Fahim bin Sultan Al Qasimi (

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walte ...

: فاهم بن سلطان القاسمي; 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 ( ar, مجلس التعاون لدول العربية الخليج ), also known as the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC; ar, مجلس التعاون الخليجي), is a regional, inter ...

(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 (RAK) ( ar, رأس الخيمة; ) is one of the Emirates of the United Arab Emirates, seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The city of Ras Al Khaimah, abbreviated to RAK or RAK City, is the capital of the ...

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

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

Cairo University Cairo University ( ar, جامعة القاهرة, Jāmi‘a al-Qāhira), also known as the Egyptian University from 1908 to 1940, and King Fuad I University and Fu'ād al-Awwal University from 1940 to 1952, is Egypt's premier public university ...

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

Johns Hopkins University Johns Hopkins University (Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1876, Johns Hopkins is the oldest research university in the United States and in the western hemisphere. It consiste ...

in 1977.

Career

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

litigator - A lawsuit is a proceeding by a party or parties against another in the civil court of law. The archaic term "suit in law" is found in only a small number of laws still in effect today. The term "lawsuit" is used in reference to a civil acti ...

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 an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmonizi ...

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 Abdullah Bishara ( ar, عبد الله بشارة; born 6 November 1936) is a Kuwaiti diplomat and politician, who was the first secretary-general of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Early life and education Bishara was born on 6 November 19 ...

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; french: Cour internationale de justice, links=no; ), sometimes known as the World Court, is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN). It settles disputes between states in accordanc ...

the Hague The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a list of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's ad ...

. Qasimi's tenure lasted until April 1996. He was replaced by Saudi diplomat Jamil Ibrahim Hejailan. 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 Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid bin Sultan Al Qasimi, (born 4 February 1962) is an Emirati politician and member of the ruling family of Sharjah and the niece to Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al-Qasimi. She was previously the Minister of State for Toler ...

, 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 Lebanese may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the Lebanese Republic * Lebanese people The Lebanese people ( ar, الشعب اللبناني / ALA-LC: ', ) are the people inhabiting or originating from Lebanon. The term may al ...

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, ...

, 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 Emirati diplomats 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