Saud bin Saqr Al-Qasimi

His Highness Sheikh Saud Bin Saqr al Qasimi (born Dubai, February 10, 1956) was appointed Supreme Council member and new Ruler of Ras al-Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates on October 27, 2010. Sheikh Saud is the fourth son of Sheikh Saqr bin Mohammad al-Qassimi,his predecessor as UAE Supreme Council Member and previous Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, who died October 27, 2010. The UAE Federal Supreme Council congratulated His Highness Shaikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi on succeeding his father, after the Emirates Supreme Council endorsed his rule.

Succession

Despite potential controversy, Yousef Obaid al-Nuaimi of the UAE's Federal National Council, assured a seamless transition; "The country's leadership supported this transfer (of power) which took place smoothly. There are no problems. People are preparing for the funeral," he said.

Education and early life

Sheikh Saud completed both his primary and secondary education in Ras Al Khaimah and then attended the American University of Beirut (AUB) in July 1973 to pursue studies in economics. When civil war broke out in Lebanon in 1975, Sheikh Saud transferred to the University of Michigan, where he completed his bachelor's degree in Economics and Political Science, where he went on to obtain a Master's degree.

Service prior to becoming Crown Prince

On his return to Ras Al Khaimah in 1979, Sheikh Saud was appointed as Chief of the Ruler's Court to assist his father, HH Sheikh Saqr, in the administration of the Government of Ras Al Khaimah. In 1986 he became the Chairman of the Ras Al Khaimah Municipal Council.

Appointment as Crown Prince

After 37 years in office, Sheikh Saud replaced his older half brother, Khalid bin Saqr Al Qasimi as crown prince on June 14, 2003.

The removal of Sheikh Khalid as Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler caused fleeting and limited unrest in Ras Al Khaimah and was met with a street protest. Abu Dhabi, the lead emirate of the UAE, maintained order and demonstrated support for Sheikh Saud by sending armored vehicles to Ras Al Khaimah.

Achievements as Crown Prince

Sheikh Saud has implemented vast organizational and economic reforms that have transformed RAK into an attractive destination for foreign investment - culminating in an A rating in January 2008 by Standard & Poor's and Fitch.

Drawing from the experience of his private sector successes, such as the rejuvenation of Gulf Pharmaceutical Industries (Julphar) and the creation of the world's largest ceramics manufacturer, RAK Ceramics, Sheikh Saud's economic insight and business savvy have helped bring about unprecedented development and growth across the emirate. Soon after Sheikh Saud's accession as Crown Prince, RAK Government asked the World Bank to conduct a study on the foreign investment avenues available to the emirate and has formulated a comprehensive master plan for development. In 2005, the RAK Government and World Bank organised a conference called ‘Live and Invest in Ras Al Khaimah’ to present before investors the vast potential that the emirate holds for investment.

His reform initiatives resulted in a dramatic jump of GDP per capita in Ras Al Khaimah from AED 35,000 to AED 52,000 in the years between 2001 and 2006.

In 2005, the Sheikh established the Ras Al Khaimah Investment Authority (RAKIA) to implement and manage RAK's vigorous developmental and infrastructural overhaul. RAKIA has managed to attract USD 3 billion industrial investment to Ras Al Khaimah, resulting in the setting up of over 400 industrial establishments and creating more than 70,000 jobs as on May 2010.

Education and healthcare initiatives

In addition to running a sound government, Sheikh Saud has also been deeply concerned with the social development of the Emirate, focusing special attention on improving education and healthcare. Viewing education as an important part of Ras Al Khaimah's sustainable development, he created the Sheikh Saqr bin Mohammad Al Qasimi Scholarship Award to encourage and enable local men and women to pursue higher education at first class international universities. Additionally, the American University of Ras Al Khaimah was established to facilitate access to world-class higher education in the emirate. The University of Bolton has awarded an honorary doctorate to Sheikh Saud in recognition of his role in supporting education in the Emirate and for attracting leading academic institutions from around the world to Ras Al Khaimah. The Ras Al Khaimah Centre for Advanced Materials (RAK- CAM) was founded under the patronage of Sheikh Saud in late 2007. RAK- CAM is envisioned to become a flagship for advanced Materials science research in the Middle East that addresses critical issues in areas such as alternative energy sources, construction, water purification and environmental preservation.

Sheikh Saud has also sponsored the building of Ras al-Khaimah Medical and Health Sciences University(RAKMHSU) to train future generations of doctors, nurses and pharmacists for the UAE as a whole. In 2007, Sheikh Saud opened the doors of RAK Hospital, a joint Swiss-UAE venture and the first full service private hospital in the Emirate.

Domestic policy and other concerns

Accusations of Sheikh Saud's and Ras Al Kamiah’s connections to Iran have raised attention among the international community. These accusations stem either directly from the former crown prince of RAK or indirectly from research he has funded with a vested interest in embarrassing or undermining the regime in hopes of returning to power.

The Canadian Border Services claims Ras Al Khaimah has become a port for Iranian smugglers to acquire nuclear materials. George Webb, head of Canada Border Services Agency's Counter Proliferation, told the National Post, "Ras al-Khaimah is actually leased by the Iranian government, staffed by Iranian customs." He follows that, "We found out about it about six months ago and this is just a little hop, skip and a jump over to a significant airstrip. So if they boat [nuclear materials] over, it goes in the plane, it's in Tehran real quick."

Khalid's US communications team insists these claims are "well sourced", but they have been rejected by the UAE embassies in London and the US. The UAE also denied the Sheikh's claim that RAK has links to Iran's nuclear program and that a port in RAK has in effect become an Iranian base, allowing Tehran to avoid international sanctions. Instead the Embassy described the claims as attacks as "baseless and without foundation and should be seen in the context of his long-standing dispute with his family."

"These appear to be old, scurrilous rumors which Sheik Khalid has made on numerous occasions," a spokesman for the UAE said in a statement. "His claims are baseless and without foundation and should be seen in the context of his long-standing dispute with his family. We are surprised that these old allegations are now being rehashed once again." In another old allegation, Sheik Saud was a suspect in a purported 2005 assault in Minnesota; the claim resulted in no charges.