A PROMISING YOUNG MIND
His Highness Sheikh Saud attended Al Qassimiya Primary and Al Siddique Secondary schools, both in Ras Al Khaimah. During his early teens, His Highness was sent by his father to Worthing, in southern England, to learn English. The young man absorbed himself in the language and would devour English newspapers, searching for new words to expand his vocabulary.
Throughout school, His Highness Sheikh Saud demonstrated an appetite for academia, and it was clear that his bright and scholarly mind was destined for further education. In 1973, he started studying economics at the American University of Beirut, at a time when Lebanon was a center for culture, politics and business. However, the outbreak of civil war in 1975 necessitated a transfer to the University of Michigan, in the United States of America, where his eyes were quickly opened to new worlds of opportunity. The extensive university library fed his vociferous appetite for knowledge and allowed him to see the world through the eyes of others. The US, His Highness would later recall, taught him that there is no ceiling to what can be learned and to what can be achieved through dedication to hard work.
His Highness Sheikh Saud graduated from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and Economics.
Further study was on the cards for His Highness but an expansive development agenda across the UAE meant an increased workload for Sheikh Saqr – a situation that ultimately resulted in the return of His Highness Sheikh Saud to his homeland. With his newfound knowledge and a drive to make a difference in his homeland, he traveled back to Ras Al Khaimah in 1978 and was appointed Chief of the Ruler’s Court. In 1986, he became the Chairman of Ras Al Khaimah Municipal Council, continuing his work to improve the Emirate’s infrastructure and governance. His Highness would later state that his main desire during this time was to support his father and to enact tangible change in Ras Al Khaimah. With the worldly knowledge gained from his international experiences and his keen interest in business and commerce, he quickly earnt a reputation as a shrewd businessman with a bright future.
