Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al-Qasimi (Arabic: سلطان بن محمد القاسمي, romanized: Sulṭān bin Muḥammad al-Qāsimī; 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.^[1]

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Quick Facts Ruler of Sharjah, Reign ...

Sultan bin Muhammad Al-Qasimi
Ruler of Sharjah
Reign	25 January 1972 – present
Predecessor	Khalid III bin Muhammad
Heir presumptive	Sultan bin Muhammed bin Sultan II bin Saqr
UAE Minister of Education
In office 9 December 1971 – 19 February 1972
President	Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan
Prime Minister	Maktoum Bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Abdullah Omran Taryam
Born	(1939-07-02) 2 July 1939 (age 84) Sharjah, Trucial States
Spouse	Jawaher bint Mohammed Al-Qasimi
Issue	Azza bint Sultan Mohammed bin Sultan (1974–99) Bodour bint Sultan Noor bint Sultan Hoor bint Sultan Khalid bin Sultan (1980–2019)
Names Sultan bin Muhammad bin Al-Qasimi Arabic: صاحب السمو الشيخ سلطان بن محمد القاسمي
House	Al Qasimi
Father	Mohammed bin Saqr bin Khalid Al Qasimi
Mother	Maryam bint Ghanem bin Salem Al Shamsi

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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.^[2]

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.^[3]

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.^[4]

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Sultan succeeded his brother, Khalid bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, as emir after his assassination on 25 January 1972. He was previously the minister of education for the Emirates.

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 also 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. Since 14 January 2024 he will become world's longest incumbent head of state or second if Brunei before 1984 is considered not a colony.

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.^[12]

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:

• 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.^[13][14][15] A state mourning period in Sharjah of seven days was observed and flags flew at half-mast.

With his second wife, Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, he had four children:^[16]

• 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'.^[17][18][19]

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.^[20][21][22]

• Kalba