'87 years of light': Sheikha Bodour shares tribute on Sharjah Ruler’s birthday

To celebrate Sharjah Ruler Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi’s birthday on Thursday, Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi shared a warm message, reflecting the close father-daughter bond between them and wishing him continued heath and well-being.

“My dear father, You have always been—and remain—the unwavering support, the light that guides our steps, and the shelter we have sought in every season”, Sheikha Bodour wrote on her Instagram. Attached to the tribute, which was flooded with comments wishing the Sharjah royal a happy birthday and a long healthy life, was a photo of Sheikha Bodour and Sheiskh Dr Sultan together in a car, offering a rare and intimate glimpse into a sincere family moment behind public life.

As his daughter, Sheikha Bodour has often reflected her father’s influence in her intellectual, cultural and philanthropic work, particularly in publishing, education and cultural development. Sheikh Dr Sultan, known for his longstanding focus on knowledge, culture in Sharjah, has shaped much of the emirate’s cultural identity—an approach that Sheikha Bodour has complemented through her own initiatives on literacy, publishing and global cultural exchange.

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“You taught us that strength lies in compassion, that dignity is built through actions, and that love is the most beautiful legacy a person can leave behind,” she wrote.

Sheikha Bodour concluded her heartfelt message with prayers to God to bless Sheikh Dr Sultan’s life and fill his days with peace and joy “just as you have filled ours with love and tranquility… Happy Birthday.”

Sheikh Dr Sultan

Sheikh Dr Sultan was born in Sharjah on Sunday, July 2, 1939 to Sheikh Muhammad bin Saqr Al Qasimi and Sheikha Maryam bint Sheikh Ghanem Al Shamsi. He has four brothers and two sisters: Sheikh Khalid, Sheikh Saqr, Sheikh Abdul Aziz, Sheikh Abdullah, Sheikha Shiekha and Sheikha Naema.

He also has three half-brothers and six half-sisters: Sheikh Rashid, Sheikh Humaid, Sheikh Ali, Sheikha Mouza, Sheikha Alia, Sheikha Ghaya, Sheikha Noura, Sheikha Aisha and Sheikha Azza.

His senior wife was Sheikha Moza bint Salim bin Mohammed bin Manee Al Falasi, and with whom he had two children: his son, Sheikh Mohammed who passed away on April 3, 1999, aged 24, and his daughter, Sheikha Azza.

Sheikh Dr Sultan also married Sheikha Jawaher bint Sheikh Mohammed bin Sultan bin Saqr Al Qasimi, with whom he has three daughters and one son: Sheikha Bodour, Sheikha Noor, Sheikha Hoor and Sheikh Khalid, who passed away on July 1, 2019, aged 40.

In September 1948, at the age of 9 years, the Sharjah Ruler enrolled in Al Eslah Al Qasimia School. Then in 1954, he enrolled in an English private school to learn the English language. He completed his elementary and secondary education between Sharjah and Kuwait. In 1965, he travelled to Cairo to complete his higher education, enrolling in Cairo University’s Agriculture College.

In 1965, he chaired the Sharjah Municipality and, after his graduation in 1971, he managed the Ruler’s office in Sharjah. Following the establishment of the United Arab Emirates on December 2, 1971, the ministers’ council was formed and he became the UAE’s Minister of Education.

On January 25, 1972, Sheikh Dr Sultan became the Ruler of Sharjah after its former ruler, Sheikh Khalid bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, was assassinated in an attempted coup by loyalists of Sheikh Saqr bin Sultan Al Qasimi. He became a member of the UAE Supreme Council at the age of 32 years.

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