- 1927-1972
- Full Name: Khalid Bin Mohammed Bin Saqr Bin Khalid Bin Sultan Bin Saqr Bin Rashid Al Qasimi
- Duration of his rule: 7 years
Sheikh Khalid Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi was born in 1927. His mother is Sheikha Mariam Bint Ghanim Bin Salem Bin Shahwan Al Shamsi . He succeeded his cousin Sheikh Saqr Bin Sultan Al Qasimi and took up the reins of government in the Emirate of Sharjah on June 24, 1965 until 1972.
When he assumed power, he managed to prove them wrong, thanks to his political acumen and wisdom. First of all, he focused his attention on kick starting the economy of the Emirate. During his rule, Sharjah set off on a path to progress and development. He sought to provide Sharjah with drinking water and paid off the Emirate’s outstanding debts. Sheikh Khalid Bin Mohamed played a major role in the revival of the Emirate as he focused his efforts on construction. Thus, he established a new power plant and built roads throughout the Emirate that connected Sharjah with other cities and Emirates. For the first time, high-rise buildings were seen in Sharjah. He gave orders to build a huge port in Sharjah that was named “Port Khalid” after him. Additionally, he built a new airport, which connected the Emirate with the outside world, and built a large hotel near it. That was the first hotel on the Oman Trucial Coast at that time. During his rule, commerce flourished and he opened the door for Arab businesses to invest in the Emirate. Moreover, Sharjah witnessed a major revival in education, as he built many schools in the city and the remote villages. One of the most important schools is Abdulla Al Salem School, which Kuwait had contributed financially to its establishment. He also founded centers for literacy and gave orders to establish the Education Department to promote education in the Emirate.
His era saw an advanced social renaissance as cultural clubs and theaters were established. In 1966, Al Orouba Club, which was one of the most important clubs, that established the first theatre in Sharjah where plays dealing with citizens’ social problems were performed in an enlightening style.
H.H. was interested in organizing the local administration. Consequently, he established the Police Force, the Department of Labor and the Social Affairs in 1968. Moreover, he ordered the establishment of a sports club called the Arabian Gulf Club in 1969. He created the Justice Department. Thus, for the first time, Sharjah possessed an integrated judicial system consisting of courts and judges.
Sheikh Khalid Bin Mohammed was involved in the negotiations concerning the Union of the Seven Emirates, and the Emirate of Sharjah took a favorable stance. In this respect, Sheikh Khalid said: “The federation is a good step, but it is not all what we are after. We seek to achieve a comprehensive and complete unity where all minor entities form a strong unified entity. As much as we welcome the union and seek to establish it, we seek to accomplish a complete unity on the Oman Trucial Coast within the frame of the union and to accomplish a comprehensive Arab unity that extends from our Arabian Gulf to the Atlantic Ocean.”
Sheikh Khalid signed the UAE provisional constitution and announced the accession of Sharjah to the federation of the United Arab Emirates on December 2, 1971. He passed away on January 24, 1972. His brother H.H. Dr. Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi succeeded him.
