Sheikh Rashid was known as the Father of Dubai.
Thirty years after his death, his achievements in transforming the city still resound around the world.
On Tuesday, a day before the 30th anniversary of Sheikh Rashid's death, the man charged with building on his legacy, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, paid tribute to his father.
Sheikh Mohammed, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, said his father had a vision that was as deep as the sea.
"He was not very talkative but thought a lot," he wrote on Twitter. "His day began before anyone else and his dreams went beyond his years.
"He loved his wife, Latifa, and he loved Dubai. He was faithful to the Union. He went quietly after he filled the world with the sound of his achievements and this continues."
Sheikh Rashid became Ruler in 1958 at a time when life in the emirate was difficult.
The collapse of the pearl trade hurt Dubai, while the sun was slowly setting on the British Empire, bringing political uncertainty to the region.
But he swiftly set about establishing Dubai as a commercial centre. The energy in Dubai around this time, before any talk of oil, was captured by Edward Henderson, a British oil company representative, in his book Arabian Destiny.
“Things got done in double-quick time and those who were not quite up to it would disappear,” Henderson wrote.
"And the result? Oil boom conditions and an expanding town 15 years before any oil was discovered.
"'Goodness, what will he be like,’ asked someone, ‘if he does find oil’.”
Sheikh Rashid embarked on Dubai's first mega-projects, such as dredging the Creek to allow larger ships to enter.
He built the Jebel Ali Port in the late 1970s and oversaw the opening in 1979 of Dubai World Trade Centre.
It was the largest building in the region at the time and sent a signal that Dubai was a force to be reckoned with.
Sheikh Rashid also shared the vision of Sheikh Zayed, the Founding Father, and the two set in motion the establishment of the UAE in 1971.
When he died in 1990, Dubai was on the path to becoming a global centre of commerce.
Essentials
The flights: You can fly from the UAE to Iceland with one stop in Europe with a variety of airlines. Return flights with Emirates from Dubai to Stockholm, then Icelandair to Reykjavik, cost from Dh4,153 return. The whole trip takes 11 hours. British Airways flies from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Reykjavik, via London, with return flights taking 12 hours and costing from Dh2,490 return, including taxes.
The activities: A half-day Silfra snorkelling trip costs 14,990 Icelandic kronur (Dh544) with Dive.is. Inside the Volcano also takes half a day and costs 42,000 kronur (Dh1,524). The Jokulsarlon small-boat cruise lasts about an hour and costs 9,800 kronur (Dh356). Into the Glacier costs 19,500 kronur (Dh708). It lasts three to four hours.
The tours: It’s often better to book a tailor-made trip through a specialist operator. UK-based Discover the World offers seven nights, self-driving, across the island from £892 (Dh4,505) per person. This includes three nights’ accommodation at Hotel Husafell near Into the Glacier, two nights at Hotel Ranga and two nights at the Icelandair Hotel Klaustur. It includes car rental, plus an iPad with itinerary and tourist information pre-loaded onto it, while activities can be booked as optional extras. More information inspiredbyiceland.com
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
Company%20Profile
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Who has been sanctioned?
Daniella Weiss and Nachala
Described as 'the grandmother of the settler movement', she has encouraged the expansion of settlements for decades. The 79 year old leads radical settler movement Nachala, whose aim is for Israel to annex Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where it helps settlers built outposts.
Harel Libi & Libi Construction and Infrastructure
Libi has been involved in threatening and perpetuating acts of aggression and violence against Palestinians. His firm has provided logistical and financial support for the establishment of illegal outposts.
Zohar Sabah
Runs a settler outpost named Zohar’s Farm and has previously faced charges of violence against Palestinians. He was indicted by Israel’s State Attorney’s Office in September for allegedly participating in a violent attack against Palestinians and activists in the West Bank village of Muarrajat.
Coco’s Farm and Neria’s Farm
These are illegal outposts in the West Bank, which are at the vanguard of the settler movement. According to the UK, they are associated with people who have been involved in enabling, inciting, promoting or providing support for activities that amount to “serious abuse”.
Total eligible population
About 57.5 million people
51.1 million received a jab
6.4 million have not
Where are the unvaccinated?
England 11%
Scotland 9%
Wales 10%
Northern Ireland 14%
