Sharjah isn’t just another Gulf emirate; people have called this stretch of coastline home for roughly 5,000 years, long before oil turned it into one of the wealthiest corners of the world. The Al Qasimi family took control back in 1727, and since then, a long line of rulers of Sharjah has shaped the emirate through conquest, coups, and quieter successions alike.
Like the rest of the UAE, Sharjah runs on a system built around a single ruling sheikh rather than anything resembling a Western-style constitution. Today, that role belongs to Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, who’s held the throne, with one brief interruption, since 1972.
| # | Ruler | Reign | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sheikh Rahma bin Matar Al Qasimi | 1722–1747 | Founder of the Al Qasimi dynasty |
| 2 | Sheikh Rashid bin Matar Al Qasimi | 1747–1777 | |
| 3 | Sheikh Saqr bin Rashid Al Qasimi | 1777–1803 | |
| 4 | Sheikh Sultan bin Saqr Al Qasimi | 1803–1866 | Reign interrupted 1809–1820 by Hassan bin Rahma Al Qasimi; longest-reigning early ruler |
| 5 | Sheikh Khalid bin Sultan Al Qasimi | 1866–1868 | Killed in single combat by the ruler of Abu Dhabi |
| 6 | Sheikh Salim bin Sultan Al Qasimi | 1868–1883 | Turbulent reign; lost Ras Al Khaimah to a breakaway relative |
| 7 | Sheikh Saqr bin Khalid Al Qasimi | 1883–1914 | Took power in a coup |
| 8 | Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmad Al Qasimi | 1914–1924 | Later deposed; became ruler of Kalba instead |
| 9 | Sheikh Sultan bin Saqr Al Qasimi II | 1924–1951 | |
| 10 | Sheikh Saqr bin Sultan Al Qasimi | 1951–1965 (1st reign) | Later deposed |
| 11 | Sheikh Khalid bin Mohammed Al Qasimi | 1965–1972 | Killed during a 1972 coup attempt |
| — | Sheikh Saqr bin Sultan Al Qasimi | Jan 1972 (2nd reign) | Briefly reinstalled for only days |
| 12 | Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi | 1972–1987 (1st reign) | Removed in a brief 1987 palace coup |
| — | Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Mohammed Al Qasimi | 17–23 June 1987 | Installed during the coup, lasted less than a week |
| 12 | Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi | 1987–present (restored) | Current ruler; also a historian and author of 80+ books |
