FUJAIRAH, 17th September, 2026 (WAM) -- The UAE today marks the 52nd anniversary of the accession of H.H. Sheikh Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Fujairah, to the Rulership of the emirate, a milestone that reflects a national journey whose meaning continues to unfold in people's lives, the development of cities, and the expanding horizons offered to future generations.
Over the past 52 years, Fujairah has laid the foundations for comprehensive development and established an economic, cultural and humanitarian presence extending far beyond its geographical size. Its experience stands as an example of what vision can achieve when coupled with wisdom, and what determination can accomplish when people remain its foremost priority.
The anniversary opens another chapter in a journey that has brought together steadfast leadership and the aspirations of society, while integrating local development with the UAE's federal project. Between its mountains and sea, Fujairah has advanced towards the future with confidence, drawing on its history, capitalising on its strategic location, and recognising that a nation's standing is built through sustained work, capable institutions, and people who find security and opportunities for progress in their homeland.
From the outset, the Ruler of Fujairah embraced a clear vision of development priorities: education as the foundation of progress, healthcare as a pillar of society, infrastructure as a prerequisite for expanding development, and culture as the spirit that gives achievement its meaning.
On these foundations, successive stages of transformation unfolded, services expanded, economic sectors grew, and the emirate strengthened its ability to contribute effectively to the UAE's development journey, while retaining its distinctive character, which brings together the authenticity of its society, the beauty of its nature and the depth of its heritage.
This journey has drawn strength from His Highness' belief in the Union, his commitment to the values established by the founding fathers, and his conviction that the progress of every emirate adds to the strength of the UAE as a whole. Fujairah's achievements have therefore become an integral part of the nation's development, diversifying its economy, enriching its cultural landscape, strengthening its humanitarian presence, and demonstrating that integration among the emirates is a lasting source of capability, confidence and stability.
Geography has been one of the key factors in this experience. He recognised Fujairah's location on the Indian Ocean and its connection to international shipping routes, foreseeing opportunities that extended beyond local activity to support global trade and energy flows. Through gradual investment in ports, maritime services and industrial facilities, this geographical advantage was transformed into economic value, establishing Fujairah as a recognised player in global markets, supply chains and international partnerships.
In this transformation, the sea acquired a new significance in the emirate's story. Once associated in the collective memory of its people with livelihoods, travel and communication, it became a major driver of a modern economy encompassing storage, refining, bunkering and logistics services.
Around these activities, expertise, institutions and employment opportunities developed, investment expanded, and Fujairah's links with the global economy deepened.
According to figures in the 2025 Fujairah statistical book, the emirate's gross domestic product stood at nearly AED33 billion, while refinery capacity reached approximately 401,000 barrels per day.
These indicators go beyond the scale of activity to reflect its nature, pointing to a productive and service-based economic foundation that gives the emirate weight in vital sectors and demonstrates how its development has connected the area's potential with market needs.
The significance of this achievement is also reflected in Fujairah's ability to combine economic specialisation with diversified sources of growth. Alongside energy and maritime services, the prospects for tourism, industry, logistics and investment continue to expand, giving the economy greater room for renewal and linking its growth to multiple sectors. This diversification creates broader opportunities for businesses and enhances the utilisation of natural resources, infrastructure and accumulated expertise.
Specialised economic platforms have further strengthened the emirate's presence. The International Fujairah Bunkering & Fuel Oil Conference (FUJCON), Fujairah International Mining Forum 2025 and the Energy Markets Forum bring together experts, investors and policymakers to discuss issues related to the future of these sectors.
Through such platforms, Fujairah is emerging as a place for business, knowledge exchange and partnership building, with its participation in economic dialogue complementing its role on the ground.
This picture is completed by the development of transport and connectivity infrastructure, particularly Fujairah's connection to the Etihad Rail network, regarded as one of the emirate's key economic assets.
The network enhances the movement of goods and integration between ports, industrial zones and markets. Advanced infrastructure gives the emirate's strategic location practical value, reducing time and costs and broadening the benefits of economic projects. As these links expand, Fujairah's contribution to the competitiveness of the national economy and the efficiency of supply chains also grows.
