Sultan bin Muhammad Al-Qasimi

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 with distinction in History at Exeter University in 1985, and another in the Political Geography of the Gulf at Durham University in 1999.

Al-Qasimi is an Indophile, has made numerous visits to India in his private capacity and even speaks the Malayalam language, albeit haltingly. His abiding interest and affinity for India has been attributed to the fact that as a child, he was raised by a Malayali nanny from Kerala and picked up the Malayalam language from her.

Sheikh Sultan succeeded his brother, Sheikh Khalid bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, as Emir after his assassination on 25 January 1972.[3] 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 Exeter University, 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.

His eldest son from his first marriage, Sheikh Mohammed bin Sultan Al Qasimi (1974–1999), was the crown prince of the emirate and died after a heroin overdose at the Emir's residence in Wych Cross Place, near Forest Row, East Grinstead, on 3 April 1999 at the age of 24 years.[4][5] A state mourning period in Sharjah of seven days was observed and flags flew at half-mast. 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.[6][7][8]

His younger son Khalid bin Sultan Al Qasimi (1980–2019), owner of British clothing chain Qasimi, 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'.[9][10][11]

With his first wife, Moza bint Salem, he had two children.

• Sheikha Azza bin Sultan (b. 1973)
• Sheikh Mohammed bin Sultan, the Crown Prince of Sharjah (1974–1999) – Died of a heroin overdose in 1999 at the family’s English manor house in Sussex, England.[12]

With his second wife, Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, he had four children.[13]

• Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan (b. 1978) is married to Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi and three children:
  • Sheikha Maryam bint Sultan Al Qasimi
  • Sheikh Ahmed bin Sultan Al Qasimi
  • Sheikha Alia bint Sultan Al Qasimi
• Sheikha Noor bint Sultan (b. 1979)
• Sheikha Hoor bint Sultan (b. 1980)
• Sheikh Khalid bin Sultan (1980–2019).

• Al Qasimi
• Saqr bin Muhammed bin Saqr Al-Qasimi
• Tarik bin Faisal Al-Qasimi
• Sultan bin Saqr Al Qasimi
• Farah Guled
• Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority (SEWA)
• List of Durham University people

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sultan bin Mohamed al-Qassimi III..

• Official website
• Works by Sultan bin Muhammad Al-Qasimi at Open Library