| Bio/Wiki | |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi |
| Profession | Businessman |
| Physical Stats | |
| Height (approx.) | 5' 8" (173 cm) |
| Eye Colour | Dark Brown |
| Hair Colour | Salt & Pepper |
| Career | |
| Awards, Honours | • 2010- Honorary Doctorate from the University of Bolton, UK • 2013- Honorary Fellowship of the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, India • 2018- Honorary Doctorate Degree in Economics from Incheon National University, South Korea • 2018- Visionary Leader of the Year Award at the Arabian Business Awards, Dubai |
| Personal Life | |
| Date of Birth | 10 February 1956 (Friday) |
| Age (as of 2025) | 69 Years |
| Birthplace | Dubai |
| Zodiac sign | Aquarius |
| Signature |  |
| Nationality | Emirati |
| Hometown | Dubai |
| School(s) | • Al Qassimiya Primary School, Ras Al Khaimah • Al Siddique Secondary School, Ras Al Khaimah |
| College/University | University of Michigan, United States (1975-1978) |
| Educational Qualification | Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and Economics |
| Religion | Islam |
| Social Media | • Instagram |
| Relationships & More | |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Family | |
| Wife/Spouse | Sheikha Hana bint Juma Al Majid |
| Children | Sons- Mohammed bin Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi (Crown Prince of the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah), Ahmed (Chairman of RAK Public Services Department), Khalid (Vice-chairman of RAK Investment and Development Office), Saqr (Chairman of RAK Ceramics)  Daughters- Mahra, Amneh (Chairperson of RAK Investment and Development Office) |
| Parents | Father- Sheikh Saqr bin Mohammed Al Qasimi (Deceased) (Former Ruler of the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah from 1948 to 2010) Mother- Sheikha Nora bint Sultan Al Qasimi (Deceased) |
| Siblings | Half Brother- Khalid bin Saqr Al Qasimi (Former Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah) |
Some Lesser Known Facts About Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi
- In 1973, Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi moved to Beirut, Lebanon, to pursue his higher studies at the American University of Beirut (AUB).
- When the Lebanese civil war started in 1975, Saud bin had to transfer to the University of Michigan, from where he later graduated.
- After completing his graduation, Saud bin Saqr returned to Ras Al Khaimah in 1979 and was appointed as the Chief of the Ruler’s Court to assist his father, Saqr bin Mohammad, in the administration of the sheikhdom, which is a society ruled by a tribal leader known as a sheikh.
- In 1986, Saud bin Saqr was appointed as the Chairman of the Ras Al Khaimah Municipal Council, where he continued his work to improve the Emirate’s infrastructure and governance practices.
- In 1989, Saud recruited the Swiss-Lebanese engineer Khater Massaad, who helped him in developing comprehensive industrialisation plans for Ras Al Khaimah. One of the most important industrialisation plans for them was the establishment of RAK Ceramics in the UAE.
- The thought of forming the RAK Ceramics company came to Saud and Khater Massad’s mind after they realised the potential of exploiting the abundant raw materials in Ras Al Khaimah for use in the production of ceramics.
- Since its formation, RAK Ceramics, under the guidance of Saud bin Saqr, has become the largest producer of ceramics in the world over a period of about 20 years.
- Side by side, Saud bin Saqr also restructured the Julphar Pharmaceuticals and RAK Rock to ensure that both became the industry leaders in the future.
- Saud has also helped set up free zones and industrial areas, made it easier to get business licenses, and allowed companies to register from outside the country.
- In 2000, Saud bin established the Ras al-Khaimah Free Trade Zone, which has one of the best pricing in the UAE, has no requirements for capital, owner’s presence, or annual audit. The main license types it sells include trading and general license, professional and industrial licenses, everything under Saud’s ideas of development.
- In 2003, Saud bin’s father, Saqr bin Mohammad, dismissed Saud bin’s elder half-brother, Khalid bin Saqr Al Qasimi, due to his hostile behaviour towards the US-led 2003 invasion of Iraq.
- Abu Dhabi sanctioned the dismissal of Khalid bin Saqr Al Qasimi and demonstrated support for Saud bin Saqr by sending armoured vehicles to Ras Al Khaimah. At that time, Saud’s father appointed him as the Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah in June 2003.
- Saud bin Saqr Qasimi is the successor of his father, Saqr bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, as the Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah and UAE Supreme Council Member.
- Under his father’s leadership, Ras Al Khaimah became the seventh Trucial State to join the United Arab Emirates.
- After Saud bin’s father, Saqr bin Mohammad, dismissed Saud bin’s elder half-brother, Khalid bin Saqr Al Qasimi, and replaced Khalid as the crown prince with Saud. Khalid planned a way to defame his younger brother, Saud.
- Khalid started an “unsubstantiated smear campaign,” which is a campaign in which someone tries to ruin another person’s reputation by spreading bad things about them without any real proof.
