FOUNDATIONS & INITIATIVES
SUMMARY
His Highness Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, UAE Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, has a progressive vision for Ras Al Khaimah. He is committed to empowering communities, improving access to education and elevating the underprivileged. His Highness has dedicated his life to supporting the people of the Emirate by creating ample opportunities for them to thrive and realize their goals and ambitions.
His Highness Sheikh Saud is a champion of education and has built world-class educational institutions in Ras Al Khaimah. The establishment of the Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi Foundation for Policy Research in 2009 has reinforced these firm foundations with insightful research from some of the best scholars across the globe.
His Highness is also ensuring that no child is left behind through the Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Charitable Educational Foundation, which provides financial aid to those facing obstacles in their access to education.
As a committed voice for the disadvantaged, His Highness Sheikh Saud has created several initiatives to ensure that victims of abuse and human trafficking are cared for and given a chance to lead fulfilling lives. The establishment of the Aman Shelter for Women and Children in 2017 was driven by the ambition to help those in need, or who have experienced trauma, rehabilitating and integrating disadvantaged women and children into society, and providing a platform to unify the efforts of partner organizations across the UAE.
His Highness is dedicated to supporting the Emirate’s communities and identifies their needs and responds to them in the most effective manner. His humanitarian values are reflected in the various charities that have operated in Ras Al Khaimah for decades and played a vital role in aiding the needy, supporting the disadvantaged and enshrining the ethos of humanitarianism in every facet of life.
Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi Foundation for Policy Research
His Highness Sheikh Saud established the Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi Foundation to advance his progressive goals for Ras Al Khaimah. Established in 2009, the Foundation supports the social, cultural and economic development of the Emirate by generating world-class research, boosting capacity in the public sector and engaging the community in its work, which encompasses four main pillars education, health and wellness, urban development and arts and culture.
Signature initiatives overseen by the Foundation include teacher and student professional development programs, international research grants and the acclaimed Ras Al Khaimah Art Festival, all of which play a role in helping to build the bright future that His Highness envisions.
Aman Shelter for Women and Children
His Highness Sheikh Saud is committed to protecting the vulnerable in society, particularly victims of abuse, violence and human trafficking. He established the Aman Shelter for Women and Children in 2017 to provide a sanctuary for these victims.
The Shelter offers a safe and secure environment to help people overcome their difficult situations and make them feel valued. It equips victims with new skills, offers help with repatriation and seeks to raise awareness in the community about human trafficking and the damage it does. Since it opened, many victims now live the lives they so richly deserve.
Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Charitable Educational Foundation
His Highness Sheikh Saud passionately believes in the power of education and that everyone in Ras Al Khaimah should have access to the best teachers, most advanced curricula and most up-to-date teaching methods. His Highness wants no child to be left behind. To help realize this ambition, the Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Charitable Educational Foundation was established to aid those struggling to access education and to ensure fairness and equity across the sector.
The Foundation supports students with financial aid, equips them with materials and technology to support their studies, offers grants and provides scholarships. A center dedicated to helping students with autism also falls under the Foundation’s remit.
Ras Al Khaimah Center for Advanced Materials
In an effort to nurture scientific advancement and empower the next generation of scientists in Ras Al Khaimah, His Highness Sheikh Saud formed the Ras Al Khaimah Center for Advanced Materials (RAK-CAM) in 2007 to convene the brightest minds in the transformative scientific field of Advanced Materials. These materials have the potential to revolutionize a wide array of industries, such as electronics, aerospace, transport, construction and healthcare, by developing new technologies, reducing carbon emissions, lowering energy consumption and minimizing reliance on finite raw materials. RAKCAM’s board, which is chaired by Professor Sir Tony Cheetham, is composed of leading materials scientists from some of the world’s most prestigious academic institutions, including the University of Cambridge, the University of California and the University of Melbourne. The Board convenes annually during the International Workshop on Advanced Materials (IWAM), hosted in Ras Al Khaimah, which has become a global forum for pioneering research, cross-disciplinary collaboration and forward-thinking dialogue. RAK-CAM also sponsors the Sheikh Saqr Laboratory on the campus of the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research in Bangalore.
Ras Al Khaimah Charity Association
As Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, His Highness Sheikh Saud spares no effort to help vulnerable people, whether inside the Emirate or beyond its borders. Over the years, Ras Al Khaimah Charity Association has committed to many humanitarian projects. Assisting people who have lost jobs, offering financial support to those in need and organizing food donation drives are just some of the projects the charity is involved with, helping to ease the suffering of countless people, both at home and abroad.
Emirates Association for Social Development
With a view to improving the lives of all members of the community, His Highness Sheikh Saud set up the Emirates Association for Social Development by Emiri Decree in 2011 before being registered as a public association in 2018. The association works with partners to strengthen loyalty and national belonging through the delivery of social programs and services, as well as a variety of educational and cultural activities, for all segments of society, though with a focus on young people in particular. Its programs are aimed at creating a strong and cohesive society, which in turn helps to achieve the sustainable development goals of Ras Al Khaimah and the entire UAE.
Saud bin Saqr Establishment for Youth Enterprise Development (RAK SME)
