In an excerpt from his book "The Letters," Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has offered his answer to a question long debated in global circles: what will be the most valuable currency of the future?
Describing a gathering with friends and officials, Sheikh Mohammed recalled that several attendees proposed water, artificial intelligence, energy and data as candidates. His own answer was different. "The currency we are betting on is neither water, energy, artificial intelligence nor data, important as they all are," he wrote. For him, that currency is trust.
He explained that trust is what attracts investors and talent, secures lasting global partnerships, and smooths the path for technological progress. He pointed to the UAE topping the 2026 Edelman Trust Barometer globally, contrasting it with an average trust level in government of just 39 percent across 30 OECD member countries.
To illustrate the point, he recalled how UAE residents behaved during the recent period of tension between the United States and Iran: many declined offers of evacuation flights, a choice he described as reflecting genuine confidence in the country's stability and future outlook.
The reflection comes as the UAE continues a years-long push to position itself as a secure destination for capital, talent and long-term living. Sheikh Mohammed's framing gives that strategy a single, memorable idea: trust, he argues, is the currency that will matter most in the years ahead.