Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum (Arabic: حمدان بن راشد أل مكتوم, Ḥamdān bin Rāšid Āl Maktūm; 25 December 1945 – 24 March 2021)[3] was an Emirati politician, the deputy ruler of Dubai and the minister of finance and industry of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

While Dubai and Abu Dhabi had begun the process of modernisation, it was far from complete; many areas in the remaining five emirates needed electricity, roads, housing, and clean water supplies.

The UAE's rulers understood that the country could not afford to isolate its efforts in the petroleum sector, despite the fact that in 1971 the majority of federal government revenues were derived from this source.

This resulted in the launch of several scholarships to reward distinguished young scholars, which then led to the establishment of the Al-Maktoum Institute in Dundee, Scotland, with unique postgraduate programmes with the University of Aberdeen.

[18] He supported UNESCO with the "Hamdan bin Rashid Al-Maktoum Prize for Outstanding Practice and Performance in Enhancing the Effectiveness of Teachers".