October 1, 2019, Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates: The Sheikh Saqr Program for Government Excellence, under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, UAE Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, is helping to improve competitiveness in Ras Al Khaimah across various fields by developing its human capital and granting scholarships to distinguished students, providing them with a platform in which to grow their academic knowledge and practical skills. 

 

To achieve the vision of Sheikh Saud to enhance the abilities of Ras Al Khaimah’s people in the best possible manner, the Sheikh Saqr Program, in collaboration with the Al Qasimi Foundation for Policy Research, has provided outstanding students from Ras Al Khaimah with scholarships to universities both inside and outside the UAE, while working to support the Emirate in its pursuit of success and greater Emiratisation. 

 

Dr. Mohamed Abdullatif Khalifa, Secretary General of the Executive Council and Director General of the Sheikh Saqr Program for Government Excellence, said that the Program is working to achieve the vision of His Highness Sheikh Saud bin Saqr. 

 

“The Program aims to improve the competitiveness of Ras Al Khaimah across various fields and a key means to achieve that is to support outstanding students and provide them with distinctive educational opportunities to complete their studies at a selection of prestigious universities and academic institutions locally and internationally,” he said. 

 

“All the initiatives and plans developed by the Sheikh Saqr Program for Government Excellence are in line with the Vision of Sheikh Saud to enhance human capital across Ras Al Khaimah and are designed to invest in young people, our future leaders, in an effort to support the labor market with highly skilled professionals, who will contribute to achieving the ambitious vision of our wise leadership.” 

 

Dr. Abdullatif Khalifa added that the next phase of the Program strategy will witness a continuation of efforts to develop the capabilities of Ras Al Khaimah’s people and provide various means of support for outstanding students to aid the Emirate’s development process across a number of sectors.

 

Since its inception, the Sheikh Saqr Program for Government Excellence has provided 845 students with scholarships - 732 at educational institutions inside the UAE and 113 internationally. Of the 732 scholarships in the UAE, 582 went to undergraduate students, 148 to master’s students and 2 to PhD students. Of the 113 international scholarships, 55 were granted to undergraduate students, 41 to master’s students and 17 to PhD students.

 

For the 2019-2020 academic year, the program accredited 72 student scholarships – 64 at institutions inside the UAE and 8 internationally. Of the 64 scholarships in the UAE, 41 were given to undergraduate students and 23 to master’s students. Of the international students, 5 are undergraduates and 3 are master’s students.

 

These achievements were made possible by the Program’s comprehensive strategy to provide the growing labor market in Ras Al Khaimah with qualified Emirati candidates skilled in a multitude of professional disciplines. The Program was keen to provide scholarships to students engaged in various areas of study, including engineering and urban development, medical sciences, business administration, law, environmental science and Information Technology. 

 

At the end of the 2018-2019 academic year, the number of graduates from the Sheikh Saqr Program had reached 399. Since its establishment, the Program has contributed to providing excellent academic opportunities to students, in accordance with the highest international standards, which in turn has ensured their integration into professional positions that add value and support Ras Al Khaimah’s development efforts. 

 

One of the key objectives of the Sheikh Saqr Program for Government Excellence is to support the Emirate’s comprehensive development plans and strategies and to contribute to efforts to raise educational excellence by nurturing talented students, preparing future leaders, building institutional capacity and enabling government agencies to implement global standards of excellence. 

 

To achieve this ambitious vision, the scholarship program seeks to develop promising Emiratis by providing scholarships for them to complete their studies in specific disciplines at prestigious universities, as well as providing comprehensive support to them during the period of study, in coordination with employers, donors and institutions. This effort will contribute to supporting the various sectors in Ras Al Khaimah with qualified Emiratis at all levels of operation and leadership, while enabling students to achieve their ambitions to build a prosperous future.