Jewels of Ajman: Medical university and stud farm
When I first happened to pass through Ajman from Dubai and then Sharjah I had thought that it would take ages for this emirate to develop like the other member states of the United Arab Emirates. At the time Ajman barely covered an area of l00 square kilometers with a population of 36,000 people.
So it was a surprise to see the first college of Science and Technology founded by Dr. Saeed Salman about whom I had written in this newspaper only a few weeks ago. Today, Ajman has two universities and a medical college, catering to students from the rest of the Arab world.
Through the good offices of Dr. Saeed I went to visit Sheikh Humaid bin Rashid Al-Nuaimi, member of the UAE’s Supreme Council and ruler of Ajman. His office was open to one and all.
Ajman is a sandy desert with very little vegetation but its proximity to Dubai and Sharjah as well as the rich oil-producing state of Ras Al-Khaimah was all to its advantage. Besides, it received regular subsidies from Abu Dhabi, the richest of them all. So if any visitor had some vision and foresight with a little money he would have thought of doing some business there.
Sheikh Al-Nuaimi was modest and hospitable like the rest of his colleagues and was keen on attracting investments to his tiny coastal state. It only required some courage to make some investments and wait for the returns, which came his way in a very short time.
So when Dr. Saeed invited me to pay my respects to the ruler, I agreed at once. Together with Dr. Saeed’s university, established in 1981 and patronized by Sheikh Al-Humaid, the Gulf Medical College was awarded university status in l998 and the only institution of its kind to have its own teaching hospital. Not many Arab and Third World countries have had that kind of status.
Ajman’s development boom commenced soon after the success of Dubai’s freehold property as it was the second emirate to offer investors of any nationality a fully transparent l00 percent freehold ownership on real estate. In turn it attracted a large number of investors, from the Gulf and beyond prompting the Ajman government to initiate a number of development projects under the new Ajman enterprise known as the Emirates City under Sheikh Rashid Al-Nuaimi.
The Emirates City was planned to comprise l00 mid and high-rise buildings with malls and residential villas but much of this is not visible on the ground. However, the new airport, still under construction, is scheduled to start operating in two years time.
There are many other projects, which have failed to materialize largely because the emirate is poor and has limited resources, a small population and restricted space. Added to this is that the promise of permanent visas to investors who are mainly middle-class Indians and Pakistanis, was dashed when the central government in Abu Dhabi made it clear that no such visas would be granted.
However, the existence of the Gulf Medical University brought with it new hopes. It offers MBBS, bachelor of physiotherapy, Pharmacy-D and DMD undergraduate programs in addition to postgraduate and residency programs.
It is the first medical college in the region to offer places for both males and females of all nationalities. It was founded by Thumbay Moideen who has also been the president since l998. According to its prospectus, the group is launching a 350-million dirham expansion project.
The proposals include the development of a university campus, health centers, laboratories, dormitory for two thousand students, a convention center and a health club and spa, and a 300-bed hospital and a mosque. The project sounds ambitious but because it is one of the few universities in the region to accept foreign nationals saving the cost of sending children abroad while they stay behind to earn enough money for their education, it seems to be a safe investment.
Suffice it to know that the total number of students in the GCC is expected to grow at a compound annual rate of l.8 percent up to the year 2020 to over 11 million, which is nearly double the number of students in 20l0.
Ajman Stud is home to some of the finest Arabian horses in the World. The passion and dedication of Sheikh Ammar bin Humaid Al-Nuaimi, Crown Prince of Ajman, has raised the standards of this farm to the highest levels in just a few years.
Founded in 2002, Ajman Stud is a prime equestrian facility, built in the traditional Arabian style, surrounded by desert dunes, some 30 kilometers from the city of Ajman. Sheikh Ammar’s passion for the Arabian horse stems from childhood and his involvement with show horses has grown stronger with every passing year.
The first horses to join the stables of Ajman Stud came from the famous breeding farm Om El Arab in California. Sheikh Ammar wanted to start with the highest quality of breed so in addition to the first mares he acquired a very special mare from Europe, Bint Deladiva, whose bloodlines go back to Om El Arab.
This exquisite mare later gave birth to the first Ajman bred foal, Aj Hojas, sired by straight Egyptian stallion Nur Ad Dine. Aj Hojas represents the true Arabian type. Her big black eyes and extremely dished face make her one of the most exotic mares at Ajman Stud. All those who have the pleasure to walk through Sheikh Ammar’s stables are fascinated by the amazing collection of white mares, who gaze contentedly out of the stall windows at the visitors. Mares who have made their mark in the history of the Arabian breed are treasures such as Loubna, Bess Faizah, Panarea by Palawan, The Princess of Egypt, Eagleridge Passionata, Fs Cayenne, Barasha El Narah, Bint Deladiva, Aj Hojas and many other jewels of the desert.
[email protected]
