RAK Ruler: We want a government that works together like an orchestra playing a symphony

At the World Government Summit, Sheikh Saud says Ras Al Khaimah witnessed the largest number of visitors in 2022

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Lamya Tawfik

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Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi speaks at the World Government Summit in Dubai. — Photo by Shihab
Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi speaks at the World Government Summit in Dubai. — Photo by Shihab

Published: Tue 14 Feb 2023, 8:29 PM

Last updated: Tue 14 Feb 2023, 8:42 PM

In his first participation at the World Government Summit, His Highness Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, spoke to attendees about the uniqueness of Ras Al Khaimah and the spirit of the UAE.

“Ambition is the identity of the UAE. It is what made the UAE a unique model in the world and what made the founding fathers go beyond their present time to lay the foundation for the future,” he said.


Ras Al Khaimah, he told the attendees, has seen many civilisations in its history and they have all left behind a rich cultural heritage. That, combined with the unique landscape that combines sea, mountains and desert has strengthened the relationship of the emirate’s residents and helped them understand what makes it a touristic destination. “We have a duty to leverage what God gave us,” he said.

“In 2022, our tourism sector witnessed the largest number of visitors in the history of the emirate, and it grew by 50 per cent during the last four years. The real estate transactions doubled in 3 years, and we had an increase of 40 per cent within the last 5 years with regards to new licences,” he said.


Sheikh Saud said that Ras Al Khaimah has always been a popular touristic destination for Emiratis and that he wants to leverage it to make it a global destination for tourists. “It is the fastest growing sector in the emirate,” he said, adding that the vision is to unlock the potential and that they just got started. “We anticipate that we will triple the number of tourists by 2030 and double the hotel capacity by 2025,” he said.

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He said that he is very ambitious and very confident that Ras Al Khaimah can deliver and thrive in the tourism sector because of the uniqueness of its topography and history. “There are few places where you can commute between the beach and mountains in half an hour,” he said.

Ras Al Khaimah’s development programmes are focused on economic diversity through attracting investment in industry, technology, tourism and real estate while working on developing the infrastructure and education to improve the wellbeing of residents, explained Sheikh Saud. He said that residents are also empowered by encouraging entrepreneurship and innovation which makes RAK a role model for international partnerships.

“Thank you to all those living here for believing in the mission of the UAE and their contribution in building a model of cooperation and development,” he said, adding that their goal today is to create a synergistic government which works together as an orchestra playing a symphony for a better future.

“The UAE is a beautiful garden. When you enter a garden, you see the different trees and roses, the differences between them add to the beauty of the garden. All of us together make for the most beautiful and compelling garden,” he said.


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