In the richly anecdotal stories, the Dubai Ruler shares the life-changing lessons he learned from past events…

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai has just launched a collection of five stories titled My Little World.

The stories have been written by the Ruler of Dubai himself and are based on his early life experiences.

The stories blend engaging storytelling with keen observations about human relationships, learning and the desert. All these incidents and interactions that took place in his early life played a major role in shaping the Ruler’s outlook and values.

In his introduction to the collection, Sheikh Mohammed talks about his eagerness to learn new skills and his tireless spirit of adventure – all of which helped him dream big.

The stories aim to convey to young readers that ‘great dreams have no limits.’ They have been written for children aged between six and nine with the aim to encourage reading.

Here’s a synopsis of the five stories.

Sheikh Mohammed My Little World

In ‘My Friend, the Lion’, Sheikh Mohammed talks about the night when he opened his eyes to see a lion in his room. He recognised the lion as his childhood friend that he had struck a bond with at a farm.

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Another story, ‘Camping with Scoprions’, the Ruler speaks about his interactions with his mentor Humaid who taught him to hunt, train and treat injured falcons.

Sheikh Mohammed also shared a story about how his father gifted him his old hunting gear and access to the room where he stored it in ‘My Cave of Treasures’. The story speaks about young Sheikh Mohammed’s determination to transform the room into his personal space for contemplation, brainstorming and experimentation.

‘My First Horse’ narrates how Sheikh Mohammed trained his first horse, Sauda Umm Halag while it was recovering from an injury. The horse was nursed and trained by young Sheikh Mohammed until it was able to race again.

In a tribute to his mother, Sheikh Mohammed shares a story of how he took a lone baby gazelle he found in the desert to safety. Titled ‘My Mother, Like No Other’, the Ruler recalls whether anyone would care for it as much as its mother – highlighting how our mothers are irreplaceable in our lives.

The book has been launched by the Government of Dubai Media Office in partnership with Al Hudhud Publishing and Distribution. It is available in both Arabic and English.

Images: Book illustrations by Abdullah Muhammad Al Sharhan (Founder and President of Ajyal Media)