Saqr bin Mohammad al-Qassimi
Encyclopedia
Sheikh Saqr bin Mohammad al-Qassimi (c. 1918-1920 – 27 October 2010) was the Emir of Ras al-Khaimah
, one of the United Arab Emirates
, from 1948 to 2010.
He became the Ruler of Ras al-Khaimah on 17 July 1948, when he overthrew his uncle and father-in-law Sheikh Sultan Bin Salim al-Qassimi in a bloodless coup d'etat
. Saqr exiled Sultan to Sharjah. Under his rule, Ras al-Khaimah joined the United Arab Emirates in 1972. At the time of his death in 2010, he was the world's oldest reigning monarch at age ~90.
dynasty., which ruled the northern part of the Greater Oman Region following the fall of the Ya’aribah state and the emergence of the Al-Busaidi State in Sohar
and Muscat
in 1747.
He was born in the city of Ras Al-Khaimah, where he was brought up in an Islamic Arabic environment under the care of his father, Sheikh Mohammad Bin Salim, who ruled the emirate between 1917 and 1919.
Sheikh Saqr received a religious and an academic education. He learned to read from regionally-renowned clerics as a youth, and later joined a semi-regular school in Ras Al Khaimah to further study reading and writing, as well as principles of mathematics. He studied oratory and Arabic arts.
Sheikh
Saqr bin Mohammad al-Qasimi became the ruler of the Sheikhdom
of Ras Al Khaimah
on 17 July 1948, after a bloodless takeover from his uncle and father-in-law, Sheikh Sultan bin Salim al-Qassimi.
s from the south, the low land mountaineers from the east, and a combination of a group of highland non-Arab pygmies known as the Shihuh and other tribes from the north, all of whom had been sources of opposition to the coup. This result was a period of instability and violence in which Sheikh Saqr's followers battled those opposed to his rule. Misinformation was rife during the unrest, with many combatants unsure whom they were fighting and unaware that Sheikh Sultan Bin Salem Al Qassimi had been exiled to Sharjah.
Sheikh Saqr refused to support Ras Al-Khaimah's accession to the UAE when it was formed on 2 December 1971, due to a dispute with Iran
over a series of disputed islands, two Ras Al Khaimah islands and one Sharjah island. An Iranian naval expeditionary force landed on the islands on 30 November 1970, and Sheikh Saqr wanted guarantees from Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum
of Dubai
that the new UAE Federal Government would not relinquish Ras Al-Khaimah's claim to the islands. Once this guarantee was granted, Ras Al-Khaimah joined the UAE on 24 February 1972.
Sheikh Saqr appointed his oldest son, Khalid bin Saqr Al Qasimi
, as the Crown Prince of Ras Al Khaimah in 1974. Sheikh Khalid was replaced by another of Sheikh Saqr's sons, Sheikh Saud bin Saqr al Qasimi
, on 28 April 2003, and Khalid chose the Omani
capital Muscat
for his unconditional exile. The transfer of power marked the first time in the UAE that a Crown Prince had been removed in such a manner; at the time of the decree, and UAE Army soldiers and tanks were deployed around sensitive sites in Ras Al-Khaimah in case of unrest.
Khalid had a reputation as a supporter of women's rights and a Western reformer, and his wife, Sheikha Fawqai al-Qasami, was a playwright and an active campaigner for women's issues. Sheikh Saud was seen as more of a traditionalist.
Khalid reportedly had little support among the tribes of Ras al-Khaimah or the leaders of the other six emirates. The Federal Supreme Council, made up of the rulers of each of the UAE's seven emirates, quickly declared its support for Sheikh Saud's succession. Sheikh Saud declared 40 days of mourning following his appointment.
Ras al-Khaimah
Ras al-Khaimah is one of the emirates of the United Arab Emirates , in the east of the Persian Gulf. It is in the northern part of the UAE bordering Oman's exclave. The capital city and home of most residents is also called Ras al-Khaimah. The city has a population of 263,217 as of 2008. The city...
, one of the United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
, from 1948 to 2010.
He became the Ruler of Ras al-Khaimah on 17 July 1948, when he overthrew his uncle and father-in-law Sheikh Sultan Bin Salim al-Qassimi in a bloodless coup d'etat
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
. Saqr exiled Sultan to Sharjah. Under his rule, Ras al-Khaimah joined the United Arab Emirates in 1972. At the time of his death in 2010, he was the world's oldest reigning monarch at age ~90.
Personal Information
Sheikh Saqr's ancestral line goes back to Rahma Bin Matar Bin Kayid, founder of the Al QasimiAl Qasimi
Al Qasimi is a deeply-rooted Adnani Arabian tribe known for its rich history, bravery and conquests. The Al Qasimi dynasty are from the Ashraaf; they trace their ancesty from Imam Ali. Today, two branches of the Al Qasimi tribe rule the Emirates of Sharjah and Ras al-Khaimah in the United Arab...
dynasty., which ruled the northern part of the Greater Oman Region following the fall of the Ya’aribah state and the emergence of the Al-Busaidi State in Sohar
Sohar
Sohar is the most developed city in Sultanate of Oman outside the capital Muscat. It is about 200 kilometers north of Muscat. Sohar was an ancient capital of Oman and many believe it to be the birthplace of Sinbad the Sailor...
and Muscat
Muscat, Oman
Muscat is the capital of Oman. It is also the seat of government and largest city in the Governorate of Muscat. As of 2008, the population of the Muscat metropolitan area was 1,090,797. The metropolitan area spans approximately and includes six provinces called wilayats...
in 1747.
