About the rulers of About the rulers of the seven emirates the seven emirates

and their visionsand their visions

The Ruler of Abu DhabiThe Ruler of Abu Dhabi

Khalifa bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan is the current President of the UAE and emir of Abu Dhabi. He succeeded

to the post on 3 November 2004. Following the establishment of the UAE on 2 December 1971, Sheikh

Khalifa became Deputy Prime Minister of the federal state. In May 1976 he became deputy commander of the UAE armed forces. He also heads the Supreme Petroleum Council, which enjoys wide powers in energy matters.

Sheikh Khalifa is known for his interest in traditional sports, mainly horse and camel racing. He is generally regarded as a pro-Western modernizer. According to Forbes, Khalifa bin

Zayed Al Nahyan is the world's second wealthiest royal, with an estimated wealth of 23 billion USD.

The Ruler of AjmanThe Ruler of Ajman

Sheikh Humaid bin Rashid al-Nuaimi succeeded his father Sheikh Rashid and became the emir of Ajman (one of the seven emirates of the United Arab Emirates federation) in 1981 and he is the current emir of Ajman. Under his reign,

the state saw rapid changes from a small fishing town at the time of independence to a modern emirate. He received his early education in Dubai in the 1940s and 1950s and later

went to Cairo for further studies. In the early 1970s he became active in the affairs of state, as Ajman joined the

United Arab Emirates in December 1971 and he was required to act as a deputy ruler. His elder brother Sheikh Ali

was sidelined in the process. He belongs to the Al Nuaim tribe.

The Ruler of DubaiThe Ruler of Dubai

Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum is the Prime Minister and Vice President of the UAE, and the Ruler of Dubai. On January 4th, 2006, he became the Ruler of Dubai and on January 5th Sheikh Mohammed was elected the Vice President of UAE. Sheikh Mohammad is known to be avid in the art of traditional Arabic poems, arts, and is also sport enthusiast, especially in horse and camel racing. He is a man who has made promises and kept them; he has insisted on excellence and achieved it; he has defined the role of leadership and fulfilled it. Sheikh Mohammed has competently authored the Dubai success story in record time and put the UAE on a unique course, which nations around the world compete to replicate. Since becoming the Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai, groundbreaking initiatives have been rolled out at an astonishing rate. Sheikh Mohammed set out his inclusive world view in his book 'My Vision', where he describes his philosophy and his political and economic vision. In 2008, his wealth was estimated at $28 billion USD which made him the world's fifth richest royal.

The Ruler of FujairahThe Ruler of Fujairah

Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi (born 25 May 1948) is the current ruler of the Emirate of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). He took over after the death of his

father in 1974. Educated in Britain, Hamad is a progressive ruler, and his reformist leanings have held him in good

stead with businessmen and expatriates alike. He attended the Mons Military Academy in 1970 and from 1971 to 1974 served as Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries. Hamad bin

Mohammed is married to Fatima bint Thani Al Maktoum from the Al Maktoum family, the royal family of Dubai.

The Ruler of Ras-Al-KhaimahThe Ruler of Ras-Al-Khaimah

Sheikh Saqr bin Mohammad al-Qasimi (born April 9, 1918) is the world's oldest reigning monarch at 91, however, his reign is only the second longest of living monarchs, after the King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand. He became the Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah on 17 July 1948, when he overthrew his uncle and father-in-law Sheikh Sultan Bin Salem al-Qasimi in a bloodless coup.

The Ruler of SharjahThe Ruler of Sharjah

Sheikh Sultan bin Mohamed Al-Qasimi III was born on July 2, 1939. He is the Member of the Supreme Council of the United Arab Emirates and current ruler of Sharjah. He is the third ruler of Sharjah to bear this name. He has ruled Sharjah continuously since 1972, apart from a 6-day period in 1987 (17 June 1987 - 23 June 1987). He

has also written a book titled "The Myth of Arab Piracy in the Gulf" (1986) in which he argues that the East India

Company was determined to increase its share of Persian Gulf trade by all possible means and principally by the accusation of piracy and the need to fight it. He

belongs to the Al Qasimi dynasty

The Ruler of Umm Al-QuwainThe Ruler of Umm Al-Quwain

Born on October 1, 1952, Sheikh Saud received his elementary and primary education in Umm al Quwain

before attending high school in Lebanon. He graduated with a degree in Economics from Cairo University, Egypt in 1974. He was appointed to the UAE foreign ministry in 1973, and seconded at the Umm Al Quwain Amiri court. He was appointed Commander of the Umm Al Quwain Amiri guard in 1977. In 1979, he was appointed chief of the Umm Al Quwain Amiri Court (Diwan) and became

crown prince in 1982.