Fahim bin Sultan Al Qasimi (; born 1948) is an Emirati lawyer, diplomat, politician and businessman. He served as the second secretary general of the

Gulf Cooperation Council The Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (), also known as the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC; ), is a Regional integration, regional, intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental, political, and economic union comprising Ba ...

(GCC) from 1993 to 1996.

Early life and education

Qasimi was born in 1948. He is a member of the ruling family of the

Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah Ras Al Khaimah is the northernmost of the Emirates of the United Arab Emirates, seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates. The city of Ras Al Khaimah, abbreviated to RAK or RAK City, is the capital of the emirate and home to most of ...

Al Qasimi The Al Qasimi (, spelled sometimes as Al Qassimi or Al Qassemi; plural: Al Qawasem and, archaically, Joasmee) is an Arab dynasty in the Persian Gulf that rules Emirate of Sharjah, Sharjah and Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, Ras Al Khaimah, today for ...

, and the cousin of the ruler. Qasimi has five brothers and five sisters. He holds a law degree from

Cairo University Cairo University () is Egypt's premier public university. Its main campus is in Giza, immediately across the Nile from Cairo. It was founded on 21 December 1908;"Brief history and development of Cairo University." Cairo University Faculty of En ...

in 1974 and a master's degree in international politics from

Johns Hopkins University The Johns Hopkins University (often abbreviated as Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private university, private research university in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Founded in 1876 based on the European research institution model, J ...

in 1977.

Career

Qasimi began his career in the 1970s as a legal consultant and

litigator A lawsuit is a proceeding by one or more parties (the plaintiff or claimant) against one or more parties (the defendant) in a civil court of law. The archaic term "suit in law" is found in only a small number of laws still in effect today. Th ...

for companies doing business in the United Arab Emirates. Then he joined the foreign ministry in 1975. He was the ambassador of the UAE to the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...

and consul-general in Geneva from 1977 to 1980. He served as the UAE's permanent representative at the United Nations in New York City from 1980 to 1984. During the same period he was also non-resident ambassador of the UAE to Canada. From 1984 to 1992 he was the director of the legal department at the foreign ministry. Then he was appointed secretary of the GCC in April 1993, replacing Abdullah Bishara in the post. During his term, Qasimi supported the idea that the dispute over the islands in the Gulf should be settled through intervention of neutral third parties or of the international agencies like the

International Court of Justice The International Court of Justice (ICJ; , CIJ), or colloquially the World Court, is the only international court that Adjudication, adjudicates general disputes between nations, and gives advisory opinions on International law, internation ...

the Hague The Hague ( ) is the capital city of the South Holland province of the Netherlands. With a population of over half a million, it is the third-largest city in the Netherlands. Situated on the west coast facing the North Sea, The Hague is the c ...

. Qasimi's tenure lasted until April 1996. He was replaced by Saudi diplomat

Jamil Ibrahim Hejailan Jamil Ibrahim Al-Hejailan, also known as Jamil Ibrahim Al Hejailan, (; born 1927) is a Saudi diplomat, who served as secretary general of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) from 1996 to 2002. He was the ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Germany, Kuw ...

. Qasimi was appointed minister of economy and commerce of the UAE in March 1997. He replaced Said Ghobash in the post. Qasimi's tenure ended in November 2004 when he was replaced by his cousin Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi, the first woman assumed this post in the country, in a reshuffle. In the same reshuffle, he became the minister of supreme council and GCC affairs. He retired from office in February 2006. In 2006, Qasimi co-founded an Emirati-owned law firm and was the chairman of that firm until 2013. In March 2013, he co-founded another law firm, Qasimi Law Partners (d/b/a QLP MENA), and is the chairman of the firm. He is also the chairman of the Emirates Golf Federation and Arab Golf Federation.

Personal life

Qasimi is married to a Lebanese-

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

, Linda Usra Soffan. She published a book, entitled ''The Status of Women in the UAE'', in 1983.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Qasimi, Fahim Sultan 20th-century Emirati lawyers 21st-century Emirati lawyers 1948 births Cairo University alumni Emirati company founders Johns Hopkins University alumni Fahim Law firm founders Living people Permanent representatives of the United Arab Emirates to the United Nations People from the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah Leaders of organizations Trade ministers of the United Arab Emirates Economy ministers of the United Arab Emirates Secretaries-general of the Gulf Cooperation Council Ambassadors of the United Arab Emirates to Canada 20th-century diplomats