and he insisted on it,” Sheikh Mohammed wrote. “We won permission to build the airstrip on that trip.”
That airstrip went on to become the world's busiest airport in terms of international passengers.
Sheikh Rashid died in October 1990 and was succeeded by his eldest son, Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid, with Sheikh Mohammed appointed Crown Prince in 1995.
During this time, he oversaw the development of the Burj Al Arab, which opened in September 1999. It was a hotel that introduced Dubai to the world and remains an iconic feature of the skyline.
He is also dedicated to helping those most in need. In 2003, Sheikh Mohammed established the International Humanitarian City, which is now an important global logistics hub for humanitarian aid.
Sheikh Mohammed's lifetime of public service: in pictures
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A rarely seen photograph of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid as a boy. Wam -
This picture was taken in 1968 at Mons Officer Cadet School, which was a British military training establishment that closed in 1972, transferring its responsibilities to Sandhurst. Wam -
At Mons Officer Cadet School in Aldesrhot, United Kingdom in 1968. Wam -
A young Sheikh Mohammed performs Umrah in 1974. Wam -
Pictured in the 1970s, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid was at the centre of efforts to build the country up following unification. Wam -
"The worst things to affect a human being are vanity, megalomania, the belief in one's own power and his dependence on his limited mortal strength," Sheikh Mohammed wrote in a book about his life, My Story: 50 Stories in 50 years, published this year. Wam -
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid in the Parade Ring on Day 2 of Royal Ascot week in June 1995. Getty -
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, then Crown Prince of Dubai and UAE Minister of Defence, descends a Boeing 777 after opening the Dubai 1995 airshow November 12. -
UAE Founding Father Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid watch the final race of the Annual Camel Festival at Nad Al Sheba in Dubai in April 1996. Wam / National Archives -
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai with Rama the Cama, the world's first cross between an Old World camel and a South American camelid - in January 1998. AFP -
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, who was Crown Prince of Dubai when this photo was taken, takes a break during a 100-km horse race beside the Sakkara pyramids in Cairo, Egypt, on May 19, 2000. Only 18 of the 75 horses that participated finished race and Sheikh Mohammed won with a riding time of five hours and 34 minutes. AP Photo -
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid meets Tiger Woods after the 2004 Dubai Desert Classic played on the Majilis Course at the Emirates Golf Club on March 7 in Dubai. Warren Little / Getty -
Sheikh Mohammed displays a falcon to US President George W Bush on 14 January 2008. WAM / AFP -
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, and Queen Elizabeth II greet hundreds of spectators at Emirates Palace after they unveiled of a commemorative plaque to celebrate the commencement of construction of the Zayed National Museum on Thursday November 25, 2010. Andrew Henderson / The National -
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, holds hands with Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al Azhar Dr Ahmad Al Tayeb during their visit to Abu Dhabi in February 2019. Mohamed Al Hammadi / Ministry of Presidential Affairs -
Sheikh Mohammd bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, meets Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed , Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, at a Sea Palace barza in Abu Dhabi in April 2019. Mohamed Al Hammadi / Ministry of Presidential Affairs -
Sheikh Mohammed stands for a photograph with Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, and Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed, chairman of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation, on his sons' wedding day in Dubai in May 2019. UAE Ministry of Presidential Affairs / AFP -
Queen Elizabeth presents Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid with a trophy for the winning owner of the 4.20 Diamond Jubilee Stakes at the Royal Ascot in June 2019. Reuters -
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, receives credentials from new ambassadors from various countries to the UAE in Qasr Al Watan in Abu Dhabi in June 2019. Wam
Sheikh Mohammed became Ruler in 2006 after the death of Sheikh Maktoum. Dubai's transformation into a global city happened under his watch. Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building, opened in 2010. Other major projects such as Dubai Marina, Dubai Metro and shopping centres such as Dubai Mall and Mall of the Emirates elevated Dubai even more.
More recently, Sheikh Mohammed ensured Dubai recovered from Covid-19 faster than most countries and also oversaw the safe and successful staging of Expo 2020 Dubai which attracted people from across the globe.
From the small town Sheikh Mohammed was born in, Dubai's population is now about 3.5 million today with people from across the world seeking to live and work in the emirate.
And it already looks like a busy year for 2023. Sheikh Mohammed on January 2 set out the UAE's five key priorities for the year during the first Cabinet meeting of 2023. He said the UAE would focus on consolidating its national identity; championing the environment and sustainability; developing the education sector; boosting Emiratisation policies; and expanding economic partnerships across the globe.
It is a particularly important year for the environment. The Expo site, now known as Expo City Dubai, will host a major UN climate summit in November.
Heads of state from across the world will gather in Dubai for Cop28 and will try to find solutions for one of the world's most pressing problems, climate change.
