Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates: His Highness Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, UAE Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, has directed concerned authorities to bring home to the UAE the stranded mother of a seven-year-old boy who wrote him a letter, telling them that the country will always be a beacon of humanity in this world.
Jessica Fitzjohn travelled to the UK more than 50 days ago to attend the funeral of her father but was unable to return because of travel restrictions related to the coronavirus outbreak.
Her son, Archie Appleyard, and husband, Richard, live in Ras Al Khaimah and the situation prompted Archie, a seven-year-old pupil at RAK Academy, to send a hand-written letter and drawing to H.H. Sheikh Saud explaining their predicament and asking for his help.
In the note, Archie recalled meeting H.H. Sheikh Saud with his classmates last year and said he remembered him as a “very kind, helpful sheikh”.
H.H. Sheikh Saud personally responded to Archie and said he recalled meeting him.
“Dear Archie,” wrote H.H. Sheikh Saud. “Thank you for your letter, I enjoyed reading it. I remember meeting you and having a great day with you and your classmates.”
“I understand you miss your mommy very much and I am very proud of you for being a brave boy,” he wrote. “I hope bringing her home will make you smile.”
Under the guidance of H.H. Sheikh Saud and in cooperation with Government entities, Jessica arrived in the UAE in the early hours of Wednesday. All medical protocols were followed and she will enter a 14-day quarantine. The family, who are from the UK, said they were overjoyed to be together again, and they thanked the UAE Government.
“I am so happy to have my mommy back,” said Archie. “I can’t believe that this has happened and thank you so much to Sheikh Saud.”
Jessica expressed her gratitude to H.H. Sheikh Saud for facilitating her safe return.
“I can’t thank the Ruler enough for his kindness in organizing my return,” she said. “I will be so ever grateful for this moment. Thank you very much to everyone involved.”
Archie’s father, Richard, said everyone was overjoyed to be together again. “We are absolutely overwhelmed to have received a handwritten letter from His Highness. We are forever thankful.”
Archie’s letter to H.H. Sheikh Saud was accompanied by a drawing titled “the day my mummy comes back home to me” showing him and his father waiting as the plane carrying his mother arrived in the UAE.
“It has been 52 sleeps now that I have been apart from my mummy,” wrote Archie.
“I feel so sad because I have never been apart for this long and all I dream and wish for is my mummy’s return and our family to be back together in Al Hamra Village.”
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About His Highness Sheikh Saud
His Highness Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi is a Member of the Supreme Council of the UAE and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah (RAK). Born in Dubai in 1956, he was educated in Ras Al Khaimah before attending the American University of Beirut. He later moved to the University of Michigan, graduating with an Economics Degree.
He returned home in 1979 and was appointed Chief of the Ruler’s Court before becoming Chairman of Ras Al Khaimah Municipal Council in 1986. In this period, H.H. Sheikh Saud founded RAK Ceramics and restructured Julphar Pharmaceuticals and RAK Rock to ensure both became the industry leaders they are today.
H.H. Sheikh Saud was named Crown Prince of Ras Al Khaimah on 14 June 2003. In this role he oversaw the introduction of free zones, efficient business licensing procedures and offshore corporate registration.
On 27 October 2010, after the passing of his father H.H. Sheikh Saqr (May he rest in Peace), H.H. Sheikh Saud became the Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah. As Ruler, he has continued to expand and diversify Ras Al Khaimah’s economic base and improve the quality of its social services, while working hard to make high-quality education and healthcare services available to all the Emirate’s population.
H.H. Sheikh Saud received an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Bolton, UK, in 2010; an Honorary Fellowship of the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research in India, in 2013; and an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Economics from Incheon National University, South Korea, in 2018, a year in which he was also named Visionary Leader of the Year by Arabian Business.
About Ras Al Khaimah
Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) is the northernmost of the seven Emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates. It is known for its rich history, dating back 7,000 years, and diverse landscape, from 64km of pristine beaches, to terracotta deserts and an imposing mountain backdrop. The Emirate is home to the highest peak in the UAE, Jebel Jais, which features the world’s longest zip line, at almost 3km.
Ras Al Khaimah is also centrally located at the modern crossroad between Europe, Asia and Africa, with one third of the world’s population within four hour’s flying time, making it an ideal location for businesses to expand into the UAE, the Middle East and Africa and beyond. Indeed, the World Bank’s Doing Business report ranks Ras Al Khaimah 30th out of 190 economies for ease of doing business.
At the Emirate's economic heart lies multiple major companies and diverse sectoral interests, including manufacturing and tourism. Major companies include: RAK Ceramics, RAKBANK, Julphar Pharmaceuticals, RAK Ports, RAK Rock, Stevin Rock, RAK Economic Zone, RAK Gas. Supporting these industries is a modern infrastructure, state-of-the-art industrial areas and business parks and world-class hotels, facilities and attractions for tourists.
For the past decade, Ras Al Khaimah has been consistently rated ‘A’ by Fitch and Standard & Poor’s rating agencies and already the Emirate is home to more than 38,000 businesses from 100 countries representing over 50 industries. RAK Courts is also the fastest court in the world at enforcing contracts in commercial disputes.
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