Longtime Emirati Minister of Finance Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum died on Wednesday, the state Emirates News Agency reported. He was 75 years old.
Maktoum became finance minister in the first-ever United Arab Emirates government Cabinet in 1971 and remained in that position until his death. He held numerous positions in Dubai-based business and oil entities. Maktoum was also involved in philanthropic work in the UAE as well as on the African continent, according to the agency. Maktoum was likewise a prominent horse owner in the United Kingdom horse racing scene.
