BEGINNINGS: A RULER IN THE MAKING
His Highness Sheikh Saud was born on February 10, 1956, in Al Maktoum Hospital in Dubai, a son of the late Sheikh Saqr bin Mohammed Al Qasimi. His Highness’s father had been in power for eight years and the UAE was 15 years from being formed at the time of his birth.
From his early childhood years, the inquisitive and perceptive boy was regularly at his father’s side, traveling with him as the Ruler traversed Ras Al Khaimah inspecting work and engaging with citizens. His Highness Sheikh Saud was among the first generation in Ras Al Khaimah to receive formal schooling, after his father agreed to utilize teachers from Kuwait and Egypt as the Emirate’s first educational institutions were established.
The late Sheikh Saqr was a keen proponent of education for both boys and girls and so he developed Ras Al Khaimah’s education system, with a view to improving the prospects of his people, ensuring they became literate, to realize their dreams of university and, ultimately, to change their destiny forever. His Highness was one of the early beneficiaries of this development and he immersed himself in learning, reading and sports. He was a passionate and competitive sportsperson, taking part in volleyball, basketball and swimming. From a young age, he would delve into his father’s collection of old books and was always eager to sit with elders, to learn from their experiences and improve his understanding of Ras Al Khaimah’s traditional ways.
