Sharjah bids adieu to Ruler's son

Sharjah - Authorities made transportation arrangements for the mourners and prepared the roads for the arrival of royals and government leaders.

Hundreds of mourners from all over Sharjah poured into the streets of the emirate as Sheikh Khalid bin Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, son of the Sharjah Ruler, was laid to rest on Wednesday morning at Al Jubail cemetery.
Members of the royal family,  friends, relatives from different emirates and crowds of residents trooped to the King Faisal Mosque for the funeral prayer, paying their last respects to a beloved leader.
Residents from Al Qasimiya, Al Soor, Al Mussala and Rolla marched to the mosque, while others drove all the way from different regions of Sharjah.
Authorities made transportation arrangements for the mourners and prepared the roads for the arrival of royals and government leaders. People offered their condolences to the family of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, at Al Badea Palace.
The UAE flags were flown at half-mast as the country observes three days of mourning.
When people learnt that Sheikh Khalid passed away in the UK on Monday, everyone found the news unbelievable.
Ahmed Al Kutbi, one of those who went to the funeral prayer, told Khaleej Times: "The death of Sheikh Khalid was a great shock and loss for the youth of Sharjah, who all looked up to him and saw him as one of the great future leaders of the country."
Rising fashion designer
To the UAE, he was a sheikh and a beloved leader - but to the fashion world, he was a rising star. Sheikh Khalid was the founder and creative director of fashion brand Qasimi. And just three weeks ago, the label presented its 2020 spring/summer collection at the London Fashion Week.
It was a collection that painted the runway in sun-bleached colours, a palette taken straight from Sheikh Khalid's childhood in the UAE. In designing clothes, he had one goal: "To create a world of beautifully crafted products, infused with cultural, social and political undertones to inform and inspire", according to a statement issued by Qasimi.
In 2008, he debuted his first collection for the brand, earning praises from all over the globe. And with his passing, "the design world has lost a great philosopher and artist".
Region's leaders express condolences
His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, has received cables of condolences from the region's leaders.
The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia expressed his deepest condolences to Sheikh Sultan and the rest of the family.
His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said of Oman; the Amir of Kuwait, His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah; His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain; and King Abdullah II of Jordan also sent their sincere sympathies.
Sheikh Sultan also received condolences from the heads and officials of a number of academic and cultural institutions, professional associations and international organisations.
Leader & art lover
1-Born on April 6, 1980, Sheikh Khalid loved everything about culture, knowledge and art since he was young
2-He spoke seven languages fluently, aside from Arabic
3-He studied English at the University of London
4-He completed degrees in architecture and fashion design at Central Saint Martins
5-He chaired the Sharjah Urban Planning Council and improved community living in Sharjah
6-He founded a fashion label called Qasimi and earned a reputation in the global fashion industry
afkarali@khaleejtimes.com
 

• Sharjah