Early Life
Sheikh Hamdan was born on December 25, 1945. He was the second of four sons of the late ruler of Dubai, Shaikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum.
Sheikh Hamdan's formal schooling began in Dubai. He attended Al Madrasah Al-Ahlia, where he studied mathematics, English, basic sciences, Arabic and Islamic studies. He went on to complete his further studies at the Bell School of Languages in Cambridge between 1967 and 1968. In Britain, Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum developed an interest in thoroughbred racing.
The years saw a great deal of development in the UAE. While Dubai and Abu Dhabi had begun the process of modernisation, it was far from complete; many areas in the remaining five emirates needed electricity, roads, housing, and clean water supplies. As Minister of Finance and Industry, Sheikh Hamdan oversaw such work, while he was also charged with developing the economy and an industrial base. The UAE's rulers understood that the country could not afford to isolate its efforts in the petroleum sector, despite the fact that in 1971 the majority of federal government revenues were derived from this source.
In Dubai, Sheikh Rashid also placed his second son in charge of an array of key governmental industrial enterprises, including the Dubai Aluminium Company, Dubai Gas Company and Dubai Cable Company, among others.
Read more about this topic: Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum
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“... business training in early life should not be regarded solely as insurance against destitution in the case of an emergency. For from business experience women can gain, too, knowledge of the world and of human beings, which should be of immeasurable value to their marriage careers. Self-discipline, co-operation, adaptability, efficiency, economic management,—if she learns these in her business life she is liable for many less heartbreaks and disappointments in her married life.”
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