AJMAN //Seated within the thick white walls of the Ajman fort, Sheikha Azza Al Nuaimi greets guests in her great-grandfather's majlis as he would have done 80 years earlier, with dates, coffee and a genuine warm welcome.
Except, she confesses, he did not use this room much. Sheikh Rashid bin Humaid, the founding father of modern Ajman, preferred to meet his subjects on a bench outside the Khalifa Grocery in the souq.
"People never had to schedule an appointment or anything, they knew he would be in the souq and they could meet him at that time," says Ibrahim Mohammed, an Ajman elder and historical consultant. "He was always available, that's what I remember, whenever people needed him."
The late Sheikh Rashid was one of the UAE's founding fathers and knew nearly every Ajmani by name, but little is known of him outside the emirate. The current royal court has now released an official biography, Rashid, Portrait of a Ruler, about the man who played a key role in the union of seven sheikhdoms.
The Crown Prince of Ajman, Sheikh Ammar bin Humaid, last week donated a biography of his grandfather to more than 500 libraries worldwide.
Relics of Sheikh Rashid's life are displayed at Ajman Museum, housed in the 19th-century fort where he was born in about 1904. Each item tells part of his story. They are not the possessions of an ostentatious ruler: a bisht cloak, a wool head scarf, thick reading glasses and a passport from 1969.
The single largest item is a plain pearling box that held his few valued possessions.
When Sheikh Rashid inherited the sheikhdom in 1928, at about the age of 24, the pearl nearly brought his people to starvation. At that time an estimated 80 per cent of Ajman's economy was dependent on the industry that collapsed with the invention of the cultured pearl.
Sheikh Rashid turned to honey and stingray exports, stamp production and oil concessions with a Texan risk-taker to finance investment in agriculture and fisheries. Any money earned was reinvested to his people. He was always mistaken for a commoner by visitors because of his humble dress and humility.
"Sheikh Rashid was always late, everywhere he was due to go, because he would stop to talk to anyone - nobles, ordinary people ... even servants. He just liked people," writes the British political agent, Sir Archie Lamb, in the biography.
"If he had a few rupees in the morning by that evening his pockets were empty as he gave money away. Those who were responsible for Ajman's finances, and his advisors, often despaired."
Sheikh Rashid played a conciliatory role in the formation of the UAE but never gave up his khanjar daggers, two of which are displayed in the museum. Each has an extra knife hidden behind the main dagger.
"This is for cutting," says Ajmani historian Ali Al Matrooshi, pointing to the hidden knife. "The dagger is for killing. He was brought up in a period of rivalries and that's why he was suspicious all the time, even of his shadow. He even looked at his shadow when he walked."
Even so, Sheikh Rashid was brave. He would chase bandits to the Empty Quarter or would track them through the desert for days. A religious man, he had a strong sense of right and wrong.
In politics, he played negotiator.
Though a favourite of the British, he turned a blind eye to Ajmani merchants who traded with Iran during the 1940s embargo and actively supported Arab League proposals to fund a road from Dubai to Ras Al Khaimah. He was steadfast in his refusal to let the British dictate Ajman's foreign affairs.
A wing of the fort displays photos of the royal family that tell the story of 20th century Ajman. In a 1970s portrait, Sheikh Rashid is in ceremonial army regalia with a checkered red kefiyeh wrapped around his head and beard. He looks visibly uncomfortable. In a candid photo, he leans on the arm of a man, laughing.
"This is one of my favourites," says Sheikha Azza, the acting director of Ajman Tourism Development.
"This person is a commoner, he's not a sheikh, and look at the body language. He was accessible in his lifestyle. He said, 'I am my father's only son, my father is his father's only son and we don't consider ourselves as a royal family, we are tribal and part of the people'."
Sheikh Rashid ruled for 53 years, passing away in 1981 aged about 77.
The biography, by historian Graeme Wilson, goes on sale in UAE book stores next month and is available online now.
azacharias@thenational.ae
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Happy Tenant
Started: January 2019
Co-founders: Joe Moufarrej and Umar Rana
Based: Dubai
Sector: Technology, real-estate
Initial investment: Dh2.5 million
Investors: Self-funded
Total customers: 4,000
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Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
Dubai Rugby Sevens
November 30-December 2, at The Sevens, Dubai
Gulf Under 19
Pool A – Abu Dhabi Harlequins, Jumeirah College Tigers, Dubai English Speaking School 1, Gems World Academy
Pool B – British School Al Khubairat, Bahrain Colts, Jumeirah College Lions, Dubai English Speaking School 2
Pool C - Dubai College A, Dubai Sharks, Jumeirah English Speaking School, Al Yasmina
Pool D – Dubai Exiles, Dubai Hurricanes, Al Ain Amblers, Deira International School
Another way to earn air miles
In addition to the Emirates and Etihad programmes, there is the Air Miles Middle East card, which offers members the ability to choose any airline, has no black-out dates and no restrictions on seat availability. Air Miles is linked up to HSBC credit cards and can also be earned through retail partners such as Spinneys, Sharaf DG and The Toy Store.
