He became the Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah on 17 July 1948, when he overthrew his paternal uncle and father-in-law Sheikh Sultan bin Salim Al Qasimi in a bloodless coup d'etat.
hiː bɪkˌeɪm ðə ɹˈuːlɚɹ ʌv ɹˈɑːz ˈæl kˈɑːɪmə ˌɔn sˈɛvəntˌiːn dʒuːlˈaɪ nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd fˈoːɹɾi ˈeɪt, wˌɛn hiː ˌoʊvɚθɹˈuː hɪz pətˈɜːnəl ˈʌŋkəl ænd fˈɑːðɚɹɪnlˈɔː ʃˈeɪk sˈʌltən bˈɪn sˈælɪm ˈæl kˈæsɪmi ɪn ɐ blˈʌdləs kˈuːp dˈɛɾæt.