Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah and Crown Prince Sultan, deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation, sent messages of condolences to UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan on the death of Sheikh Saqr.
Sheikh Saqr was born in Ras Al-Khaimah city in 1919, where he was brought up under the care of his father, Sheikh Mohammad bin Salim, who ruled the emirate from 1917 to 1919.
He became the ruler of Ras Al-Khaimah, one of the seven emirates in the UAE, on Feb. 12, 1948.
His 54-year-old son and crown prince, Sheikh Saud, was named the new ruler, the state news agency WAM reported, and the Supreme Council, made up of the rulers of the UAE's seven emirates, offered him their "full support". Sheikh Saud was chosen as crown prince seven years ago.
Ahmed Al-Shabi, a villager in Ras Al-Khaimah, said that Sheikh Saqr was a pious and simple ruler. "We saw him everywhere like an ordinary man until the late 1990s. He used to go for a morning walk and meet villagers when he was active,” he added.
Expatriates in Ras Al-Khaimah also expressed their shock and sorrow over the death of the ruler. “It was easy to get access to his office,” said B. Abdullah, a trader.
The federal UAE government announced an official mourning period of a week with flags at half mast at government ministries and institutions. Ras Al-Khaimah local government offices will be closed for a week and those in the emirates of Sharjah, Fujairah, Ajman and Umm Al-Quwain will be closed for three days from Thursday. Flags will fly at half mast in Ras Al-Khaimah for 40 days.
Ras Al-Khaimah sits on the Strait of Hormuz, through which 40 percent of the world's seaborne oil passes. The emirate's economy is based on industries like cement, pharmaceuticals and glass, and it is building a regional manufacturing and shipping hub. Its gross domestic product accounts for 1.5 percent of the UAE's economy.
Sheikh Saqr initiated several key projects and institutions in the emirate, such as the National Bank of Ras Al-Khaimah, Ras Al-Khaimah National Oil Company, Gulf Oil Corporation, Amoco International, International Petroleum Limited, Digdaga dairy farm, Ras Al-Khaimah Cement Company and Julphar.
Sheikh Saqr paid special attention to education. He made education mandatory for girls. He opened a number of schools in cooperation with the governments of Kuwait, Qatar and Egypt.
In the late 1960s, the government gave daily allowance to students to encourage school attendance.
The emirate has recently sought to boost foreign investment by launching an airline and courting resort developers.
