- Full Name: Rashid Bin Humaid Bin Abdul Aziz Bin Humaid Bin Rashid Al Nuaimi
- Duration of his Rule: 53 years
H.H. Sheikh Rashid Bin Humaid Al Nuaimi was born in the late 1800s in the peaceful Emirate of Ajman, which had signed the General Treaty of Peace with Britain in 1820. Sheikh Rashid was the only child of his father who raised him and taught him the traditions and customs of the Arabs. At his father’s majlis, he heard the news of the tribes and the Emirate, the desert stories and trade adventures. He learned the Holy Quran and the teachings of Islam and Sunnah at the hands of religious teachers. Life was hard and harsh and the political scene was changing. Wars broke out at times and reconciliation at other times. Such circumstances helped him to face whatever hardships life threw at him.
Sheikh Rashid Bin Humaid assumed power in the Emirate of Ajman in 1928, which had full allegiance to its ruler. During his rule, the Emirate enjoyed security and stability, and began its journey towards development despite its scarce resources. Moreover, Ajman entered the modern age. He was the first ruler in the Emirates to issue passports. He was known for his keen interest in reforms and his staunch defense of the true religion. He was simple and kind to everyone inside and outside the Emirates. He supported Arab and Islamic causes. In a statement that reflected his attitude towards Arab issues that called for swift response, he said: “He who condones injustice, chickens out or dithers when faced with death is by no means an Arab”. He collaborated with the Arab League and approved its allocated economic development projects to revive the Emirates on the Arab Gulf Coast. Sheikh Rashid Bin Humaid was fond of the Islamic culture. Consequently, he established the Islamic Scientific Institute that teaches basic sharia and other civil disciplines.
He established departments to provide various services to the public. He first founded the Municipality Department, which was tasked with serving citizens, building roads and markets and supervising urban and development projects in Ajman. He focused his attention on the formal education, believing that education was the pillar of progress. Formal schools for boys and girls were built everywhere in the Emirate. In addition, he built hospitals and offered free treatment. He supplied every household with drinking water and electricity. In 1967, he established the Police Department to maintain law and order, and provided social services to his compatriots.
Sheikh Rashid Bin Humaid Al Nuaimi played an effective role in proclaiming the UAE federation. He worked with Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan and his fellow Rulers of the Emirates to lay the foundations for the union. He sought to build a strong unified state. On this score, he said: “Our absolute loyalty to our homeland and to our ancestors’ heritage made it incumbent on us to take this unionist stand and to recognize our historical responsibility to continue the march of the union.
Sheikh Rashid Bin Humaid passed away on Sunday, September 6, 1981 after a long battle with illness. On that day, Ajman and the UAE lost a great leader who led a life marked by struggle, persistence and success. He left his unmistakable mark by his incessant efforts to develop his Emirate and his people. All people expressed their sorrow and delegations from the Arab and Islamic countries came to extend their condolences on the loss of the UAE. His son Sheikh Humaid Bin Rashid Al Nuaimi succeeded him and followed in his father’s footsteps to continue the development of Ajman.
