Sheikh Sheikh (pronounced or ; ar, شيخ ' , mostly pronounced , plural ' )—also transliterated sheekh, sheyikh, shaykh, shayk, shekh, shaik and Shaikh, shak—is an honorific title in the Arabic language. It commonly designates a chief of a ...

Majid bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum ( ar, ماجد بن محمد بن راشد آل مكتوم) is a member of the

House of Al Falasi The House of Al Falasi ( ar, بيت الفلاسي) is both a name of a tribe and a name of its Al Maktoum branch (ruling family of Dubai). History The Al Maktoum family descends from the Al Bu Falasah (now known as Al-Falasi) section of the Ban ...

, a branch of the

House of Maktoum The House of Maktoum ( ar, آل مكتوم ') is the ruling royal family of the Emirate of Dubai, and one of the six ruling families of the United Arab Emirates. The family is a branch of the Bani Yas clan (a lineage the family shares with t ...

, the ruling royal family of the

Emirate of Dubai The Emirate of Dubai ( ar, إمارة دبيّ; pr. ) is one of the seven emirates of the United Arab Emirates. It is the most populous emirate of the United Arab Emirates, UAE. The capital of the emirate is the eponymous city, Dubai. Geograp ...

. He is the fifth son of

Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum ( ar, محمد بن راشد آل مكتوم, links=no; ; born 15 July 1949) is the Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, vice president, prime minister, and minister of defence of the United Arab Emir ...

Vice President A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on t ...

and

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

UAE The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...

and

Emir Emir (; ar, أمير ' ), sometimes transliterated amir, amier, or ameer, is a word of Arabic origin that can refer to a male monarch, aristocrat, holder of high-ranking military or political office, or other person possessing actual or cerem ...

Dubai Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...

. Born in Dubai, Sheikh Majid went to school at

Rashid School For Boys Rashid School For Boys (RSB) is located in the Nad Al Sheba community of Dubai, United Arab Emirates. RSB follows a British curriculum. History Rashid School for Boys opened in 1986 under the guidance of Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum, p ...

after which he underwent military training at the

Royal Military Academy Sandhurst The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS or RMA Sandhurst), commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is one of several military academies of the United Kingdom and is the British Army's initial officer training centre. It is located in the town of ...

, United Kingdom and Dubai Police Academy. Under his patronage, multiple cultural landmarks and sporting events have been built and started respectively in Dubai. He is married to Hessa Beljafla and has five children.

Personal life and education

Sheikh Majid started his education in Dubai where he graduated from

in 2005. According to Sheikh Majid, his prime influence and greatest role model has been his father Sheikh Mohammed. After graduating, Sheikh Majid joined the

in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

. where he was honored with the

Sword of Honour The ''Sword of Honour'' is a trilogy of novels by Evelyn Waugh which loosely parallel Waugh's experiences during the Second World War. Published by Chapman & Hall from 1952 to 1961, the novels are: ''Men at Arms'' (1952); ''Officers and Gentl ...

upon his graduation in 2007 among 484 cadets. Sheikh Majid participated in a series of military camps and leadership seminars before enrolling in

Dubai Police Academy Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...

where he studied security crisis management. His thesis, "Ingenuity in Crisis Management in line with the Vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum," was informed by his studies at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and Dubai Police Academy and by the ideology of his father Sheikh Mohammed. He graduated from Dubai Police Academy on 18 November 2009. Sheikh Majid belongs to the Al Maktoum family, the ruling family of UAE. The net worth of the Al Maktoum family is estimated at more than 20 billion dollars. According to ''

Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also re ...

'', they are the fifth richest royals in the world. In 2014, he married Hessa Beljafla. Together they have five children, the twins Sheikh Mohammed and Sheikha Dubai, born in 2015, Sheikha Maitha, born in 2017, Sheikh Rashid, born in 2019 and Sheikh Maktoum, born in 2022. His mother is Algerian born Houria Ahmed Lamara. He is the full brother of Sheikha Maitha, Sheikha Shamsa, and Sheikha Latifa.

Official duties and public life

In March 2008,

Dubai Culture and Arts Authority The Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) is an authority under Government of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, which works in preservation of the cultural heritage and support of cultural scene in Dubai. History Established in 2008 by M ...

