{"id":6259,"date":"2026-11-02T11:41:36","date_gmt":"2026-11-02T11:41:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wordpress.devpgs.com\/gam\/?page_id=6259"},"modified":"2026-11-02T11:41:36","modified_gmt":"2026-11-02T11:41:36","slug":"founder","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/wordpress.devpgs.com\/gam\/founder\/","title":{"rendered":"The Founder"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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The Founder<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t
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His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, is renowned for his visionary leadership, which has transformed Dubai and the UAE into global models of development, innovation and future readiness.<\/p>

Beyond his achievements as a leader, His Highness is equally recognized as a visionary thinker with a deep passion for knowledge. He has long believed that the human mind is the greatest asset any nation can possess.<\/p>

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum was born on 15 July 1949. He is the third of four sons of the late Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, alongside Their Highnesses Sheikh Maktoum, Sheikh Hamdan and Sheikh Ahmed.<\/p>

On 4 January 2006, His Highness became the Ruler of Dubai following the passing of his brother, Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum. On 5 January 2006, members of the UAE Supreme Council elected His Highness Sheikh Mohammed as Vice President of the UAE.<\/p>

On 11 February 2006, UAE President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan nominated His Highness Sheikh Mohammed to become Prime Minister of the UAE.<\/p>

Following his appointment as Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed established a distinctive approach to government focused on innovation, youth empowerment, investment in knowledge and the development of human capital. Under his leadership, the UAE launched a series of pioneering initiatives that strengthened its global competitiveness and established the country as an international benchmark for economic, social and cultural development.<\/p>

Alongside these achievements, His Highness remained deeply committed to addressing one of the Arab world's most pressing challenges: the migration of its brightest minds. He believed that creating the right environment for innovation and opportunities could encourage the Arab world\u2019s brightest minds to contribute to the region's future. In his article, The Brain Regain, he captured this vision in one enduring belief:<\/p>

\u201cTo make this work, we must believe in people. Human beings \u2013 their ideas, innovations, dreams, and connections \u2013 are the capital of the future.\u201d<\/p>

This conviction became the driving force behind the launch of the Great Arab Minds initiative.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n<\/div>\n

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The Brain Regain<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Written by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t
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In 1968, while studying at the Mons Officer Cadet School in the United Kingdom, I needed to visit a hospital. There I met a doctor who, to my surprise, spoke fluent Arabic. I learned that he was new to the UK, so I asked if he intended to stay long or return home. He replied with an Arabic saying that translates as: \u201cMy home is where I can eat.\u201d<\/p>

That doctor\u2019s words stayed with me for many years, because they underscored the contradiction between our idealized view of \u201chome\u201d and the harsh realities of life that push talented people to leave their homes.<\/p>

The doctor was a classic case of the \u201cbrain drain\u201d phenomenon that has afflicted developing countries for decades. These countries spend scarce resources educating doctors, engineers, and scientists, in the hope that they will become engines of prosperity. Then we watch with dismay as they migrate to the West, taking with them the promise of their talent.<\/p>

It is, of course, everyone\u2019s right to choose a better life, wherever in the world they wish. We understand why they go. Talent is drawn \u2013 like a magnet \u2013 to opportunity.
For the countries left behind, however, it feels like an endless vicious cycle: they need talent to create opportunity; but without opportunity, talent gravitates to the bright lights of the West. Indeed, the United Nations and the OECD report that migration for work has risen by one-third since 2000. One in nine university graduates from Africa now lives and works in the West. Many will not return: skilled workers are six times more likely to stay away.<\/p>

But now something remarkable is happening. In some countries, the brain drain has reversed its flow. The causes are fascinating, and there is reason to be optimistic that the vicious cycle can be broken, transforming the balance of hope and opportunity between developing and developed economies.<\/p>

A new study by LinkedIn, the world\u2019s largest online professional network and recruitment platform, has measured the net international movement of talent among its members. Topping the list as a destination for talent is my own country, the United Arab Emirates, with a net talent gain of 1.3% of the workforce in 2013. Other net \u201ctalent magnets\u201d include Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, South Africa, India, and Brazil.
Most interesting, fewer than one-third of net talent importers are developed countries. In fact, the top talent exporters in this study are Spain, the UK, France, the United States, Italy, and Ireland. Rich countries that until recently had been tempting away our brightest minds are now sending us their own.

