Hi there Sunil here to talk about the Royal family of Dubai

The history behind Dubai’s “rulership” is very interesting. From the very beginning until today, the Emirate has been ruled by only one family, the Maktoum dynasty.

The current ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin (son of) Rashid Al Maktoum is a young, ambitious and quite entrepreneurial. He is the mastermind behind Dubai’s rapid success and its reputation today in the global landscape.

I will share with you what I have learned about the royal family of Dubai in the past few years. I will attempt to walk you through from the beginning to the current Dubai ruler.

Sheikh Mohammed’s lineage, the Al Maktoum dynasty, can be traced back to the Bani Yas tribe that was predominant throughout the United Arab Emirates (UAE) before it was united as a single nation.

Back in 1833, Sheikh Maktoum bin Buti of the Maktoum family decided to migrate from Abu Dhabi to Dubai with about 800 of his tribal members.

There was nothing when they moved to Dubai. But with time, the Maktoum dynasty has transformed the small town into one of the world’s prime tourist and investment attractions.



Sheikh Maktoum was well respected and passed away in 1852 when his brother Sheikh Saeed bin Buti Al Maktoum succeeded him. He was also a good ruler that was well respected by the people.

Dubai encountered its share of difficulties and hostile encounters by its neighbors. During this time Dubai had signed an agreement with the British that brought Dubai under Britain’s protection.

Sheikh Saeed passed away in 1859 and Sheikh Hasher bin Maktoum Al Maktoum of the royal family took over. Sheikh Hasher was a practical leader with good common sense. He maintained a good relationship with the British.

Sharp business brains ran in the DNA of the royal family. Sheikh Hasher’s successor Sheikh Rashid bin Maktoum married into a reputable tribe to leverage their territory in aiding Dubai’s progression further. He passed away in 1894 and was succeeded by Sheikh Maktoum bin Hasher.



This is where Dubai’s business savvy got a boost. Sheikh Maktoum got rid of business taxes and the effect was evident in Dubai’s economy. Dubai became the preferred trading location where all kinds of business was conducted.

Several generations of rulers passed and Dubai’s economic progress continued. It predominantly became a trading hub. The main industries were pearl trading and manufacturing.

In January of 2006 Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum took over as the leader of the royal family of Dubai and its government. Sheikh Mohammed is the mastermind behind Dubai’s gigantic success story. Read more about this young, talented and ambitious leader and ruler of Dubai.