RAS AL KHAIMAH
Ras Al Khaimah has been inhabited since at least the Ubaid period (500-3800 B.C.), when settlements thrived where the emirate exists today. With its fertile plains, mineral-rich mountains, natural ports and strategic location, the area that is now Ras Al Khaimah has had one of the richest histories of any land in the world.
Area: 650 square miles Capital: Ras Al Khaimah Population: 171.000 Languages: Arabic GDP per capita: USD 12,645 billion Monetary unit: UAE dirham Imports: Ceramic
tiles, medicines, cement, crushed rocks and fresh fish. Exports: clinker, live sheep, cars and gold.
Leading by Differentiation
Birthplace of “The Lion of the Sea”
Julphar, a flourishing international trading center between the 14th and 17th centuries in what is now Ras Al Khaimah, marked the highpoint of Ras Al Khaimah’s ancient history. Julphar was mentioned in many ancient manuscripts and was in fact the birthplace of one of the Arab world’s most famous historical figures, the navigator Ibn Majid, known as the “Lion of the Sea”. He wrote many treatises about navigation and apparently aided Vasco da Gama in his travels to India around Cape Horn.
Remnants of ancient civilizations
The ruins of ancient forts found throughout Ras Al Khaimah, including Dhayah Fort, now one of the emirate’s top tourist destinations, reflect local people’s efforts over the centuries to resist foreign invasion.
The middle of the third millennium B.C. saw the rise of the Umm Al Naar culture (2600-2000 B.C.), when Ras Al Khaimah was known as the Land of Majaan and was the center of a thriving trade in copper with Mesopotamia and the Indus valley. Beautiful pottery from this period has been found throughout the emirate.
Large tombs and archaeological sites from the second millennium B.C. have been found in the Shimal area of Ras Al Khaimah, including houses in a style that was typical of the UAE until around 50 years ago. The many civilizations that have left traces in Ras Al Khaimah over the centuries include the Ubaid, Hafit, Umm Al Naar and Wadi Suq cultures, the Bronze Age, the Iron Age, the Hellenistic and Parthian periods, the Abbasid period and the Islamic period.
Al Qasimi rule began in 18th century
In the early 18th century, the Qawasim (Al Qasimi) clan (Huwayla tribe) established themselves in what is now Ras Al Khaimah. In the early 19th century, Ras Al Khaimah was occupied by British forces (1819-1821) until Ras Al Khaimah’s then ruler, Sheikh Sultan ibn Saqr Al Qasimi, signed a General Maritime Treaty with Britain in 1822 that made Ras Al Khaimah a British protectorate, a measure he chose in order to receive Britain’s help in preventing invasion of the country by the Ottoman Turks.
The local economy was based on fishing, trade and agriculture until oil production began in 1969. In 1972, Sheikh Saqr ibn Muhammad Al Qasimi chose to make Ras Al Khaimah one of the new United Arab Emirates.
Becoming productive member of global economy
Over the past three decades, Ras Al Khaimah has been steadily modernizing and reforming its economy to become a productive member of the world market. It is building on its natural advantages to develop new economic sectors, including tourism, and has opened its economy to international investment. Today Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler since 2003, is carrying on this tradition.
