Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum

Position: Vice-president and prime minister, UAE; Ruler, Dubai

Biography: Upon Dubai being announced host of the World Expo 2020 on 27 November, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum declared it would “undoubtedly stand out as the best edition in the history of the event in terms of preparation and presentation”.

After being forced to turn to Abu Dhabi for a $20bn bailout, and restructure billions of dollars of debt, in the wake of the 2008 recession, winning the event has been seen as an opportunity for Dubai to draw a line under the past. For Sheikh Mohammed, it is a chance to get his vision for the emirate back on track.

The next six years will see increased efforts to develop the emirate’s tourism offering and to complete schemes that stalled during the property crash. New legislation for the banking and real estate sectors has been introduced. It will have to be effective if it is to prevent another speculative bubble from forming.