Ras Al Khaimah (; ), often referred to its initials RAK, is the largest city and capital of the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah in the U.A.E. The city had a population of 191,753 in 2025,
Etymology
Ras Al Khaimah translates to "Headland of the Tent".
The Arabic word
Khaimah (خَيْمَة) means 'tent', but also refers to the palm frond or
areesh houses that were common in the area.
History
Antiquity
Ras Al Khaimah has been the site of continuous human habitation for 7,000 years, with archaeological finds dating back to the
Neolithic.
The northern area of the city today known as Ras Al Khaimah was previously the location of the important Islamic era settlement and port of
Julfar.
Although Julfar and Ras Al Khaimah are often placed together, they are in fact two different settlements with distinctive histories. Julfar was abandoned in the early 17th Century as Ras Al Khaimah rose. Julfar itself had a predecessor settlement, Kush, today located in suburbs to the north of the city.
One of Ras Al Khaimah's most celebrated sons, Ibn Majid, was a hugely influential seaman, navigator and cartographer,
18th to 19th centuries
In the early 18th century, the
Al-Qasimi (singular Al Qasimi) established themselves in Ras Al Khaimah and Sharjah on the
Arab Peninsula, growing to become a significant maritime force with holdings on both the Persian and Arabian coasts that frequently came into conflict with British flagged shipping.
In the aftermath of a series of attacks against shipping sailing under Omani flags and following 1809 monsoon season, the British mounted the Persian Gulf campaign of 1809 against Ras Al Khaimah, in which the Al Qasimi fleet was largely destroyed. The British operation continued to Bandar Lengeh on the Persian coast which was, like the Greater and Lesser Tunbs islands, administered by the Al Qasimi.
By the morning of 14 November, the military expedition was over and the British forces returned to their ships, having suffered light casualties of five killed and 34 wounded. Arab losses are unknown, but were probably significant, while the damage done to the Al Qasimi fleets was severe: a significant portion of their vessels had been destroyed.
Following the 1809 campaign, an 1815 arrangement was made between the British and the Al Qasimi.[ This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.] However, by 1819 it was clear the arrangement had broken down and so in November of that year, the British embarked on a second expedition against the Al Qasimi at Ras Al Khaimah, led by Major-General William Keir Grant.
The force gathered off the coast of Ras Al Khaimah on 25 and 26 November and, on 2 and 3 December, troops were landed south of the town and set up batteries of guns and mortars and, on 5 December, the town was bombarded from both land and sea for a period of four days, until, on 9 December, the fortress and town of Ras Al Khaimah were stormed and found to be practically deserted. On the fall of Ras Al Khaimah, three cruisers were sent to blockade Rams to the North and this, too was found to be deserted and its inhabitants retired to the 'impregnable' hill-top Dhayah Fort.
The British landed a force at Rams on 18 December, which fought its way inland through date plantations to Dhayah Fort on the 19th. There, 398 men and another 400 women and children held out, without sanitation, water or effective cover from the sun, for three days under heavy fire from mortars and 12-pound cannon.
In January 1820, the British imposed the General Maritime Treaty of 1820 signed by Sheikh Sultan Bin Saqr Al Qasimi of Sharjah who was reinstated by the British in Ras Al Khaimah after the deposition of Hassan bin Rahma Al Qasimi.
British protectorate
A British protectorate from this point forward, as one of the
Trucial States, in 1869, Ras Al Khaimah became fully independent from neighbouring Sharjah. From September 1900 to 7 July 1921, it was re-incorporated into Sharjah; the last governor became its next independent ruler.
Modern history
The last of the Trucial States to join the newly independent United Arab Emirates, on 10 February 1972, Ras Al Khaimah, under the leadership of Sheikh Saqr bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, joined the United Arab Emirates following the Iranian seizure of Abu Musa and the Greater and Lesser Tunbs.
[Kourosh Ahmadi, Islands and International Politics in the Persian Gulf: The Abu Musa and Tunbs in Strategic Context (Routledge, 2008) p96]
Geography
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Jabal Ghumaylah
[ Gazetteer of the United Arab Emirates. Washington, D.C. : Defense Mapping Agency, 1987.]