Fujairah has established itself as a major hub within the energy and maritime trade ecosystem, benefiting from its geographical location outside the Strait of Hormuz and its connection to international shipping routes. This reflects a development vision that has made investment in ports, infrastructure and specialised services a cornerstone of enhancing the emirate's competitiveness, diversifying its economy and supporting the UAE's position in global trade.
Fujairah provides petroleum services including the storage of crude oil and petroleum products, cargo handling and ship bunkering, supported by specialised facilities and marine terminals connecting storage facilities with tankers. Benefiting from a major oil terminal regarded as one of the world's largest, this system serves energy and shipping companies and supports fuel trading and distribution, while the development of sustainable marine-fuel supplies offers an additional avenue for keeping pace with sustainability trends in maritime transport.
On the logistics front, the Port of Fujairah provides container, general cargo, project cargo and vehicle handling services, alongside rail-related transport services. The diversity of these activities strengthens the emirate's ability to serve multiple economic sectors and facilitate the movement of goods between local, regional and international markets.
These capabilities are complemented by marine pilotage and towing services, boat maintenance, pollution control and emergency response, supporting operational efficiency, navigational safety and protection of the marine environment. This integrated system gives Fujairah an economic base combining energy, trade and transport services, providing companies with diverse operational options and reinforcing the emirate's role as an important maritime gateway for the UAE and a partner in serving global supply chains and meeting evolving market needs.
Fujairah is entering a new phase of economic and logistical development, driven by strategic projects that strengthen its position as an important hub for regional and global trade and supply chains.
In this context, the emirate is cooperating with DP World to develop two new terminals in Al Rughayalat and Dibba Al Fujairah under a 50-year concession, contributing to the expansion of its port capabilities and strengthening its access to global markets.
Fujairah is thus evolving from a strategic location on the trade map into an integrated ecosystem of ports, logistics services and industry, capable of attracting investment, creating new opportunities and supporting the UAE's global competitiveness.
Tourism also offers broad opportunities to showcase Fujairah's distinctive character. Its numerous forts across the emirate, mountains, valleys, beaches and heritage landmarks provide the ingredients for an experience combining natural beauty with the richness of place.
Developing this sector offers an opportunity to highlight the emirate's identity, transform its assets into an economic and cultural activity that connects visitors with the story of the place and its people, and add to the diversity of the UAE's tourism offering.
At the heart of these transformations has remained the development of people as the benchmark around which priorities are organised. Projects derive their value from the opportunities they create for people, services are measured by the sense of reassurance they provide families, and the fruits of education are reflected in the ability of future generations to shoulder responsibility.
Accordingly, attention to schools, universities and specialised education has remained a consistent part of a vision that recognises that sustainable achievements begin with preparing those who will carry them forward.
Around 46,000 students are currently pursuing their education in schools and universities across the emirate, while thousands of people from Fujairah have obtained master's and doctoral degrees.
Higher education institutions, foremost among them the University of Fujairah, give this approach an institutional dimension by linking academic achievement with employment requirements, specialisations and professional development. Every learning opportunity adds to society's capabilities, while every new skill strengthens institutions, the economy and public life. On this basis, investment in knowledge has become one of the most enduring and far-reaching aspects of development.
In the healthcare sector, the emirate has around 129 hospitals, health centres and clinics across the public and private sectors, employing nearly 4,600 doctors and nurses. Around 11,500 surgical procedures were performed in 2025. These indicators reflect the expansion of the healthcare system, the efforts of medical professionals serving the community, and the importance accorded to human health within development priorities.
When healthcare is accessible, families gain greater peace of mind, people feel more secure, and quality of life becomes something experienced in the details of everyday life. Here lies a deeper dimension of development: figures are directly connected to people's lives, while healthcare institutions become a source of support that safeguards human dignity and helps people confront illness and regain their health.
Alongside this economic and social development, Fujairah's cultural project has occupied a prominent place in its development vision. The emirate that opened its ports to trade has also opened its cultural space to ideas, experiences and the arts, establishing a presence based on respect for creativity and opportunities for intercultural exchange.
Fujairah's name has consequently acquired multiple meanings in Arab and international consciousness: a port and an economy, a theatre and a centre of thought, nature and identity, and a space that welcomes creatives and celebrates their contribution to the human spirit.