<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRead More<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

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Read More<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

In 1968, while studying at the Mons Officer Cadet School in the United Kingdom, I needed to visit a hospital. There I met a doctor who, to my surprise, spoke fluent Arabic. I learned that he was new to the UK, so I asked if he intended to stay long or return home. He replied with an Arabic saying that translates as: \u201cMy home is where I can eat.\u201d<\/p>

That doctor\u2019s words stayed with me for many years, because they underscored the contradiction between our idealized view of \u201chome\u201d and the harsh realities of life that push talented people to leave their homes.<\/p>

The doctor was a classic case of the \u201cbrain drain\u201d phenomenon that has afflicted developing countries for decades. These countries spend scarce resources educating doctors, engineers, and scientists, in the hope that they will become engines of prosperity. Then we watch with dismay as they migrate to the West, taking with them the promise of their talent.<\/p>

It is, of course, everyone\u2019s right to choose a better life, wherever in the world they wish. We understand why they go. Talent is drawn \u2013 like a magnet \u2013 to opportunity.<\/p>

For the countries left behind, however, it feels like an endless vicious cycle: they need talent to create opportunity; but without opportunity, talent gravitates to the bright lights of the West. Indeed, the United Nations and the OECD report that migration for work has risen by one-third since 2000. One in nine university graduates from Africa now lives and works in the West. Many will not return: skilled workers are six times more likely to stay away.<\/p>

But now something remarkable is happening. In some countries, the brain drain has reversed its flow. The causes are fascinating, and there is reason to be optimistic that the vicious cycle can be broken, transforming the balance of hope and opportunity between developing and developed economies.<\/p>

A new study by LinkedIn, the world\u2019s largest online professional network and recruitment platform, has measured the net international movement of talent among its members. Topping the list as a destination for talent is my own country, the United Arab Emirates, with a net talent gain of 1.3% of the workforce in 2013. Other net \u201ctalent magnets\u201d include Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, South Africa, India, and Brazil.<\/p>

Most interesting, fewer than one-third of net talent importers are developed countries. In fact, the top talent exporters in this study are Spain, the UK, France, the United States, Italy, and Ireland. Rich countries that until recently had been tempting away our brightest minds are now sending us their own.<\/p>

Of course, this is only one study, and many poor countries still suffer from a chronic talent exodus. OECD data show that many countries in Africa and Latin America have migration rates for graduates above 50%.<\/p>

We do know that brain drain is often a function of safety and security as much as economic opportunity. Part of the tragedy playing out in Middle Eastern countries beset by conflict and instability is that if only their most talented sons and daughters could apply their skills at home, they would become part of the solution: agents of peace through development. This makes it all the more important to examine how some developing countries succeeded in reversing the outward flow.<\/p>

The basic ingredient is opportunity. Talent flows naturally to countries that create an environment for economic growth; that make life easy for enterprise; that attract and welcome investment; and that nurture a culture of achievement. Skills are attracted to challenge and possibility.<\/p>

Opportunity on this scale is becoming a scarce commodity in many parts of the West. But this is not the case in the developing world \u2013 at least among countries with the appetite and determination to deploy strong governance and continually raise their competitiveness.<\/p>

Second, quality of life matters greatly. A generation ago, many talented individuals would consider working outside the West a \u201chardship posting.\u201d Today, standards of living in the UAE, for example, are among the highest in the world. We have shown that the business of reversing brain drain is also the business of creating a better life for citizens and residents. Building happiness is, after all, the primary business of good government everywhere.<\/p>

Ours is a story of great hope for the Middle East in particular, where generations of conflict and despair have driven high levels of outward migration. I have always argued that, besides good governance, the best solutions to the divisions and strife of the Arab world lie in grassroots development and economic opportunity. Now, we have shown that it is possible to reverse the forces that had driven away our most talented young people.<\/p>

Another source of hope is that this turnaround can happen remarkably quickly. Research shows that small countries suffer disproportionately from brain drain. But we have shown that even for a small country like the UAE, and even in a region divided by conflict, it is worth building an island of opportunity.<\/p>

But let me be clear: reversing brain drain is about more than plugging a leak. It means turning a vicious cycle into a virtuous one. By attracting the best talent from around the world, we can create a vibrant and diverse society that fuels innovation and prosperity \u2013 which in turn attracts still more talent.<\/p>

To make this work, we must believe in people. Human beings \u2013 their ideas, innovations, dreams, and connections \u2013 are the capital of the future. In this sense, the \u201cbrain regain\u201d is not so much an achievement in itself as it is a leading indicator of development, because where great minds go today, great things will happen tomorrow.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Founder His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, is renowned for his visionary leadership, which has transformed Dubai and the UAE into global models of development, innovation and future readiness. Beyond his achievements as a leader, His Highness is equally recognized […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-6259","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.devpgs.com\/gam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6259","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.devpgs.com\/gam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.devpgs.com\/gam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.devpgs.com\/gam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.devpgs.com\/gam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6259"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.devpgs.com\/gam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6259\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8363,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.devpgs.com\/gam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6259\/revisions\/8363"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.devpgs.com\/gam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6259"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}