Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum dies at 76; left A.R.M. Holding and 2,900+ properties
A member of Dubai’s ruling family who chaired A.R.M. Holding and held military and policing roles has died; Dubai declared ten days of mourning.
Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, a long-serving member of Dubai’s ruling family who played visible roles across the emirate’s security, business and sporting life, died on Monday morning, September 21, 2026, at the age of 76. The Dubai Media Office announced his death and the Ruling Court declared a ten-day official mourning period in Dubai, during which flags will be flown at half-mast.
Ahmed bin Rashid was the younger brother of Sheikh Mohamed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai. He was born on 12 July 1950 as the fourth and youngest son of the late Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, a previous ruler of Dubai.
Business network centred on A.R.M. Holding and real estate
For decades Ahmed bin Rashid’s name was linked to A.R.M. Holding, where he served as chairman. The private investment group spans traditional sectors such as real estate, hospitality and banking and has in recent years broadened into fintech, health technology, sustainable food, mobility and cultural projects.
One of the most visible parts of that corporate footprint is the Dubai Real Estate Centre, operating within A.R.M. Holding. The company traces its origins to 1991 and today manages more than 2,900 residential and commercial properties in Dubai, making property ownership and development a defining element of Ahmed bin Rashid’s business legacy.
His public service record was tightly interwoven with his private activities. A Sandhurst graduate, he served in Dubai’s military structures and rose to become commander of the Central Military Zone. He later held the post of deputy head of police and public security in Dubai, positions that underlined his long involvement in the emirate’s security establishment.
Ahmed bin Rashid was also a prominent figure in Dubai sport. He was a long-time president of the football club Al Wasl—whose ties to him go back to the club’s early days when it was known as Al Zamalek—and he played a formative role in developing equestrian sport in the emirate. In the early 1990s he founded the Jebel Ali racecourse, and he was connected to other sporting institutions including the Dubai International Marine Club and the Victory team.
The combination of state roles, family ties and commercial control in his biography illustrates how closely governance, investment and social institutions are linked in Dubai. His passing is being framed locally not only as a family loss but as the departure of a member of the generation that shaped Dubai’s modern transformation.
Commenting on his brother’s death, Sheikh Mohamed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said: "Ahmed will remain forever in our prayers and hearts." The official mourning was announced to begin on Monday, September 21, 2026.
Photo: press material from the event