The Fujairah International Monodrama Festival has helped put the emirate on the global theatre and tourism map, creating renewed links with artistic experiences and diverse cultures. In this art form, where a single actor embodies a world of characters, concerns and human questions, theatre demonstrates its ability to transcend distances and languages.
By hosting such experiences, Fujairah has developed a presence that resonates with the memories of artists and audiences and whose impact continues beyond the end of performances.
Initiatives in thought and the arts, including the Al Bader Festival, the Fujairah International Philosophy Conference and the Fujairah International Conference on Calligraphy and Ornamentation, have also added depth and diversity to the cultural landscape. They bring intellectual reflection together with the aesthetics of calligraphy, connect heritage with contemporary forms of expression, and provide researchers, artists and audiences with opportunities to participate. This diversity has helped create a cultural environment that accommodates different interests and provides creativity with multiple avenues to reach society.
The Fujairah Media Forum is part of this broader movement, highlighting the link between culture, public awareness and professional responsibility in words and images. Media is a partner in interpreting developments and presenting them to the public, preserving memory, documenting achievements and building dialogue based on knowledge. Through attention to this field, Fujairah's presence is strengthened in discussions about the future of media and its role in society.
This cultural movement is complemented by an openness to nature and scientific research, as reflected in the Fujairah International Adventure Tourism Conference and the Fujairah International Conference on Bee Research. These fields connect knowledge with the distinctive features of the environment and open avenues for examining resources, their preservation and sustainable use. Here, the unity of the vision becomes clear, as culture, science, tourism and the economy interact within a development project that offers multiple opportunities for growth and for presenting the emirate's identity.
H.H. Sheikh Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Fujairah, said that "responsible media is a key pillar in providing accurate information and explaining facts objectively, and that positive media will remain an essential partner in enhancing community reassurance and promoting public awareness."
The convergence of these paths gives Fujairah's creative achievements strategic value. Cultural presence deepens knowledge of the emirate, establishes relationships extending beyond commercial exchange, and gives its image a vibrant human dimension. When economic strength is combined with cultural richness, the city's place in the world's collective memory expands, while its connections with others become more established and diverse.
Closeness to the people has also remained one of the most prominent features of the Ruler of Fujairah's approach. His majlis provides a space for communication, listening and following up on people's needs, reflecting a relationship built on trust, affection and respect. Through this interaction, development remains connected to reality, while priorities stay close to citizens' lives and aspirations.
This social dimension extends to humanitarian work. Assistance provided through the Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi for Humanitarian Foundation and the Fujairah Charity Association exceeded AED385 million through 2025. This giving embodies solidarity in practical terms, reflects society's responsibility towards those in need, and connects the capacity to achieve with the moral duty to support others.
As part of the UAE's humanitarian efforts to support the people of Gaza, contributions included a relief shipment under Operation Chivalrous Knight 3, alongside participation in efforts that saw 679 aid trucks enter the Gaza Strip. Behind these figures are urgent humanitarian needs and families awaiting food and medicine, reflecting the UAE's continued response through its established tradition of assistance and generosity.
After 52 years, the value of this experience is reflected in its ability to bring together the different dimensions of development. The economy expands opportunities, education prepares skilled people, healthcare safeguards wellbeing, culture enriches the human spirit, and humanitarian work reinforces the values of society. Together, these elements embody a vision that has connected the development of the place with human dignity, making the emirate's global presence an extension of deeply rooted national foundations.
On this anniversary, Fujairah stands on a legacy of accumulated work and confidence shaped by decades of development. It looks back on its beginnings with gratitude, views its achievements with pride, and moves towards the future with a determination that sees every success as a new responsibility.
The journey established under the leadership of H.H. Sheikh Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi continues to leave its mark on institutions and people, and on generations inheriting its fruits and preparing to add new pages to its story.
Here, between the mountains and the sea, Fujairah's story takes shape: visionary leadership, a ruler who believes in his homeland, and work that has transformed ambition into reality.
Over 52 years, the emirate has grown more prosperous and gained a broader standing, while people have remained both the beginning and the ultimate purpose of the story, and the future an open horizon for a vision that knows how to turn loyalty to history into strength for building tomorrow.