An Emirates Dubai-London round-trip ticket costs 180,000 miles on the Air Miles website. But customers earn these ‘miles’ at a much faster rate than airline miles. Adidas offers two air miles per Dh1 spent. Air Miles has partnerships with websites as well, so booking.com and agoda.com offer three miles per Dh1 spent.
“If you use your HSBC credit card when shopping at our partners, you are able to earn Air Miles twice which will mean you can get that flight reward faster and for less spend,” says Paul Lacey, the managing director for Europe, Middle East and India for Aimia, which owns and operates Air Miles Middle East.
Results
Men's finals
45kg:Duc Le Hoang (VIE) beat Zolfi Amirhossein (IRI) points 29-28. 48kg: Naruephon Chittra (THA) beat Joseph Vanlalhruaia (IND) TKO round 2.
51kg: Sakchai Chamchit (THA) beat Salam Al Suwaid (IRQ) TKO round 1. 54kg: Veerasak Senanue (THA) beat Huynh Hoang Phi (VIE) 30-25.
57kg: Almaz Sarsembekov (KAZ) beat Tak Chuen Suen (MAC) RSC round 3. 60kg: Yerkanat Ospan (KAZ) beat Ibrahim Bilal (UAE) 30-27.
63.5kg: Abil Galiyev (KAZ) beat Nouredine Samir (UAE) 29-28. 67kg: Narin Wonglakhon (THA) beat Mohammed Mardi (UAE) 29-28.
71kg: Amine El Moatassime (UAE) w/o Shaker Al Tekreeti (IRQ). 75kg: Youssef Abboud (LBN) w/o Ayoob Saki (IRI).
81kg: Ilyass Habibali (UAE) beat Khaled Tarraf (LBN) 29-28. 86kg: Ali Takaloo (IRI) beat Emil Umayev (KAZ) 30-27.
91kg: Hamid Reza Kordabadi (IRI) beat Mohamad Osaily (LBN) RSC round 1. 91-plus kg: Mohammadrezapoor Shirmohammad (IRI) beat Abdulla Hasan (IRQ) 30-27.
Women's finals
45kg: Somruethai Siripathum (THA) beat Ha Huu Huynh (VIE) 30-27. 48kg: Thanawan Thongduang (THA) beat Colleen Saddi (PHI) 30-27.
51kg: Wansawang Srila Or (THA) beat Thuy Phuong Trieu (VIE) 29-28. 54kg: Ruchira Wongsriwo (THA) beat Zeinab Khatoun (LBN) 30-26.
57kg: Sara Idriss (LBN) beat Zahra Nasiri Bargh (IRI) 30-27. 60kg: Kaewrudee Kamtakrapoom (THA) beat Sedigheh Hajivand (IRI) TKO round 2.
63.5kg: Nadiya Moghaddam (IRI) w/o Reem Al Issa (JOR).
THE BIO
Age: 33
Favourite quote: “If you’re going through hell, keep going” Winston Churchill
Favourite breed of dog: All of them. I can’t possibly pick a favourite.
Favourite place in the UAE: The Stray Dogs Centre in Umm Al Quwain. It sounds predictable, but it honestly is my favourite place to spend time. Surrounded by hundreds of dogs that love you - what could possibly be better than that?
Favourite colour: All the colours that dogs come in
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The%20Witcher%20-%20season%20three
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MATCH INFO
Manchester United 1 (Greenwood 77')
Everton 1 (Lindelof 36' og)
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, last-16. first leg
Atletico Madrid v Juventus, midnight (Thursday), BeIN Sports
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Results
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Ticket prices
- Golden circle - Dh995
- Floor Standing - Dh495
- Lower Bowl Platinum - Dh95
- Lower Bowl premium - Dh795
- Lower Bowl Plus - Dh695
- Lower Bowl Standard- Dh595
- Upper Bowl Premium - Dh395
- Upper Bowl standard - Dh295
