RAK Ruler wins Visionary Leader of the Year award
Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi says award is recognition of the emirate’s progress
Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, has been named the Visionary Leader of the Year.
At an awards ceremony, Sheikh Saud thanked the UAE’s leadership, the people of RAK and those who have inspired his work.
“The people of Ras Al Khaimah, both Emiratis and expatriates, all contribute to making the emirate a fantastic place to live, work and visit,” he said, at the Arabian Business magazine awards.
“This award also honours the progress Ras Al Khaimah has made in recent years. I thank the leadership of the UAE, who have created a safe and prosperous home for people from across the globe. Without their vision, the UAE would not be the great country it is today.
“Some people want to achieve things in their lifetime but what’s more important is to make a mark for generations to come, and that’s what I seek to achieve.
“My time on this earth is finite. Ras Al Khaimah’s success should be endless.”
The emirate is a leader in the region’s adventure tourism, boosting visitor numbers by about 14 per cent this year.
With sprawling mountains and white beaches, RAK offers something a little different from elsewhere in the country, especially if they enjoy the great outdoors.
Toro Verdi, the world’s longest zipline, is nestled in the peaks of the Hajjar mountains, and more than 10,000 people have taken it on.
Climbing, camping, mountain biking and kayaking are other popular sports and past times attracting adventurers.
In March, Ras Al Khaimah set a record with a hotel occupancy of 87.5 per cent.
Its slightly cooler climate has contributed to its status as a year-round tourist destination, with those seeking an escape from the summer heat elsewhere in the UAE.
Golf has also featured heavily in attracting international visitors to RAK, with Al Hamra Golf Course cementing its status as the final event in the European Challenge Tour for the next three years.
Russians have played a big role in boosting visitor numbers, with tourist figures up 50 per cent since last year.
Ras Al Khaimah’s population is 345,000, 31 per cent of whom are Emirati.
The emirate has also gone to great lengths to protect the unique wildlife found there.
A wetland nature reserve over three square kilometres in Khor Mazahmi will be the first protected site in RAK, providing sanctuary for pink flamingos and the critically endangered green turtle.
The RAK economy has been growing steadily at a rate of between five and seven per cent in each of the past five years.
For the past decade, the emirate has been consistently classed as “A” by international rating agencies, and the emirate is home to about 15,000 businesses, with up to 37,000 companies from 100 countries having trade licences.
“Ras Al Khaimah has changed significantly in a short period of time,” Sheikh Saud said in his acceptance speech.
“Historically, we were known as seafarers and traders, then we became a place of industry – rocks, ceramics, ports, pharmaceuticals – and while we are still providing the raw materials for the region’s biggest projects, we have diversified our economy further.
“We see great potential and promise in our growing tourism sector. Fifteen years ago we had only one five-star hotel but today we have many.
“Ultimately, I believe that our true wealth is in our people, our human capital.”
Jeremy Lawrence, editorial director at Arabian Business, said: “The award of Visionary Leader of the Year to Sheikh Saud was the clear choice of every single member of our team.”