Dubai: His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has published a message addressed to his brother, President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in his new book ‘Letters’.The book is the second part of ‘Life Taught Me’ and contains a collection of letters drawn from His Highness’s experiences in public life and serving the nation.The letter, titled ‘A Message to My Brother Mohammed bin Zayed’, reads:To my brother, friend, and companion, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan…May God protect and preserve you, and guide your steps on the path of goodness.To the brother with whom I shared Zayed’s love, and in whom I saw Zayed’s wisdom, Zayed’s mercy, and Zayed’s insight.I knew you, my brother, as a friend, companion, and close relative.I knew you, my brother, as a human being, a leader, and a wise man.I knew you as a leader, an inspiration, and a pillar of the nation.I knew you to be a man of your word, a man of principle, and a man of conviction.I knew you as a field commander during the liberation of Kuwait and in the Kosovo War.I have known you during the crises and disasters of the world as a compassionate, kind, and loving person.I knew you in your international relations as a wise politician and a statesman who imposed the respect of his country on the world.I knew you, my brother, as a leader of the nation… generous to your people, trustworthy regarding the future of your children, merciful, tolerant, and chivalrous towards all those residing on your land.My brother Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan…When a little girl leaves her home every day – a girl who doesn’t know the intricacies of politics or the complexities of economics – she goes to her school feeling safe.She walks through the streets of her homeland and sees beauty and order.She arrives at her school and sees on its walls that her country has reached space, and that her nation’s ambitions embrace the sky. This child dreams that she will be and will be… and that she will make her parents proud of her, and that she will one day raise her country’s flag like the rest of the heroes in her country.When this child dreams with certainty, and trusts that her future in her country is great, we know that you have fulfilled your duty, and achieved your dreams for our country and our generations.Instilling confidence, security, and optimism in our children is your greatest achievement, my brother.Congratulations on this homeland, my brother… and congratulations to us for having you.Congratulations to us on the children who go to their schools every day in safety, security, comfort and peace of mind.Congratulations on their big dreams and passionate hearts.Congratulations on the future you are building for them before they grow up to see it.My brother Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan…I and the world are following your historic and leading journey.We follow how you transformed your ambitions into institutions, your ideas into projects and initiatives, and your international relations into economic, political and investment bridges that benefit the Emirates.We are following, my brother, how educational institutions have been transformed from services into sovereign national priorities that determine our position in the world.
And how it transformed wealth into building new sectors, future industries, and an economic base for the generations of the Emirates.We follow, my brother, how your country has become wiser than the time in which it lives, more prepared for the future than the environment in which it operates, and more capable of continuing and withstanding the circumstances surrounding it.My brother Mohammed bin Zayed, life has taught me that cities are built, infrastructure rises, and facilities are constructed, but what is most important of all is the spirit of the nation that unites everyone, preserves stability, inspires generations, and awakens the enthusiasm of youth. And today, you are that spirit, my brother. You are the spirit of the nation. Hearts unite around you, crowds follow you, borders are protected by you, and people rally around you with one heart, one hand, and a vibrant national spirit.Life has taught me, my brother, that civilizations don’t decline by chance, but rather when they cease to develop and become complacent with past achievements. And you, my brother, inherited a great nation from Zayed… but you didn’t stop there, nor did you become complacent. You strengthened its stability, diversified its economy, solidified its relationships, and propelled it to keep pace with the new frontiers of human knowledge.Life has taught me, my brother, that the greatest danger facing nations is not the threats on their borders, but the complacency that creeps into the hearts of their youth when they shift from a culture of achievement to a culture of entitlement. And you, my brother, have invested in people… you have taught the youth that luxury does not preserve the legacy of our ancestors, that seriousness and discipline are the foundation of progress in our country, and that prosperity and development are a responsibility and an honor, not a privilege or a luxury.You taught the youth, my brother, that what we inherited is not a reward, but a trust to which we add before we hand over the banner to those who come after us… and that the goal is not to create wealth, but to create generations capable of creating wealth and engineering the future.My brother Mohammed bin Zayed…A person is not measured by the powers they possess, but by the responsibilities they bear. Today you bear the trust of the children in their homes and the dreams in their minds. You bear the trust of building a generation that will continue the journey and preserve the legacy. Today you bear the trust of a nation and the creation of a future for generations who have not yet grown up to see it. It is a trust to which you have pledged yourself before God, history, and people. And we bear witness that you are fulfilling it properly.We and your people are with you, my brother, on this great journey… a journey that will be immortalized by generations, God willing, and that history will write in letters of light.May God grant you success and protect you, my brother, and guide your steps on the path of goodness.Your loving brother…Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
