From small, sleepy fishing town on the edge of Dubai Creek to the sprawling, futuristic metropolis that attracts new tourists and residents in their dirhamed droves, Dubai’s has been a Cinderella story of success. And the fairy godfather who oversaw this immense change was Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid al Maktoum. Dubai’s leader from 1990 until January 4, 2006, when his death shocked this corner of the Arab world, the Cambridge University-educated Sheikh Maktoum was reared for a life in politics by his father who took his son along to meetings of the Trucial State Council.

In 1968, when the UK declared that it would be withdrawing from the Gulf, Sheikh Maktoum was instrumental in the creation and unification of the United Arab Emirates, being appointed the first prime-minister in 1971 – impressive work for a 28-year-old. It was in his role as a leader, that he impressed most. A visionary, philanthropist and pioneering politician, it was Sheikh Maktoum more than anyone that first dared to dream of a future not dependant on the finite resource of oil.

Seeing Dubai’s importance in terms of its location – straddling the divide between east and west – and developing its infrastructure with ‘free zones’ and other business incentives, he was directly responsible for important advances such as Dubai International Airport, Dubai’s first hotel and many modern schools and hospitals. His recipe for accomplishment was a unique blend of east and west that had not been seen before but has been much copied since.

Following his death, the emirate went into a flawlessly observed 40-day mourning period. However, it was not for the loss of his far-sighted commercial acumen or political prowess that the people of Dubai wept. At a time when most of the Gulf’s leaders were fostering atmospheres of fear, reverence and idolatry, Sheikh Maktoum worked quietly and diligently for the good of his land and his people – a refreshing confutation to the old adage that power corrupts.

He regularly gave anonymously to the poor and needy and, according to those that knew him best, his aim was to have a positive impact and not his ego-stroked. Therefore, when he unfortunately succumbed to a heart attack, his people grieved him not as a leader but as one of their own.

Few, if any, modern leaders have left a legacy of such radiating enormity, however, Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid al Maktoum’s contribution should not be judged by the flawless skyscrapers of Sheikh Zayed Road, the riches of the Dubai World Cup horseracing event, the astonishing Palms or the future mass magnetism of Dubailand. More than any physical manifestation, the fact that Dubai is now known the world over as a model of peace, tolerance, courtesy and opportunity, lays testament to the brilliance and benevolence of the man that made it all happen.