IIUM CONFERS HONORARY DOCTORATE TO UAE'S RULER OF AJMAN

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 16 (Bernama) -- The International Islamic University
Malaysia (IIUM) has conferred an Honorary Doctorate to United Arab Emirates'
(UAE) Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ajman, Sheikh Humaid Bin Rashid
al-Nuaimi, for his contributions to the development of the Ummah and Muslim
world.

The award, an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Business
Administration (Human Capital Development), was conferred by IIUM Constitutional
Head, Sultan Ahmad Shah, ruler of Malaysia's east coast state of Pahang at the
IIUM's Cultural Activity Centre (CAC) on Feb 14.

IIUM Rector Professor Syed Arabi Idid said in a statement Wednesday that the
selection was based on Sheikh Humaid's international contribution, as he had
established the "Human Appeal Organisation", which provided various types of
humanitarian supports to the poor and the needy in the UAE and helped many
refugees in Africa, Asia and Europe.

In the year 2000, the Ajman ruler had also set up the Sheikh Humaid
Charitable Organisation dedicated to providing various means of support and
assistance to orphaned, widowed, disabled, elderly and poor citizens of Ajman.

This charitable organisation also gave financial assistance to pilgrims
permorming the Haj, sponsored the construction and operation of hospitals in
Bosnia, South Lebanon, Gaza, and Sudan as well as providing tuition fees and
scholarships to students to continue and complete their higher eduaction in
Ajman and abroad, Syed Arabi said.

Through the Amiri Decree from Sheikh Humaid, Preston University-Ajman was
established in 2001 with its Ajman campus offering undergraduate and
post-graduate degrees in Business Administration, Information Technology and
Islamic Studies as well as a Degree in Fashion Design.

For the last seven years Preston University has been increasing its student
in-take which now stands at 2,000 students.

Syed Arabi also said that the International College of Law, Business
Administration and Technology in Ajman was also established through the effort
of Sheikh Humaid to provide quality higher education in Ajman.

Sheikh Humaid, who succeeded his late father to become the Ruler of Ajman in
September 1981, is fully committed to the development of knowledge as well as
the spread of Islamic and Arabian culture, Syed Arabi said.

In 1983, he created the Sheikh Rashid Bin Humaid Prize for Knowledge and
Culture in honour of his late father aimed at nurturing the spirit of
competition in the fields of knowledge and culture which would enrich
cultural activities and life in Ajman.

Sheikh Humaid, born in Ajman in 1933, had his basic Islamic, Arabic language
and mathematics education under the supervision of a group of carefully selected
private scholars and teachers.

Ajman is one of the seven emirates constituting the UAE. With an area of
just 260 square kilometres, Ajman is the smallest emirate by area. The other six
emirates are Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Fujairah, Ras al-Kaimah and
Umm al-Quwain.
-- BERNAMA