Federal Supreme Council expresses full support for new ruler of Ras Al Khaimah
The UAE’s Federal Supreme Council has expressed its full support for His Highness Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, the new Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, state news agency WAM said.
Sheikh Saud has succeeded his father, Sheikh Saqr bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, who passed away on Wednesday following several months of illness.
A statement released by the UAE Ministry of Presidential Affairs congratulated Sheikh Saud, who now becomes a member of the Federal Supreme Council.
The statement also said that the council supported Sheikh Saud “as he continues his father’s legacy of supporting the federation of the United Arab Emirates alongside his fellow Supreme Council members and Rulers”.
His Highness Sheikh Saqr Al Qasimi, believed to be in his 90s, ruled the northern emirate of Ras Al Khaimah for more than 60 years. Sheikh Saqr was the world’s longest serving monarch, having taken office in 1948, and the last surviving ruler to have been in power at the creation of the UAE in 1971.
Official mourning has been declared across the UAE for a week, with effect from Wednesday. Flags will be flown at half mast, and government ministries and institutions will be closed.
Ras Al Khaimah sits on the Strait of Hormuz, through which 40 percent of the world’s seaborne oil passes.
The emirate’s economy is based on industries such as cement, pharmaceuticals, and glass, and building a regional manufacturing and shipping hub. Its gross domestic product accounts for 1.5 percent of the UAE’s economy.
The emirate has its own sovereign wealth fund, the Ras Al Khaimah Investment Authority (RAKIA), which has a portfolio of around $2bn.
Follow us on