- In the campaign, Khalid mentioned that Saud bin Saqr spent millions of dollars on US lobbyists and a lawyer in England to make the current rulers look bad, hoping this would help Khalid take back power in Ras Al Khaimah. The campaign reached its peak in October 2010 after the death of Saud and Khalid’s father, Saqr bin Mohammad Al Qasimi.
- At the end of 2010, Khalid came back from exile in London and tried to take power without using violence, but the UAE government supported Saud as the rightful ruler, so Saud stayed in power.
- Saud’s elder half-brother, Khalid, also claimed that Saud and Ras Al Khaimah had connections to Iran. However, these claims came either from the former crown prince of Ras Al Khaimah or from research he paid for, aiming to harm the government and help him return to power.
- Under Saud’s rule, the government kept focusing on growth, which helped raise the income per person by over 50% between 2004 and 2007.
- With Saud’s help, the Ras Al Khaimah Government set up a clear and organised system for business and trade. This made government work better, faster, and more open, and made it easier to do business in the emirate.
- Saud bin Saqr has also sponsored the building of Ras Al Khaimah Medical and Health Sciences University (RAKMHSU) with the motive of training future generations of doctors, nurses, and pharmacists for the UAE as a whole, in order to address the shortage of nurses in the UAE.
- He inaugurated the Ras Al Khaimah Medical and Health Sciences University (RAKMHSU) in 2006 with just 22 students, but by 2018, it had more than 1300 students from more than 50 countries.
- In 2007, with Saud bin Saqr’s support, the Ras Al Khaimah Centre for Advanced Materials (RAK-CAM) was founded with the aim of engaging in advanced materials science research in the Middle East region and addressing issues in areas including alternative energy sources, construction, water purification, and environmental preservation.
Saud bin Saqr Qasimi in a still during his speech at the Ras Al Khaimah Centre for Advanced Materials (RAK-CAM)
- Saud bin Saqr has always emphasised on improving education and healthcare.
- In 2009, he founded the non-profit, quasi-governmental organisation named ‘Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi Foundation for Policy Research,’ which aimed at supporting the social, cultural, and economic development of Ras Al Khaimah.
- Saud Bin Saqr Al Qasimi offers scholarships to top students from low-income families to enter the nursing course at RAK Medical and Health Sciences University through his ‘Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi Foundation for Policy Research.’
- In the same year, Saud bin Saqr created the Saqr Overseas Scholarship Program, which was a part of the Al Qasimi Foundation for Policy Research. The program was founded to encourage and enable local men and women to pursue higher education at international universities, particularly in the UK, the US, Canada, and Australia.
- Since it started, under Saud bin Saqr’s leadership, the Saqr Overseas Scholarship Program has grown to also support students at universities within the country. The Scholarships Office gives advice and help to students who want to pursue careers that match Ras Al Khaimah’s long-term goals.
- After his father’s death in October 2010, Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi became the Ruler of the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, which is one of the seven emirates of the United Arab Emirates.
- Saud’s father ruled Ras Al Khaimah for 62 years, the mantle of which was given to him after his father’s death.
- Saud has helped Ras Al Khaimah grow in many areas, especially in tourism, real estate, manufacturing, and transportation. In 2011, he established the Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, and in 2022, a record 1.13 million people visited, which was more than in 2021 and before the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.
- As of 2012, Saud bin Saqr has been the largest individual shareholder (39.88 per cent of total shares), while the Government of Ras Al Khaimah holds a 4.98 per cent stake in RAK Ceramics.
- In 2014, Ras Al Khaimah Ceramics stated that its original founder, Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, had agreed to sell 250 million of his shares in the company.
- In 2017, Saud bin Saqr founded the Aman Shelter for Women and Children in Ras Al-Khaimah. The shelter provides rehabilitation and legal aid for the victims of abuse, violence, and human trafficking.
Saud bin Saqr Qasimi at the innaugration of Aman Shelter for Women and Children in Ras Al-Khaimah in 2017
- Saud bin Saqr Qasimi’s modernised initiatives helped raise the emirate’s GDP per person from AED 35,000 in 2001 to about AED 104,680 in 2018.
- He has grown and strengthened Ras Al Khaimah’s economy and made its social services better. Because of his plans, the emirate has kept growing and has had a strong credit rating from Fitch and S&P.
- In 2022, Saud bin Saqr added many hotel brands in Ras Al Khaimah, such as InterContinental, Mövenpick, and Radisson.
- Under Saud’s leadership, the Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone now has over 18 thousand companies. Factories there make up the biggest part of the emirate’s income, accounting for about 30%.
- Under Saud bin Saqr Qasimi’s leadership and rule, the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah is the home to hospitals that meet the highest international standards, public and private schools and higher learning institutions affiliated with UK and US universities.
- In June 2025, Saud bin Saqr Qasimi ordered the release of 411 prisoners in Ras Al Khaimah ahead of Eid Al Adha with the aim to give the inmates the opportunity to reintegrate into society and bring happiness to their families and loved ones.
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