Climate
Population
The population of the city is around 115,949 (2021), and it is the largest city in the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah. It is the 6th most populous city in the UAE.
Districts
Education
Other than Arabic government-funded schools, the city is home to Ras Al Khaimah Academy,Wellspring School, and other Indian schools.
Higher education institutions in the city include the Higher Colleges of Technology, Ras Al Khaimah Medical and Health Sciences University, American University of Ras Al Khaimah
and many other colleges.
Transportation
Land Transport
The Ras Al Khaimah Transport Authority currently serves the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah and surrounding areas.
Air Transport
Ras Al Khaimah International Airport serves the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah.
Economy
The city of Ras Al Khaimah is home to the Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (RAKEZ) that helps connect investors and international markets. It operates an online client portal called Portal 360.
The zone services businesses ranging from freelancers to SMEs and start-ups across 50 industries. RAKEZ is divided into six dedicated zones:
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Al Ghail Industrial Zone
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Al Hamra Industrial Zone
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RAKEZ Academic Zone
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Al Hulaila Industrial Zone
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Al Nakheel Business Zone
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Al Hamra Business Zone
Ceramics industry
The city is the headquarters of
RAK Ceramics, a global ceramics manufacturer. The company produces 123 million square meters of tiles and 5 million pieces of sanitaryware every year.
It has 12,000 employees and is listed on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange in the United Arab Emirates and on the Dhaka Stock Exchange in
Bangladesh.
Its annual turnover is estimated at $1 billion.
Pharmaceutical industry
Julphar is a pharmaceutical manufacturer operating in the
MENA region and headquartered in the city of Ras Al Khaimah.
The company, also known under the name of
Julphar, employs 5,000 people and distributes its products to 50 countries.
It divides its activities between three units: Julphar Diabetes Solutions, General Medicines and Julphar Life. The company became a producer of raw ingredients for
insulin in 2012.
Gaming industry
In 2022, Ras Al Khaimah announced a $3.9 billion project, Wynn Al Marjan Island, which is scheduled to open in 2027. The integrated resort is being established by
Wynn Resorts, whose CEO Craig Billings confirmed that it will include a 224,000 sq. ft. “casino component”. For its 40% stake, Wynn Resorts contributed $900 million, while the remaining amount was financed by the Ras Al Khaimah government. The UAE has no laws to legalize gaming or gambling equipment. However, the country established the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA), in September 2023. The GCGRA granted a “Commercial Gaming Facility Operator” license to Wynn Resorts, in October 2024. Given the country’s Sharia laws, gambling is completely prohibited for local citizens. But, the project was quietly progressing to target foreign travelers and reshape the region’s tourism.
Sports
The city is home to football teams
Emirates Club and Ras Al Khaimah Club, which have both competed in the UAE Top Division.
Notable people
Notable people from Ras Al Khaimah include
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Dhaher Al-Aryani (born 1972), Trap shooter
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Manal Al Ghadani (born 1977), Writer and Teacher
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Abdullah Al-Nauri (1959–2021), Novelist
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Saqr bin Mohammed Al Qasimi (1918–2010), Ruler of the Emirate from (1948–2010)
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Khalid bin Saqr Al Qasimi, (born 1940), Former crown prince and deputy ruler (1948–2003)
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Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi (born 1956), Current ruler of the Emirate
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Mohammed bin Saud Al Qasimi (born 1987), Current crown prince
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Marwan al-Shehhi (1978–2001), al-Qaeda terrorist and Hijacker
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Khamis Esmaeel (born 1989), Footballer
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Saif Ghobash (1932–1977), Diplomat and Engineer
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Saqr Ghobash (born 1952), Diplomat and Politician
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Priyaa Lal (born 1993), British Actress
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Ahmad ibn Mājid (1432–), Navigator and Explorer
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Abdullah Malallah (born 1983), Footballer
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Al Hassan Saleh (born 1991), Footballer
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