Sharjah: The Ministry of Presidential Affairs has mourned the death of Shaikh Khalid Bin Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, son of His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, who passed away in the UK on Monday.
In a tweet on Tuesday, the ministry also ordered a three-day mourning, during which time UAE flags will be flown at half-mast
The Court of Sharjah Ruler also mourned the death. During the three-day official mourning, UAE flags will be flown at half-mast beginning with the arrival of the body of the deceased and the funeral prayer.
In a statement, the Ruler’s Court expressed its deepest condolences to the Ruler of Sharjah, family of the deceased and members of the Al Qasimi family, praying to Allah the Almighty to rest his soul in paradise.
Mohammad Bin Zayed offers condolences
His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, expressed his heartfelt condolences to Dr Shaikh Sultan.
On his Twitter page, Shaikh Mohammad said: “In tremendous sadness and sorrow, we receive the message of the death of our son Khalid Bin Sultan Al Qasimi. We extend our sincere condolences and sympathies to Shaikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi and to the family of Al Qasimi. We share with them their grief and we pray to Allah Almighty to rest his soul in mercy and peace.”
Funeral prayers
The funeral prayer on the body of the deceased Shaikh Khalid Bin Sultan Al Qasimi will be performed on Wednesday at 9:00am at King Faisal Mosque and will be laid to rest at Al Jubail cemetery.
Condolences will be accepted at Al Bade’e Palace for three days after Asr Prayer.
UK-educated
Shaikh Khalid was a London-based fashion designer, with his label Qasimi being very popular.
According to his website, he moved to the UK when he was nine.
He was educated at Tonbridge School, where he was awarded an art scholarship upon entry, and went on to read French and Spanish at University College London, subsequently completing a degree in Architectural Studies at the Association School of Architecture.
It was here that he found his true vocation: designing clothes. He moved to Central Saint Martins, winning a place on the college’s prestigious BA Womenswear course, and launching his label Qasimi Homme several years later in 2008. Now stocked internationally, the designer had shown as part of London and Paris Fashion Weeks, and won accolades for his smart, sensitive exploration of socio-political subjects — particularly those pertaining to the Middle East — in his collections.
Brand Qasimi
The brand Qasimi is said to be centred around the idea of an urban nomad. Founded in 2016, the brand is built upon four pillars: architecture, colour, military and messaging, says the website. Architecture informs the approach to design — thinking of the body as a landscape, and garments in terms of form and materials — and the philosophy behind the label: that clothes are to be lived in. Refined and rarefied, the brand’s use of colour can be described as sophisticated and strong but subdued. As for the military influence, this stems from the designer’s relationship with the Middle East — growing up during the Gulf War, and in a region with a history of conflict.
This manifests in subtle ways; just like the influence of the Middle East itself, which is not literal, reflecting a sense of cultural dialogue and exchange — it’s there in the details of the clothes, the choice of fabrics and the mood of the collections, imbued in the proportions, the text on the garments and the music that soundtracks the shows. Finally, messaging: ever since the beginning, the designer used his collections to express his views and his voice, weaving politics and poetry into his collections; deftly and delicately exploring subjects ranging from the strained relationship between the Middle East and the West, to his own life experiences.
Qasimi currently shows as part of London Fashion Week Men’s and is stocked internationally in 50 stores and 30 cities in 15 countries.
Sharjah Triennial
Shaikh Khalid, who was also chairman of the Sharjah Urban Planning Council, was recently in the headlines when the inaugural edition of the Sharjah Architecture Triennial was announced.
A brainchild of Shaikh Khalid, the inaugural edition of the Triennial is slated to be held across multiple sites in Sharjah over the course of three months starting November.
Through dialogue on contemporary architecture and urbanism, the programme hoped to address the stereotypes applied to the region and its architecture.
“Sharjah Architecture Triennial will offer an accessible platform for critical reflection on the social and cultural issues that we face at both regional and international levels,” Shaikh Khalid had said, adding, “Through the creative processor this exchange, we believe that we can arrive at new ways of designing cities.”
