‘His departure broke a lot of hearts. Many did not believe that their father was gone’ – Sheikh Mohammed 

On October 6 2019, the eve of the anniversary of his father’s death, H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai took to Instagram to share a heartfelt message with his followers and the people of Dubai.

The Dubai Ruler posted a photo of his father, H.H. Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, alongside a caption in Arabic that reads ‘On this seventh day of October in 1990, Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum left us. Gone from Dubai was its father and engineer. His departure broke a lot of hearts. Many did not believe that their father was gone’. The post has since been liked nearly 79,000 times.

Sheikh Rashid was Ruler of Dubai from 1958 until his death on October 7, 1990. He was also the Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Vice President from 1971 until his death. It was during his rule that Dubai grew from a small trading town into a major cosmopolitan city, so he was sometimes called the first visionary of the modern UAE.

According to Sheikh Mohammed’s official website, Sheikh Rashid, who was the first born son of Sheikh Saeed, involved himself at an early age in the politics of the emirate.

Sheikh Rashid had an unwavering belief that a modernized Dubai could be achieved and he spearheaded numerous developments in the city such as the building of Al Maktoum Hospital, the Al Maktoum Bridge and Dubai Airport.

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Images: Instagram