Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) is the largest city and capital of the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates (UAE). It is the sixth-largest city in UAE. Its name in English means “the tent point,” reputedly after a large tent erected as an aid to navigation by an early chief. The city, a port from ancient times, developed into a modern port only in the 20th century. It has a land area of 2,486 km2 and a coast line of 64 km. Ras al-Khaimah joined the UAE in 1972.
A creek divides the city into two parts: old town in the west and Al Nakheel in the east. Ras Al Khaimah is one of the oldest civilisations in the world. It has been the site of continuous human habitation for 7,000 years.
Ras Al Khaimah Economy
Ras al-Khaimah emirate is among the principal producers of the country’s crops. The crops include cabbages, onions, tomatoes, dates, tobacco, and fruits, especially bananas and citrus fruits. Thg3ese produces are grown along the coast around Ras al-Khaimah city for local consumption and for export to other states of the federation, mainly Dubai. The emirate has received aid from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait as well as from its sister states Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Industries in Ras al-Khaimah include the production of ceramics, pharmaceuticals, cement, lime, and a variety of construction materials. RAK Ceramics, a global ceramics manufacturer, headquartered in the city, produces 123 million square meters of tiles and 5 million pieces of sanitary ware annually. It employs 12,000 employees and its turnover is estimated at $1 billion a year.
Gulf Pharmaceutical Industries is a pharmaceutical manufacturer operating in the MENA region and headquartered in the city of Ras Al Khaimah.[31] The company, also known under the name of Julphar, employs 5,000 people and distributes its products to 50 countries.
Ras al-Khaimah Education
Other than Arabic government-funded schools, the city has Ras Al Khaimah Academy and Wellspring School, and other Indian schools. It also has Higher Colleges of Technology campus, Ras Al Khaimah Medical and Health Sciences University, American University of Ras Al Khaimah, Al-Ittiḥād University and many other colleges.
Jebel Jais, Ras Al Khaimah
Jebel Jais, Ras Al Khaimah Jebel Jais is a towering mountain featuring sweeping views, camping, wadis & a popular 2.8km-long zip line. It is one of the important tourist attractions in the UAE.The height of the mountain is 1,934 m above sea level. Temperatures at the mountain are around ten degrees cooler than sea level. You get a fantastic view of the city from Jebel Jais.
Jebel Jais
The summit is accessible by hiking, a short distance after Sheikh Saud Bin Saqr Al Qasimi’s palace, which is situated near the UAE’s highest point.
Jebel Jais ZipLine 2,832 m long, is the world’s longest zip line. It was opened on the mountain in February 2018. The users can travel at speeds of up to 150 km/h.
Featured Image : Photo By Noor Ali – [1], Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3727996
The Dubai way of life did not always center on oil and its profits. Dubai was originally a fishing settlement. Inhabitants lived by fishing, pearling, herding sheep and goats, and by the turn of the century was an important trading port. Trade expanded even as Dubai was under the British colony, and Dubai began to grow in merchant appeal. By the early 1900s, almost a quarter of the population was foreign.
The population in the 1930s was 20,000, and of that, 2,000 were Persians, 1,000 Baluchis, many Indians and substantial communities from Bahrain, Kuwait and the Hasa province in eastern South Arabia. In 1954, the British established a political agency there as well.
In 1971, the British withdrew and Dubai joined with Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Aiman, Umm Al Quwain, Fajairah and later Ras Al Khaimah to create the federation of the United Arab Emirates. Oil was discovered in 1966 and by 1969 Dubai exported its first shipment of oil. The success of this venture fueled the rapid development of the area and through the insight of the late ruler provided for the general welfare of the inhabitants. Dubai worked to build up its infrastructure of transport facilities, schools, hospitals, tourism developments and other amenities of an advanced society.
The journey continues today. The story of Dubai reads like a rags-to-riches tale, and indeed, it is hard to imagine anywhere else in the world that has developed at such a pace, in such a short time. Dubai is a magnificent expression of the Emirate’s incredible vision and a tribute to its sea-faring heritage, an uncompromising statement of success in a land that century after century has provided immense opportunity.
