The government of Ras Al Khaimah on Wednesday marked 10 years since the appointment of Sheikh Saud bin Saqr as Ruler of the emirate and member of the UAE’s Supreme Council, the country’s highest federal authority.
Sheikh Saud bin Saqr became Crown Prince and deputy ruler in 2003.
In the decade that followed, the population more than doubled to 438,000 and its geography has been transformed.
Working closely with the federal government, the emirate completed large scale infrastructure projects, including thousands of homes for citizens and investment in roads, electricity and water supply to meet the demands of a quickly growing population.
Residential projects included the construction of the coastal Mina Al Arab and the expansion of the gated Al Hamra Village, which is home to 10,000 residents.
Additionally, two new sprawling desert suburbs, Mohamed bin Zayed City and Khalifa bin Zayed City, provided thousands of homes for Emiratis.
The emirate’s GDP grew to Dh35.1 billion by 2016, after rising between five to seven per cent annually from 2011.
Sheikh Saud guided the emirate through these changes.
Manufacturing remains Ras Al Khaimah’s largest economic sector, contributing to about a third of its GDP. In the past decade, its two largest quarries, Stevin Rock and RAK Rock, expanded their annual output from 48 million tonnes to about 80 million tonnes.
To attract entrepreneurs, the emirate’s two free zones merged in 2017 as RAK Economic Zone, which hosts 15,000 businesses.
The emirate has sought to capitalise on its natural beauty by developing its tourism sector. Visitors increased from 390,000 in 2011 to more than a million in 2019 amid the opening of new tourist sites, including the man-made Marjan Island archipelago on the south coast.
The long anticipated completion of the 20-kilometre Jebel Jais road opened up Ras Al Khaimah’s mountains and wadis as a destination for outdoor sports.
The final section of the Dh90 million RAK Ring Road, a 30-km bypass that connects the E311 to communities and quarries north of the city, is expected to open soon.
Born on February 10, 1956, Sheikh Saud was the fourth son of Sheikh Saqr and is married to Sheikha Hana, the daughter of a prominent Emirati businessman, Juma Al Majid.
Prior to becoming Ruler, he set up a number of local companies, including RAK Ceramics.
His son, Sheikh Mohammed, succeeded him as Crown Prince.
His father, the late Sheikh Saqr bin Mohammed, was a founding father of the UAE and ruled Ras Al Khaimah for 62 years.
His greatest legacy was education for men and women and, from the 1950s, he appealed to Arab states such as Kuwait and Egypt to send teachers and develop some of the first modern schools in the Trucial States.
When Ras Al Khaimah joined the UAE in January 1972, many of the country’s first ministers and leaders were drawn from the emirate’s educated population.
Tuesday was the 10th anniversary of Sheikh Saqr’s death.
UAE v Ireland
1st ODI, UAE win by 6 wickets
2nd ODI, January 12
3rd ODI, January 14
4th ODI, January 16
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
Jeff Buckley: From Hallelujah To The Last Goodbye
By Dave Lory with Jim Irvin
UAE tour of the Netherlands
UAE squad: Rohan Mustafa (captain), Shaiman Anwar, Ghulam Shabber, Mohammed Qasim, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Chirag Suri, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Mohammed Naveed, Amjad Javed, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed
Fixtures: Monday, first 50-over match; Wednesday, second 50-over match; Thursday, third 50-over match
Ibrahim's play list
Completed an electrical diploma at the Adnoc Technical Institute
Works as a public relations officer with Adnoc
Apart from the piano, he plays the accordion, oud and guitar
His favourite composer is Johann Sebastian Bach
Also enjoys listening to Mozart
Likes all genres of music including Arabic music and jazz
Enjoys rock groups Scorpions and Metallica
Other musicians he likes are Syrian-American pianist Malek Jandali and Lebanese oud player Rabih Abou Khalil
MATCH INFO
Qalandars 112-4 (10 ovs)
Banton 53 no
Northern Warriors 46 all out (9 ovs)
Kumara 3-10, Garton 3-10, Jordan 2-2, Prasanna 2-7
Qalandars win by six wickets
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
MATCH INFO
First Test at Barbados
West Indies won by 381 runs
Second Test at Antigua
West Indies won by 10 wickets
Third Test at St Lucia
February 9-13
RACE CARD
5pm: Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Racing Festival Purebred Arabian Cup Conditions (PA); Dh 200,000 (Turf) 1,600m
5.30pm: Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Cup Conditions (PA); Dh 200,000 (T) 1,600m
6pm: Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan National Day Cup Listed (TB); Dh 380,000 (T) 1,600m
6.30pm: Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan National Day Group 3 (PA); Dh 500,000 (T) 1,600m
7pm: Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan National Day Jewel Crown Group 1 (PA); Dh 5,000,000 (T) 2,200m
7.30pm: Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Racing Festival Handicap (PA); Dh 150,000 (T) 1,400m
8pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh 100,000 (T); 1,400m
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
The specS: 2018 Toyota Camry
Price: base / as tested: Dh91,000 / Dh114,000
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 298hp @ 6,600rpm
Torque: 356Nm @ 4,700rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
Miss Granny
Director: Joyce Bernal
Starring: Sarah Geronimo, James Reid, Xian Lim, Nova Villa
3/5
(Tagalog with Eng/Ar subtitles)
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
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Where to submit a sample
Volunteers of all ages can submit DNA samples at centres across Abu Dhabi, including: Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (Adnec), Biogenix Labs in Masdar City, NMC Royal Hospital in Khalifa City, NMC Royal Medical Centre, Abu Dhabi, NMC Royal Women's Hospital, Bareen International Hospital, Al Towayya in Al Ain, NMC Specialty Hospital, Al Ain
AUSTRALIA SQUAD
Tim Paine (captain), Sean Abbott, Pat Cummins, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Moises Henriques, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, James Pattinson, Will Pucovski, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, Matthew Wade, David Warner
MATCH INFO
Manchester City 2 (Mahrez 04', Ake 84')
Leicester City 5 (Vardy 37' pen, 54', 58' pen, Maddison 77', Tielemans 88' pen)
Man of the match: Jamie Vardy (Leicester City)
