The deputy ruler of the emirate of Dubai, Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, has died, aged 75. – By Madellene Markit.
Sheikh Hamdan, also the UAE’s finance minister, was the brother of the current ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
Sheikh Hamdan had been unwell for a few months.
On Wednesday, Sheikh Mohammed posted a picture of his brother on Twitter saying: “We belong to God and to Him we shall return … May God have mercy on you, my brother, my support and my companion.”
For the past 40 years, Sheikh Hamdan has raced a powerful string of horses around the world, many of them homebred through his Shadwell Stud operation.
His royal blue and white silks have been borne by 19 European Classic winners, including the Derby winners Nashwan and Erhaab, while his major victories around the globe include the Breeders’ Cup Classic, two Melbourne Cups and two Dubai World Cups.
Like his brother, he became a big name in horse racing out of the UAE, founding Shadwell Racing in 1981, an operation with a legacy of producing star thoroughbreds.
Sheikh Hamdan controlled a wide array of conglomerates reaching across Dubai’s economy, such as the Dubai Ports Authority, Dubai World Trade Center and Dubai Natural Gas Company Limited.