Maktoum bin Hushur

Maktoum bin Hushur (Arabic مكتوم بن حشر) took over on April 7, 1894 as a successor to Sheikh Rashid bin Maktoum during a cholera outbreak, the rule in the emirate of Dubai. Since he was too young when his father died, they chose the elder brother of his father as ruler. This represented the first crack in the succession, since the first time not a son of the reigning monarch, but his brother took the reign. In British government documents his economic policy is referred to as "liberal and enlightened".

The Iranian leadership that the government took over 1887 Lingah in the neighboring emirate of Sharjah, raised gradually the taxes to continue to give the Iranian government opened up an important source of income, but at the same time increasing sales disgruntled merchants with tax policy. As the Iranians in 1902 managing Lingah transferred power to Belgian officials, they introduced their European regulations and licensing systems, and a fixed tax of 5%. This was an unviable for Lingah. Sheikh Maktoum bin Hushur realized this quickly and built Dubai in 1901 to be a free trade area. He abolished all duties and business taxes, making Dubai's port receive a surge in development and economic recovery. His aim was to persuade the merchants in the port of Lingah to move to Dubai. For this purpose, he offered them his protection and free country. The port of Dubai has been a permanent port of call for steamships and the most important commercial port throughout the coast in the Persian Gulf as under his tenure since.

Sheikh Maktoum bin Hushur was one of the key allies of the British in the Persian Gulf. His main task was to promote stability and the principles of law. He in 1903 visited the Viceroy of India, Lord Curzon, the region in order to underline the importance of the water body for England. It was a sign of the elevated status of Dubai as well as a sign of his personal statement that Sheikh Maktoum was the only leader who was honored with a personal invitation from Lord Curzon. Hushur had already shown his military muscle on several occasions, and now he was in a position to implement his political influence. He was one of the first who invited to meetings organized between the United Arab Emirates at the lower Gulf. A process that was continued by his grandson Sheikh Said and Sheikh Rashid later.

In 1894 he introduced a free tax status for Dubai.