Putting Dubai on the Map

In the mid 1960s, Dubai was nothing more than a backwater in the Gulf. On a trip there, Mohamed met the ruler, Sheikh Rashid al Makhtoum, and the pair became firm friends. Armed with the rulers’ personal authority, Mohamed brought together the finance and expertise needed to transform Dubai, and in doing so laid the foundations for the phenomenal growth the emirate has experienced over the last 40 years.

Port Rashid, the sprawling port complex at Jebal Ali, the massive dry dock, the dredging of the creek and the tunnel under it, the building of the first general hospital, the construction of the skyscraping World Trade Centre and the Hilton Hotel development, the building of the international airport – all these projects were carried out under the supervision of Mohamed and his brothers.

Mohamed became a director and 30 percent shareholder in Richard Costain, the British civil engineering group. He brought other construction companies, like Bernard Sunley and Taylor Woodrow in to Dubai, together with British financiers.

His introductions of British companies to the gulf earned eight billion pounds for Britain during the governments of Wilson and Heath, when the UK economy was in poor shape.

Mohamed’s company IMS, (International Marine Services), was established in Dubai and, from there, carried out salvage, towing and servicing work for the fleets of oil tankers trading in those waters. IMS became one of the leading companies in its field and at one time had vessels operating as far distant as Singapore.

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