His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has stressed in a letter from his new book that the most important asset of the future is not water, energy, artificial intelligence or data, but public trust. He said this asset has been built over decades in the UAE and plays a fundamental role in the country’s success and stability.

In the letter, titled “A Letter on the Currency of the Future,” Sheikh Mohammed wrote that during a discussion with friends and officials, the question arose as to what would be the world’s most valuable asset in the future. Some cited water because of resource scarcity, others pointed to artificial intelligence because of technological transformation, while another group identified energy as the main driver of progress.

However, the Ruler of Dubai offered a different answer: “The currency we invest in is trust.”

He explained that public trust in the UAE helps attract investors, specialised artificial intelligence talent and international partners, while facilitating access to advanced technologies and investments.

Sheikh Mohammed also referred to a 2026 report by the Edelman Trust Institute, which found that average public trust in governments across 28 markets stood at 53 per cent. The UAE and China jointly topped the institute’s overall trust index with a score of 80.

He said economic stability begins in people’s minds and in their trust before it is reflected in markets and financial indicators. When investors trust the government, markets become more stable, and when people have confidence in officials’ performance, they are more willing to cooperate during crises.

The Ruler of Dubai stressed that trust is not built overnight, but is the result of years of effort, consistent laws, respect for people and the fulfilment of promises.

He also said trust between a government and its people is a mutual covenant, and preserving it is a permanent responsibility.

The letter is part of “Letters,” the second volume in the “Life Taught Me” series. It contains 26 letters on life, management, leadership and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid’s nearly six decades of public service.