Sheikh Hamdan was born on 25 December 1945. He was the second of four sons of Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, a late ruler of Dubai. Sheikh Hamdan's formal schooling began in Dubai. He attended Al Madrasah Al-Ahlia, where he studied mathematics, English, basic sciences, Arabic and Islamic studies. He went on to complete his further studies at the Bell School of Languages in Cambridge between 1967 and 1968. In Britain, Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum developed an interest in thoroughbred racing. The years saw a great deal of development in the UAE. While Dubai and Abu Dhabi had begun the process of modernisation, it was far from complete; many areas in the remaining five emirates needed electricity, roads, housing, and clean water supplies. As Minister of Finance and Industry, Sheikh Hamdan oversaw such work, while he was also charged with developing the economy and an industrial base. The UAE's rulers understood that the country could not afford to isolate its efforts in the petroleum sector, despite the fact that in 1971 the majority of federal government revenues were derived from this source. In Dubai, Sheikh Rashid also placed his second son in charge of an array of key governmental industrial enterprises, including the Dubai Aluminium Company, Dubai Gas Company and Dubai Cable Company, among others.
Career
Sheikh Hamdan has been the minister of finance and industry of the United Arab Emirates since December 1971. He was later appointed as deputy ruler of Dubai. He invited a delegation from the Islamic Research Academy on April 3, 1999 to discuss the launch of an effort and human investment in preparing an academic team of young scholars as specialists in Islamic Jerusalem Studies. This resulted in the launch of several scholarships to reward distinguished young scholars, which then lead to the establishment of the Al-Maktoum Institute in Dundee, Scotland with unique postgraduate programmes with the University of Aberdeen. Shaikh Hamdan is also the benefactor and the Patron of the "Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum Award for Medical Excellence", an award instituted to reward excellence in the field of medical sciences with its comprehensive, dynamic and exciting features to benefit competing researchers, scientists and medical institutions. Sheikh Hamdan has received numerous honours and awards for his achievements. He is working on a project to make horse betting easier and faster through a concept designed by a South African business counterpart. The project was to be launched in mid-2010.
Thoroughbred horse racing
Introduced to thoroughbredflat racing while a student in the United Kingdom, Sheikh Hamdan established his first racing stable there in 1981. Over the years he has invested heavily in both racing and breeding and has acquired major operations in England, Ireland and the United States. The Dubai Arabian Horse Championship is held through the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan. Sheikh Hamdan's horse, Eastern Anthem, won the 2009 Dubai Sheema Classic.
Philanthropy
Sheikh Hamdan has supported UNESCO with the "Hamdan bin Rashid Al-Maktoum Prize for Outstanding Practice and Performance in Enhancing the Effectiveness of Teachers".
