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.
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Specs
Engine: 3.0L twin-turbo V6
Gearbox: 10-speed automatic
Power: 405hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 562Nm at 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 11.2L/100km
Price: From Dh292,845 (Reserve); from Dh320,145 (Presidential)
On sale: Now
RESULTS
Men – semi-finals
57kg – Tak Chuen Suen (MAC) beat Phuong Xuan Nguyen (VIE) 29-28; Almaz Sarsembekov (KAZ) beat Zakaria Eljamari (UAE) by points 30-27.
67kg – Mohammed Mardi (UAE) beat Huong The Nguyen (VIE) by points 30-27; Narin Wonglakhon (THA) v Mojtaba Taravati Aram (IRI) by points 29-28.
60kg – Yerkanat Ospan (KAZ) beat Amir Hosein Kaviani (IRI) 30-27; Long Doan Nguyen (VIE) beat Ibrahim Bilal (UAE) 29-28
63.5kg – Abil Galiyev (KAZ) beat Truong Cao Phat (VIE) 30-27; Nouredine Samir (UAE) beat Norapat Khundam (THA) RSC round 3.
71kg – Shaker Al Tekreeti (IRQ) beat Fawzi Baltagi (LBN) 30-27; Amine El Moatassime (UAE) beat Man Kongsib (THA) 29-28
81kg – Ilyass Hbibali (UAE) beat Alexandr Tsarikov (KAZ) 29-28; Khaled Tarraf (LBN) beat Mustafa Al Tekreeti (IRQ) 30-27
86kg – Ali Takaloo (IRI) beat Mohammed Al Qahtani (KSA) RSC round 1; Emil Umayev (KAZ) beat Ahmad Bahman (UAE) TKO round
Profile
Name: Carzaty
Founders: Marwan Chaar and Hassan Jaffar
Launched: 2017
Employees: 22
Based: Dubai and Muscat
Sector: Automobile retail
Funding to date: $5.5 million
Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
The view from The National