(DCAA) was established by a decree issued by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Makhtoum and Sheikh Majid was appointed as Chairman of the entity. During his tenure, the

Dubai Calligraphy Centre Dubai (, ; ar, wikt:دبي, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the List of cities in the United Arab Emirates#Major cities, most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 ...

was set up, the

Youth Media Awards of Dubai Youth is the time of life when one is young. The word, youth, can also mean the time between childhood and adulthood ( maturity), but it can also refer to one's peak, in terms of health or the period of life known as being a young adult. Yout ...

were launched, and the Al Ajer initiative during

Ramadan , type = islam , longtype = Religious , image = Ramadan montage.jpg , caption=From top, left to right: A crescent moon over Sarıçam, Turkey, marking the beginning of the Islamic month of Ramadan. Ramadan Quran reading in Bandar Torkaman, Iran. ...

was started. The Wa Sahebhoma Initiative was launched in order to allow young citizens of the UAE to be able to perform

Umrah The ʿUmrah ( ar, عُمْرَة, lit=to visit a populated place) is an Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca (the holiest city for Muslims, located in the Hejazi region of Saudi Arabia) that can be undertaken at any time of the year, in contrast to the ...

(

pilgrimage A pilgrimage is a journey, often into an unknown or foreign place, where a person goes in search of new or expanded meaning about their self, others, nature, or a higher good, through the experience. It can lead to a personal transformation, aft ...

) with their parents; this was in collaboration with the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Humanitarian and Charity Establishment. In 2014, his half-sister Sheikha

Latifa bint Mohammed Al Maktoum Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum ( ar, لطيفة بنت محمد بن راشد آل مكتوم, translit=Laṭīfa bint Muḥammad bin Rāshid al-Maktūm; born 5 December 1985) is an Emirati sheikha and a member of the Dub ...

assumed the position. The UAE Nationals Training Initiative under Sheikh Majid aims at developing employment skills for

national youth to be able to handle executive and managerial positions. Philanthropy efforts include his efforts at Dubai Cares as an

ambassador An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or sov ...

of the

Dubai Cares Dubai Cares is a UAE-based global philanthropic organization that advocates for children's rights. It was founded on September 19, 2007 by Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. The organi ...

campaign along with his siblings, where he was a representative diplomat on behalf of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in several

Islamic countries The terms Muslim world and Islamic world commonly refer to the Islamic community, which is also known as the Ummah. This consists of all those who adhere to the religious beliefs and laws of Islam or to societies in which Islam is practiced. In ...

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

and

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...

where the campaign's framework included providing education and knowledge infrastructure for over one million children in both

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...

and Islamic countries.

Sporting interests and patronage

Sheikh Majid is a sportsman and is interested in the traditional sports of

horse riding Equestrianism (from Latin , , , 'horseman', 'horse'), commonly known as horse riding (Commonwealth English) or horseback riding (American English), includes the disciplines of riding, Driving (horse), driving, and Equestrian vaulting, vaulting ...

and

camel riding Camel racing is a popular sport in Western Asia, North Africa, the Horn of Africa, Pakistan, Mongolia and Australia. Professional camel racing, like horse racing, is an event for betting and tourist attraction. Camels can run at speeds up to ...

as well as

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

(soccer),

swimming Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, or other liquid, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Locomotion is achieved through coordinated movement of the limbs and the body to achieve hydrodynamic thrust that r ...

, and

shooting Shooting is the act or process of discharging a projectile from a ranged weapon (such as a gun, bow, crossbow, slingshot, or blowpipe). Even the acts of launching flame, artillery, darts, harpoons, grenades, rockets, and guided missiles can ...

and actively pursues his interests in these sports. He is considered a pioneer and a guru of introducing

CrossFit CrossFit is a branded fitness regimen that involves constantly varied functional movements performed at high intensity. The method was developed by Greg Glassman, who founded CrossFit with Lauren Jenai in 2000, with CrossFit its registered trad ...

to the UAE. Under him a Dubai Fitness competition is conducted. The

Gulf Film Festival A gulf is a large inlet from the ocean into the landmass, typically with a narrower opening than a bay, but that is not observable in all geographic areas so named. The term gulf was traditionally used for large highly-indented navigable bodie ...

is conducted under his patronage.

