Watch: Sharjah Ruler inaugurates University of Al Dhaid
The facility for 2,000 students will support emirate’s agriculture and veterinary sectors
Sharjah: With space for 2,000 students, the University of Al Dhaid was inaugurated on Monday in Sharjah emirate.
His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, and President of the University of Al Dhaid, inaugurated the new building of the University, in the presence of Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah.
The university building is built on a total area of 412,000 square metres.
The University of Al Dhaid building, constructed in Fatimid style, includes 84 classrooms, four computer laboratories, four science laboratories, eight lecture halls, 45 administrative offices, two multipurpose rooms, and a library. The building features a main dome that rises 29 metres.
In his speech, the Ruler of Sharjah emphasised the University’s role in providing essential sciences like agriculture and veterinary studies.
He highlighted the facility’s supporting farms, including crop, vegetable, dairy, poultry, and goat farms, designed to enhance students’ practical education. “The establishment of the University of Al Dhaid was planned with these facilities in mind to better reinforce the curriculum, and its launch was aligned with accelerated food security projects in the region,” he stated.
Sharjah’s farms
Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad highlighted a wheat cultivation project that achieved a world-leading protein content of 19 percent in its latest harvest, emphasising that the wheat is free from chemicals and toxins. This high-quality product supports agriculture students at the university, while the farm’s waste is repurposed as livestock feed.
He also discussed a dairy farm project focused on researching unmodified cow breeds that produce A2A2 protein, which offers 20 health benefits. The farm provides healthy products to the community and serves as a practical learning opportunity for students.
Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad also discussed the poultry farm project, “Poultry Flee,” which aims to produce red meat akin to birds rather than traditional chicken meat. He also discussed a goat development project, highlighting the successful crossbreeding of purebred goats with selected strains.
The Ruler of Sharjah also discussed the emirate’s pastures, which aim to preserve these pure breeds. He touched on the vegetable project that enhances food quality and mentioned the wheat distribution initiative, which provided wheat seeds to 800 wheat growers in the country.
He expressed his great satisfaction with these achievements and the presence of students at the University of Al Dhaid who are working diligently to support food security projects. These students will manage these projects in the future after receiving sufficient education, contributing to community health and fulfilling their responsibilities.
Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad revealed the 2025 projects programme, which he described as a year of goodness. It will start with the launch of the central goat breeding project at the beginning of the year after completing the breeding process, followed by the opening of the poultry farm next June. He also mentioned plans to increase milk production at the Mleiha dairy farm to meet everyone’s needs by expanding the number of cows.
The Ruler of Sharjah also discussed the Reed cultivation project and its expansion to obtain chemical-free products, with details to be revealed next year. Additionally, he highlighted the project for producing organic honey from reserves in the emirate of Sharjah, which provides bees with a natural environment to feed on pure trees.
He talked about the Madina water project, which includes a deep lake where excess water is added during the winter. He prayed for divine rainfall and for the earth to produce rivers to help resolve water issues.
In closing, he wished everyone success and hoped that the coming year would bring increased developmental and food security projects, along with success in serving human and community interests.
Official opening and tour
Upon arriving at the University of Al Dhaid building, the Ruler of Sharjah hoisted the university flag on the flagpole and unveiled the commemorative plaque in front of the administrative building, marking the official opening of the University.
He then toured the two-storey building, observing the university’s facilities and services designed to provide an ideal and distinguished learning environment for students across various disciplines. The facilities also meet the needs of the administrative, teaching, academic, and technical staff.
The Ruler visited the biology laboratory, meeting with students and observing their experiments and research as part of their studies. He also visited the physics laboratory to learn about the latest devices and technologies used.
Attending the inauguration alongside the Ruler of Sharjah were Sheikh Salem bin Abdulrahman Al Qasimi, Head of the Ruler’s Office; Sheikh Khalid bin Isam Al Qasimi, Head of the Civil Aviation Department; Sheikh Mohammed bin Humaid Al Qasimi, Chairman of Sharjah Department of Statistics and Community Development; as well as several senior officials, department and government agency heads, academics, and local dignitaries.