He was born in the city of Ras Al-Khaimah, where he was brought up in an Islamic Arabic environment under the care of his father, Sheikh Mohammad Bin Salim, who ruled the emirate between 1917 and 1919.
Sheikh Saqr received a religious and an academic education. He learned to read from regionally-renowned clerics as a youth, and later joined a semi-regular school in Ras Al Khaimah to further study reading and writing, as well as principles of mathematics. He studied oratory and Arabic arts.
Coup
Sheikh
Not to be confused with sikhSheikh — also spelled Sheik or Shaikh, or transliterated as Shaykh — is an honorific in the Arabic language that literally means "elder" and carries the meaning "leader and/or governor"...
Saqr bin Mohammad al-Qasimi became the ruler of the Sheikhdom
Sheikhdom
A sheikhdom is a geographical area or a society , that is ruled by a sheikh . Sheikhdoms exist almost exclusively within Arab countries, particularly in the Arabian Peninsula....
of Ras Al Khaimah
Ras al-Khaimah
Ras al-Khaimah is one of the emirates of the United Arab Emirates , in the east of the Persian Gulf. It is in the northern part of the UAE bordering Oman's exclave. The capital city and home of most residents is also called Ras al-Khaimah. The city has a population of 263,217 as of 2008. The city...
on 17 July 1948, after a bloodless takeover from his uncle and father-in-law, Sheikh Sultan bin Salim al-Qassimi.
Rise to power
Following the 1948 coup, Sheikh Saqr worked to consolidate his rule, particularly among the BedouinBedouin
The Bedouin are a part of a predominantly desert-dwelling Arab ethnic group traditionally divided into tribes or clans, known in Arabic as ..-Etymology:...
s from the south, the low land mountaineers from the east, and a combination of a group of highland non-Arab pygmies known as the Shihuh and other tribes from the north, all of whom had been sources of opposition to the coup. This result was a period of instability and violence in which Sheikh Saqr's followers battled those opposed to his rule. Misinformation was rife during the unrest, with many combatants unsure whom they were fighting and unaware that Sheikh Sultan Bin Salem Al Qassimi had been exiled to Sharjah.
Politics and Accession to UAE
After Sheikh Saqr gained complete control of Ras Al Khaimah, he began to delegate power through tribal leaders in order to avoid further bloodshed among and facilitate cooperation with the tribes. These tribal leaders functioned as middlemen between Sheikh Saqr and the people of Ras Al Khaimah; no tribal member could meet with the Sheikh without the permission of his respective Sheikh. Though the influence of the tribes has weakened since Ras Al Khaimah joined the United Arab Emirates in 1972, the last emirate to join, the Government continues to delegate through tribal power structures.Sheikh Saqr refused to support Ras Al-Khaimah's accession to the UAE when it was formed on 2 December 1971, due to a dispute with Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
over a series of disputed islands, two Ras Al Khaimah islands and one Sharjah island. An Iranian naval expeditionary force landed on the islands on 30 November 1970, and Sheikh Saqr wanted guarantees from Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum
Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum
HH The Emir Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum was the Vice-President and Prime Minister of United Arab Emirates and Emir of Dubai...
of Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
that the new UAE Federal Government would not relinquish Ras Al-Khaimah's claim to the islands. Once this guarantee was granted, Ras Al-Khaimah joined the UAE on 24 February 1972.
Sheikh Saqr appointed his oldest son, Khalid bin Saqr Al Qasimi
Khalid bin Saqr Al Qasimi
Sheikh Khalid bin Saqr Al Qasimi is the former Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah. He is the eldest son of His Highness Sheikh Saqr bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, who ruled Ras Al Khaimah, the northernmost Emirate of the United Arab Emirates, from 1948 until his death in 2010.Khalid served...
, as the Crown Prince of Ras Al Khaimah in 1974. Sheikh Khalid was replaced by another of Sheikh Saqr's sons, Sheikh Saud bin Saqr al Qasimi
Saud bin Saqr al Qasimi
His Highness Sheikh Saud Bin Saqr al Qasimi 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...
, on 28 April 2003, and Khalid chose the Omani
Omani
Omani may refer to:* Something of, from, or related to Oman, an Arab coujntry in southwestern Asia** A person from Oman or of Omani descent, collectively referred to as Omanis; see Demographics of Oman and Culture of Oman...
capital Muscat
Muscat, Oman
Muscat is the capital of Oman. It is also the seat of government and largest city in the Governorate of Muscat. As of 2008, the population of the Muscat metropolitan area was 1,090,797. The metropolitan area spans approximately and includes six provinces called wilayats...
for his unconditional exile. The transfer of power marked the first time in the UAE that a Crown Prince had been removed in such a manner; at the time of the decree, and UAE Army soldiers and tanks were deployed around sensitive sites in Ras Al-Khaimah in case of unrest.
Khalid had a reputation as a supporter of women's rights and a Western reformer, and his wife, Sheikha Fawqai al-Qasami, was a playwright and an active campaigner for women's issues. Sheikh Saud was seen as more of a traditionalist.
Death and Succession
Sheikh Saqr died, after being ill for several months, on 27 October 2010. The Crown Prince, Sheikh Saud bin Saqr al Qasimi, was reported to be his successor. Khalid bin Saqr Al Qasimi posted a web video proclaiming himself ruler of Ras al-Khaimah shortly after the Sheikh Saqr's death. The video was a part of a broader campaign Khalid had launched to gain the support of the U.S. and regional power brokers.Khalid reportedly had little support among the tribes of Ras al-Khaimah or the leaders of the other six emirates. The Federal Supreme Council, made up of the rulers of each of the UAE's seven emirates, quickly declared its support for Sheikh Saud's succession. Sheikh Saud declared 40 days of mourning following his appointment.