Government

His Highness Sheikh Saqr bin Mohammed al Qasmi, Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah.
Sheikh Saqr is one of the world's longest-serving heads of state, having ruled the emirate since 1948. Since ascending to the throne at the age of 23, he has steered the emirate through a shifting political and economic landscape, leading it towards a prominent position within the UAE and further afield. The Sheikh is now the second-longest-serving ruler in the world after the king of Thailand. Under his guidance RAK entered the seven-emirate federation of the UAE in 1972 and began the transition from a subsistence economy, centered on fishing and agriculture, to one that attracted the highest capital investment in the industrial sector in the UAE by the year 2000.

His Highness Sheikh Saud bin Saqr al Qasmi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler.
While Sheikh Saqr's ailing health has resulted in his son, HH Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, assuming the day-to-day running of the emirate in 2003. Sustained growth and wealth creation has continued over the past six years, with GDP increasing by more than 50% between 2004 and 2007. Although RAK does not have the hydrocarbons abundance of some of its UAE neighbors and in the region, it has established itself as a robust economy with an increasingly diversified base.

Deputy Ruler and Crown Prince: His Highness Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi
Ruler: His Highness Sheikh Saqr bin Mohammed Al Quasimi