emirate · Arabia and the Gulf

Sheikhdom of Ras al-Khaimah

1708 CE – 1972 CE (approx.) · capital Ras al-Khaimah

The seat of the Qawasim, a seafaring dynasty whose fleets challenged the British in the Gulf and who joined the UAE in 1972.

Origins

The Qawasim, an Arab tribe on the northern coast of the Oman peninsula, established themselves at Ras al-Khaimah, near the old port of Julfar, in the early 18th century. They built a maritime power with branches on both shores of the Gulf, including Lingeh in Persia and Sharjah.

Rule and society

The Qawasim lived from pearling, trade and sea warfare. Their attacks on shipping, partly linked to alliance with the Emirate of Diriyah, led the British to call the area the Pirate Coast. British expeditions in 1809 and 1819 destroyed their fleet and town, and the General Maritime Treaty of 1820 made the sheikhdom one of the Trucial States. It was ruled with Sharjah at times and separated permanently in 1921.

Decline and legacy

Ras al-Khaimah stayed out of the United Arab Emirates at its founding in 1971, hoping for oil and a dispute over the Tunb islands, seized by Iran. It joined in February 1972 under Sheikh Saqr bin Muhammad Al Qasimi.

Lineage

Sheikhdom of Ras al-KhaimahUnited Arab Emirates 1971 CE – present

Connections (4)

Sheikhdom of Ras al-Khaimah paid tribute to Emirate of Diriyah1800 CE – 1818 CE
Sheikhdom of Ras al-Khaimah was conquered by British Empire1819 CE
Sheikhdom of Ras al-Khaimah was part of Trucial States1820 CE – 1971 CE
Sheikhdom of Ras al-Khaimah was part of Sheikhdom of Sharjah1900 CE – 1921 CE

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Cite this page

APA: The Epoch Institute. (2026). Sheikhdom of Ras al-Khaimah. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/sheikhdom-of-ras-al-khaimah
MLA: “Sheikhdom of Ras al-Khaimah.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/sheikhdom-of-ras-al-khaimah. Accessed .
Chicago: The Epoch Institute. “Sheikhdom of Ras al-Khaimah.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/sheikhdom-of-ras-al-khaimah.
Harvard: The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Sheikhdom of Ras al-Khaimah’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/sheikhdom-of-ras-al-khaimah (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