1 minute read
Goodbye, Your Highness
from WIN Times April 2021
by Mishal Faraz
In Hearts You Will Live On Forever
Mir Faraz, Year 6H
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His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, passed away on the 24 th of March, 2021. His Highness was also the longest serving finance minister in the world. He leaves behind an unmatched legacy of economic reforms as he does in fields of education, philanthropy as well as sports, most prominently, horse racing.
His Highness's passing was a news that saddened me to the core. My mind drifted to the unforgettable moment when I got the chance to meet His Highness when I won the prestigious Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Distinguished Academic Performance. The biggest perk of winning the award was that the winners received the award from His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum himself and those moments will be some of the most precious ones for me.
The day I met His Highness will be etched in my mind and heart forever. I will always remember the graceful smile on His Highness's face and how warmly he said "Congratulations!" I remember feeling blessed beyond words - it was literally a dream come true. His presence had an almost magical aura that made me feel elevated, blessed, protected and happy.
It is overwhelming to think that a person of His Highness's stature stood there personally handing hundreds of awards to students, teachers and institutions – this showed the sheer passion he had to promote excellent practices and create a more progressive future. His Highness touched lives in a way that they were left better than what they had been before experiencing the magnificence of his presence, values and ideologies. His legacy is immeasurable - his kindness, compassion, forward thinking and unwavering dedication to excellence makes him one of the greatest figures in world history.
You will live on in hearts forever, Your Highness. Thank you for being one of my greatest inspirations as you will always be to billions of people. You will continue to be a guiding light to me, and I will forever be grateful to you for teaching thousands of young students like me to dream more, to become more.
