Minister Praises Sheikh Mohammed’s Vision at Dubai Leadership Forum 2026

At the Mohammed bin Rashid Leadership Forum 2026 in Dubai, Minister of Cabinet Affairs Mohammed Abdullah Al Gergawi addressed the gathering on 13 October 2026, describing Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s influence as extending far beyond the city’s physical transformation.

Leadership Philosophy

Al Gergawi said it is difficult to summarise what Sheikh Mohammed has accomplished over six decades in an airport, a tower or a project. He added, “He built a city, and with it a society, a culture and a human being. He built a model for the region.”

The minister explained that the UAE’s leadership model has shown the Arab world it can compete globally. He noted that Sheikh Mohammed taught people to think globally and understand that ambition should not be limited by resources or geography.

By placing people at the centre of development, the Ruler of Dubai demonstrated that human capital, knowledge and hard work could turn aspirations into reality.

Al Gergawi recalled how the region was often viewed through the lens of conflict and an oil‑dependent past, while Sheikh Mohammed believed in the potential of the people living there.

That vision helped shape a diversified economy spanning trade, aviation, tourism, finance and technology, with ideas translated into opportunities that have changed people’s lives.

He observed that Dubai has become a destination for ambitious individuals, talented professionals and international companies, reversing a pattern in which young people traditionally left their home cities to seek opportunities in the West.

Today, people come to Dubai for security, opportunity, respect for work and recognition of merit.

One of the most important lessons Al Gergawi said he learned from Sheikh Mohammed was the need to measure government performance by its impact on people’s lives.

Recalling the Ruler’s field visits, where he would test services, ask questions and follow up on projects, Al Gergawi highlighted the question that captures the leadership approach: “Are people satisfied?”

While public satisfaction was often described as an unattainable goal, Sheikh Mohammed taught his teams they had a responsibility to achieve it.

Al Gergawi also recalled how the Ruler challenged officials when they hesitated to pursue ambitious goals, asking why something couldn’t be done.

This approach changed how teams thought and worked, encouraging them to move faster and focus on the people waiting for government services.

He said that behind every service is a person waiting for a solution; a decision that might otherwise take a month could be made in a minute, while a project expected to take years could be completed in a week.

The culture of speed, ambition and execution has extended beyond government into the private sector and among young people, helping establish Dubai’s reputation for getting things done.

Al Gergawi quoted Sheikh Mohammed’s view: “Dubai has become synonymous with achievement and work,” describing a culture where excellence means delivering exceptional results with distinction and on a tight timeline.

Personal Reflections

Al Gergawi offered a personal account of working alongside Sheikh Mohammed for more than three decades.

He said he had seen the Ruler make difficult decisions, take bold steps when others hesitated and act quickly when others were still waiting.

He also recalled the Ruler’s personal side, including his concern for a child whose treatment he followed despite not knowing the child personally, his inquiries about people in need and his attention to a project in a remote African village.

Al Gergawi shared a particularly personal memory involving his late mother.

While Sheikh Mohammed was signing books for several leaders, he took a copy of his book and wrote a special dedication for Al Gergawi’s mother, knowing how much she meant to him.

He noted, “These details are not written in reports, but they reveal the character of a person.”

For Al Gergawi, these moments reflected a leader who was decisive, inspiring and generous—qualities that extend beyond the public role.

He suggested that Sheikh Mohammed’s greatest impact on those gathered at the forum was bringing out the best in them, helping people recognise abilities they might not otherwise have realised they possessed.

Enduring Legacy

Looking beyond Dubai’s physical transformation, Al Gergawi said history would remember Sheikh Mohammed for restoring people’s confidence in what the region could achieve.

He said the legacy would not be limited to the city he built, but would also include the belief that people in the Arab world could compete with the rest of the world and accomplish what once seemed impossible.

Addressing Sheikh Mohammed directly, Al Gergawi described the speech as both a message of appreciation and a pledge for the future.

He said, “Thank you for believing in us, raising our ambitions and helping us achieve what we thought was impossible,” adding that the Ruler had built a city people could be proud of, a society in which they could feel secure about their children’s future, and a model that had inspired the world.

Al Gergawi stated that the responsibility now rests with those who have benefited from that leadership to protect what has been built and carry its principles forward.

He concluded with the words, “The best way to thank a leader who has spent his life working is to continue working,” and added, “And the best message we can give you is not what we say today, but what we do.”