Sheikh Saqr Government Excellence Program supports another group of outstanding students with scholarships

• 845 ‘future leaders’ benefit from the Program in various fields of study, both within the UAE and internationally

Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates: The Sheikh Saqr Program for Government Excellence, under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, UAE Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, is helping to improve competitiveness in Ras Al Khaimah across various fields by developing its human capital and granting scholarships to distinguished students, providing them with a platform in which to grow their academic knowledge and practical skills.

To achieve the vision of Sheikh Saud to enhance the abilities of Ras Al Khaimah’s people in the best possible manner, the Sheikh Saqr Program, in collaboration with the Al Qasimi Foundation for Policy Research, has provided outstanding students from Ras Al Khaimah with scholarships to universities both inside and outside the UAE, while working to support the Emirate in its pursuit of success and greater Emiratisation.

Dr. Mohamed Abdullatif Khalifa, Secretary General of the Executive Council and Director General of the Sheikh Saqr Program for Government Excellence, said that the Program is working to achieve the vision of His Highness Sheikh Saud bin Saqr.

“The Program aims to improve the competitiveness of Ras Al Khaimah across various fields and a key means to achieve that is to support outstanding students and provide them with distinctive educational opportunities to complete their studies at a selection of prestigious universities and academic institutions locally and internationally,” he said.

“All the initiatives and plans developed by the Sheikh Saqr Program for Government Excellence are in line with the Vision of Sheikh Saud to enhance human capital across Ras Al Khaimah and are designed to invest in young people, our future leaders, in an effort to support the labor market with highly skilled professionals, who will contribute to achieving the ambitious vision of our wise leadership.”

Dr. Abdullatif Khalifa added that the next phase of the Program strategy will witness a continuation of efforts to develop the capabilities of Ras Al Khaimah’s people and provide various means of support for outstanding students to aid the Emirate’s development process across a number of sectors.

Since its inception, the Sheikh Saqr Program for Government Excellence has provided 845 students with scholarships - 732 at educational institutions inside the UAE and 113 internationally. Of the 732 scholarships in the UAE, 582 went to undergraduate students, 148 to master’s students and 2 to PhD students. Of the 113 international scholarships, 55 were granted to undergraduate students, 41 to master’s students and 17 to PhD students.

For the 2019-2020 academic year, the program accredited 72 student scholarships – 64 at institutions inside the UAE and 8 internationally. Of the 64 scholarships in the UAE, 41 were given to undergraduate students and 23 to master’s students. Of the international students, 5 are undergraduates and 3 are master’s students.

These achievements were made possible by the Program’s comprehensive strategy to provide the growing labor market in Ras Al Khaimah with qualified Emirati candidates skilled in a multitude of professional disciplines. The Program was keen to provide scholarships to students engaged in various areas of study, including engineering and urban development, medical sciences, business administration, law, environmental science and Information Technology.

At the end of the 2018-2019 academic year, the number of graduates from the Sheikh Saqr Program had reached 399. Since its establishment, the Program has contributed to providing excellent academic opportunities to students, in accordance with the highest international standards, which in turn has ensured their integration into professional positions that add value and support Ras Al Khaimah’s development efforts.

One of the key objectives of the Sheikh Saqr Program for Government Excellence is to support the Emirate’s comprehensive development plans and strategies and to contribute to efforts to raise educational excellence by nurturing talented students, preparing future leaders, building institutional capacity and enabling government agencies to implement global standards of excellence.

To achieve this ambitious vision, the scholarship program seeks to develop promising Emiratis by providing scholarships for them to complete their studies in specific disciplines at prestigious universities, as well as providing comprehensive support to them during the period of study, in coordination with employers, donors and institutions. This effort will contribute to supporting the various sectors in Ras Al Khaimah with qualified Emiratis at all levels of operation and leadership, while enabling students to achieve their ambitions to build a prosperous future.

ENDS

About His Highness Sheikh Saud

His Highness Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi is a Member of the Supreme Council of the UAE and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah (RAK). Born in Dubai in 1956, he was educated in Ras Al Khaimah before attending the American University of Beirut. He later moved to the University of Michigan, graduating with an Economics Degree.

He returned home in 1979 and was appointed Chief of the Ruler’s Court before becoming Chairman of Ras Al Khaimah Municipal Council in 1986. In this period, H.H. Sheikh Saud founded RAK Ceramics and restructured Julphar Pharmaceuticals and RAK Rock to ensure both became the industry leaders they are today.

H.H. Sheikh Saud was named Crown Prince of Ras Al Khaimah on 14 June 2003. In this role he oversaw the introduction of free zones, efficient business licensing procedures and offshore corporate registration.

On 27 October 2010, after the passing of his father H.H. Sheikh Saqr (May he rest in Peace), H.H. Sheikh Saud became the Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah. As Ruler, he has continued to expand and diversify Ras Al Khaimah’s economic base and improve the quality of its social services, while working hard to make high-quality education and healthcare services available to all the Emirate’s population.

H.H. Sheikh Saud received an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Bolton, UK, in 2010; an Honorary Fellowship of the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research in India, in 2013; and an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Economics from Incheon National University, South Korea, in 2018, a year in which he was also named Visionary Leader of the Year by Arabian Business.

About Ras Al Khaimah

Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) is the northernmost of the seven Emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates. It is known for its rich history, dating back 7,000 years, and diverse landscape, from 64km of pristine beaches, to terracotta deserts and an imposing mountain backdrop. The Emirate is home to the highest peak in the UAE, Jebel Jais, which features the world’s longest zip line, at almost 3km.

Ras Al Khaimah is also centrally located at the modern crossroad between Europe, Asia and Africa, with one third of the world’s population within four hour’s flying time, making it an ideal location for businesses to expand into the UAE, the Middle East and Africa and beyond. 

At the Emirate's economic heart lies multiple major companies and diverse sectoral interests. They include: RAK Ceramics, RAKBANK, Julphar Pharmaceuticals, RAK Ports, RAK Rock, Stevin Rock, RAK Economic Zone, RAK Gas, manufacturing and tourism. Supporting these industries is a modern infrastructure, state-of-the-art industrial areas and business parks and world-class hotels, facilities and attractions for tourists.

For the past decade, Ras Al Khaimah has been consistently rated ‘A’ by Fitch and Standard & Poor’s rating agencies and already the Emirate is home to more than 15,000 businesses from 100 countries representing over 50 industries. RAK Courts is also the fastest court in the world at enforcing contracts in commercial disputes.

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© Press Release 2019