Camel and horse racing

Sheikh Majid has participated in professional horse and camel endurance races and is a patron of the horse and camel marathons. He led the UAE endurance team to victory at the 11th Pan Arab Games in

Cairo Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metro ...

in 2007, winning two gold medals in the individual and team events. In November 2008, he once again led the UAE endurance team to victory in the

International Equestrian Federation The International Federation for Equestrian Sports (, FEI) is the international governing body of equestrian sports. The FEI headquarters are in Lausanne, Switzerland. An FEI code of conduct protects the welfare of the horses from physical abu ...

(FEI) World Endurance Championship that took place in

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

and brought back the gold medal. Every year the

Majid bin Mohammed Arabian Camel Marathon Majid or majeed may refer to: * , ''majīd'' 'majestic', and , ''mājid'' 'magnificent', two names of God in Islam Arts and entertainment * ''Majid'' (film), a 2010 Moroccan film *Majid (rapper) (born 1975), a Danish rapper of Moroccan-Berber orig ...

and Camel Racing World Championship is organised under his auspices.

Football and futsal

Al Wasl Football Club is a

United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...

Football League club based in Dubai. It is a part of the multi-sports club Al Wasl Sports Club. Al Wasl FC is one of the most successful clubs in the UAE with a large fan base in the

Arabian Peninsula The Arabian Peninsula, (; ar, شِبْهُ الْجَزِيرَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّة, , "Arabian Peninsula" or , , "Island of the Arabs") or Arabia, is a peninsula of Western Asia, situated northeast of Africa on the Arabian Plate ...

. Sheikh Majid was appointed Vice President of Al Wasl Sports Club. Since summer of 2011, the Majid bin Mohammed Futsal Championship is being organised with the participation of sixteen teams divided into four groups. Many of the games are hosted in schools and university gymnasiums. The success of this championship was largely due to the support of several governmental departments such as the

UAE Football Association The United Arab Emirates Football Association (UAEFA; ar, الاتحاد الاماراتي لكرة القدم) is the governing body of association football, beach soccer and futsal in the United Arab Emirates. Association staff President ...

, the UAE Committee of Futsal and

Dubai Sports Council Dubai Sports Council is the official sports governing body of the Government of Dubai Dubai (, ; ar, wikt:دبي, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the List of cities in the United Arab Emirates#Major cities, most populous city in the United A ...

, Dubai Media Incorporated, Dubai Police, and

Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...

, in addition to Al Wasl Sports and Cultural Club that hosted the final games on their fields.

Sea Dubai Festival

Sea Dubai is a

water sports Water (chemical formula ) is an inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living organisms (in which it acts as a s ...

festival A festival is an event ordinarily celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, mela, or eid. A festival c ...

that takes place in December of each year, and is one of the most important marine sports festival in the region as it attracts the attention of water sports fans around the globe. The festival hosts final rounds for the

Class 1 World Powerboat Championship The UIM Class 1 World Powerboat Championship (also known as Class 1) is an international motorboat racing competition for powerboats organized by the Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM). It is the premier class of offshore powerboat racing in ...

and the International Canoe Race, as well as traditional sailing races. Sheikh Majid bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, patron of the event officially announced the launch of the festival during the prize distribution ceremony of the 2008 season, marking the beginning of the chain of events that have been organized by Mina Seyahi. "Sea Dubai" has grown to be one of the leading international sea festivals in the world and is very well-attended.

Ancestry

References

External links

sheikhmohammed.co.ae - Profile of Sheikh Majid bin Mohammed"Dubai Culture & Arts Authority - Page of Sheikh Majid bin Mohammed
{{DEFAULTSORT:Maktoum, Majid Bin Mohammed 1987 births Living people Maktoum family Emirati businesspeople Emirati princes Graduates of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst Rashid School for Boys alumni People from Dubai Asian Games medalists in equestrian Equestrians at the 2006 Asian Games Asian Games gold medalists for the United Arab Emirates Medalists at the 2006 Asian Games Sons of monarchs