In 1999, UAE journalist Raed Barqawi acquired the decision most individuals can solely dream of – an invite to go to Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai. On the finish of that occasion, as company have been being escorted out, an aide to Dubai’s ruler pulled Barqawi apart and requested him to remain behind – Sheikh Mohammed needed to fulfill him one-on-one. “His Highness took me to his automobile and we drove round Dubai for 2 hours. He defined his imaginative and prescient for Dubai. He additionally spoke about his general imaginative and prescient for the economic system and the way he needed to place the nation on the world map for enterprise, tourism and infrastructure. He additionally needed to know my ideas on the media.”
Throughout that dialog, Barqawi requested Sheikh Mohammed a query he had harbored for almost a decade. In August 1990, when Barqawi was working as a journalist at Al Khaleej newspaper, Iraq invaded Kuwait. As ominous protection of that invasion led to unsubstantiated hypothesis that the area can be incinerated in lethal battle, his newspaper workplace acquired a message from the native UAE information company saying that the minister The nation’s protection minister, Sheikh Mohammed, was saying plans to construct a second golf course, the Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Membership.
Confused by the timing of the announcement, Barqawi introduced up the topic with Sheikh Mohammed. “His Highness informed me: ‘At the moment, everybody was in a destructive temper. I needed to ship a optimistic message to these individuals who thought that we in Dubai and UAE have been completed. We needed to indicate that we’re, in truth, initially of what we might obtain and that we’ll proceed to construct our nation.’ “
The dialog Barqawi had with Sheikh Mohammed that day was serendipitous, with the journalist deciding over 20 years later to put in writing his first ebook. The concept got here to him within the first days of the lockdown as a result of pandemic. In February this 12 months, he launched Dare to Dream: How Mohammed bin Rashid Made His Dream Come Actuality on the Emirates Airline Literary Pageant in Dubai.
Greater than three many years in the past, after graduating from faculty, Barqawi started his profession as a enterprise journalist at Al Khaleej. He rose by means of the ranks to develop into the paper’s enterprise editor, adopted by managing director of the editorial group resulting in the place of editor-in-chief, which he stays to at the present time. He says it took a deliberate effort to maneuver from a “newspaper model” of writing to that required of an creator.
The ebook, initially printed in Arabic, has three chapters titled: Miracles at Work, A Man Destined to Rule, and Oasis of Creativeness. Barqawi cites a number of examples that formed his method in compiling these chapters and certainly knowledgeable Sheikh Mohammed’s childhood.
He cites the instance of Sheikh Mohammed visiting the highest of the Empire State Constructing along with his father, Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, within the sixties. The long run ruler of Dubai gazed on the skyscrapers of New York Metropolis, dreaming of sooner or later constructing the world’s tallest constructing in his hometown. Then there was that point many many years in the past when Sheikh Mohammed accompanied his father to London and, upon touchdown at Heathrow, envisioned the creation of a mega airport in Dubai that would rival the very best on the earth. Additionally early on, Sheikh Rashid appointed Sheikh Mohammed as Dubai’s police chief and despatched his son on journeys to the US and UK to check greatest practices and learn the way policing was performed in these nations. The Burj Khalifa, Dubai Airport and Dubai, which is usually featured at the moment as one of many most secure cities on the earth, are all examples of Sheikh Mohammed’s dream of creating his metropolis a actuality.
“Sooner or later, I requested His Highness why he was constantly constructing the infrastructure within the metropolis far more than was mandatory on the time? Sheikh Mohammed stated: “If I’ve a goal of being a vacationer or enterprise vacation spot, then I can not invite folks to my dwelling when my meals just isn’t but prepared. We’ve got to be ready, and after that, we invite folks to our nation. That is why I am constructing even greater… to be prepared when wanted.”
Final 12 months alone, Dubai welcomed 7.28 million worldwide in a single day guests, a 32% improve year-on-year, displaying how a long-sighted imaginative and prescient can have ramifications many years after the inspiration has been laid.
The ebook was printed by Dubai-headquartered Inspire Media Group, whose managing accomplice and group editor-in-chief is Ian Fairservice. “I’ve recognized Ian for a lot of many years and he’s a hit story. He turned a writer and is very revered on this metropolis. He delivers what he guarantees. Inspire is well-established {and professional}, which is why we selected them for this ebook,” says Barqawi.
Fairservice notes why he was so excited to publish the ebook. “Raed is likely one of the most distinguished voices in journalism and this shall be a captivating learn for anybody who has marveled on the unbelievable progress story of Dubai and the UAE. We’re proud to publish this phenomenal ebook on His Highness. It speaks to the knowledge and foresight of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid and the spectacular growth of the UAE.”
Current on the February 6 launch at Emirates LitFest was Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Government, Emirates Airline and Group. That night time, Barqawi additionally flew to the Cairo Worldwide E-book Truthful, the place he says the ebook was additionally nicely acquired.
Barqawi determined to donate all royalties from the ebook to Al Noor Coaching Heart for Individuals with Disabilities. He explains that since he’s nonetheless working with the newspaper, the ebook was not supposed to function a supply of revenue. “I wrote the ebook to inform a narrative of His Highness, Dubai and the UAE. It’s a story that ought to be recognized by future generations. How did a frontrunner flip a desert from nothing into one thing? Understanding that’s the goal of my ebook,” he says.
Barqawi is at the moment engaged on the English version of the ebook, which is because of be launched this month. What’s subsequent? Barqawi says he’s carefully monitoring the reactions to his ebook and will think about writing one other – the topic of which he has not but determined. With greater than three many years of observing the area, he is prone to encounter no scarcity of first-hand info from fascinating topics.
To order your copy of Dare to Dream: How Mohammed bin Rashid Made His Dream Come True, go to booksarabia.com
