Sultan bin Muhammad Al-Qasimi

Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al-Qasimi (سلطان بن محمد القاسمي; born 2 July 1939) is the ruler of the Emirate of Sharjah and a member of the Federal Supreme Council of the United Arab Emirates.

He has ruled Sharjah continuously since January 1972, apart from a seven-day period in June 1987, during an attempted coup led by his elder brother Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Mohammed Al-Qasimi.

Early life and education
Sultan's mother was Maryam bint Sheikh Ghanem Al Shamsi (1915–2010). He has four brothers and two sisters: Khalid, Sheikh Saqr, Abdul Aziz, Abdullah, Sheikha and Naema.

In 1948, at the age of nine years, he enrolled in Eslah As Qasimia School. After completing his elementary and secondary education between Sharjah, Kuwait City and Dubai, Al-Qasimi went on to study a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Engineering at Cairo University, graduating in 1971. He completed a PhD in history at the University of Exeter in 1985, and another in the political geography of the Gulf at Durham University in 1999.

Political career
In December 1971, Sultan was appointed the first Minister of Education for the Emirates. Sultan succeeded his brother, Khalid bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, as emir after his assassination on January 25, 1972.

In addition to those offices, he holds several educational posts. He became president of both the American University of Sharjah and the University of Sharjah in 1997 and was named a visiting professor at the University of Exeter, his alma mater, in 1998. He became a professor of modern history of the Gulf at the University of Sharjah in 1999. In 2008, he became a visiting professor at Cairo University.

Sultan celebrated the 50th anniversary of his accession to the throne on 25 January 2022. He is the longest reigning Arab ruler, beating Qaboos bin Said's record of 49 and a half years. On January 14, 2024, he became the world's longest incumbent head of state or second if Brunei before 1984 is considered not a colony.

National honour

 * 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates: Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Zayed

Foreign honours

 * 🇦🇲 Armenia: Grand Cross of the Order of Honour
 * 🇧🇪 Belgium: Knight Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold
 * 🇪🇬 Egypt: Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the Republic
 * 🇫🇷 France:
 * Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters
 * Commander of the Legion of Honour
 * 🇩🇪 Germany: Great Cross with Star of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
 * 🇸🇳 Senegal: Grand Cross of the Order of Merit
 * 🇸🇩 Sudan: Sash of Honour

Honorary degrees and awards

 * Honoris Causa in History; University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal, October 2018
 * Honorary Doctorate in Education and Cultural Relations; University of Calicut, Kerala, India; September 2017
 * Honorary Doctorate in Social Sciences; Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt, May 2015
 * Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters; University of Paris Diderot, Paris, France; March 2012
 * Honorary Doctorate in Political Science; Hanyang University, South Korea, September 2011
 * Honorary Doctorate, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan; April 2010
 * Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters; American University in Cairo (AUC) Cairo, Egypt; February 2009
 * Honorary Doctorate in Arts; University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK; November 2008
 * Honorary Doctorate in Administration; University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan; May 2008
 * Honorary Doctorate in Philosophy, Tübingen, Germany; October 2006
 * Honorary Doctorate; Armenian Academy of Science; Yerevan, Armenia; September 2005
 * Honorary Doctorate in Administration; McMaster University; Hamilton, Canada; May 2004
 * Honorary Doctorate in Laws; South Bank University; London, UK; April 2003
 * Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters; University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom; 15 July 2001
 * Honorary Doctorate in Philosophy; in Education; International Islamic University of Malaysia; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; February 2001
 * Honorary Doctorate in History; The Eastern Studies Institute, Academy of Russian Studies; Moscow, Russia; 1995
 * Honorary Doctorate in Arabic and Islamic studies; University of Exeter; Exeter, UK; 1993
 * Honorary Doctorate in Law; Khartoum University; Khartoum, Sudan; 1986
 * Honorary Doctorate in Sciences; Faisalabad University, Faisalabad, Pakistan; April 1983

Khorfakkan (2020 film)
In 2020, a historical film titled Khorfakkan was released, based on the book Khorfakkan’s Resistance Against the Portuguese Invasion of September 1507 written by Al Qasimi. The movie tells the story of the resistance of Khorfakkan city against the Portuguese invasion in the 16th century.

Personal life
The Emir has had at least two wives. He had two sons, and lived to see the death of both. With his first wife, the Emir had two children: With his second wife, Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, he had four children:
 * Azza bint Sultan al Qasimi (daughter)
 * Mohammed bin Sultan Al Qasimi (1974–1999). He was the crown prince. He died after a heroin overdose at the Emir's residence in Wych Cross Place, near Forest Row, East Grinstead, UK, on 3 April 1999 at the age of 24 years. A state mourning period in Sharjah of seven days was observed and flags flew at half-mast.
 * Bodour bint Sultan (b. 1978), daughter. She is married to Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi and has three children:
 * Maryam bint Sultan Al Qasimi
 * Ahmed bin Sultan Al Qasimi
 * Alya bint Sultan Al Qasimi
 * Noor bint Sultan (b. 1979), daughter
 * Hoor bint Sultan (b. 1980), daughter
 * Khalid bin Sultan (1980–2019), son. He was the owner of British clothing chain Qasimi. He died in London aged 39. His death was, according to the coroner, 'drug related' as 'toxicology tests revealed Khalid had high levels of GHB and "recreational" amounts of cocaine in his system'.

With reports of increasing drug abuse problems in the emirate, in May 2018 the emir announced the directive to establish the "Irada" drug addiction treatment and rehabilitation centre in Sharjah.