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: UAE
Free Zone
Newsletter - Issue 49 - December 2007 |
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| Mohammad is personality of year, say readers |
The vast majority of Gulf News readers have chosen His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, as the 2007 Personality of the Year; the leader who has had the biggest impact on local and regional news.
Almost 90 per cent of those who responded to the unprecedented Gulf News survey said his vision and ambitious initiatives influenced them. Regionally, he was followed by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who got 38 per cent of the vote.
Ninety per cent of the readers voted for Shaikh Mohammad. |
Many readers mentioned the Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation, launched by the Vice-President in May, as "the most substantial contribution to the world."
The foundation, which was launched with an endowment of Dh37 billion aims to open doors to generations of leaders of the region to shape their futures by equipping them with world-class knowledge and education. |
Russian President got 35 per cent of the vote among international contenders. |
Steadfast policies
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin came on top as the international Personality of the Year with 35 per cent of the vote. |
He was followed by assassinated Pakistani leader Benazir Bhutto and Cuban president Fidel Castro. Each received 20 per cent.
Putin's popularity is on the crest, largely due to his steadfast policies of using Russia as a bulwark against the belligerent policies of the US and other Western nations, and for promoting his country to superpower status, according to readers.
Bhutto's assassination was the biggest story of the year, the survey shows. |
