In January 2008, George W Bush, then president of the United States, travelled to the UAE in a visit that would become a cornerstone moment for relations between the two countries.
Bush was the first sitting US president to visit the Emirates. He arrived on Sunday, January 13 as part of a tour of the Middle East.
He was greeted by senior officials from the government including current UAE President Sheikh Mohamed, who was then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE armed forces, as well as Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, the current Vice President and Ruler of Dubai.
UAE Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, then President of the UAE, hosted Bush at Mushrif Palace. The national anthems of the UAE and US were played as the artillery fired a 21-gun salute.
Across his two-day visit, Bush saw different parts of the country and its heritage. He was shown an exhibition that showcased plans for the Saadiyat Cultural District, and was the guest of honour at a dinner at a desert encampment.
Bush also visited Dubai during the trip. Heavy rainfall had caused traffic in the city that month. Several main routes, including Sheikh Zayed Road, were closed off to the public to ensure the US president’s motorcade could travel freely. Bush also dined at the Burj Al Arab during the visit.
Bush and President Sheikh Mohamed recently recollected the visit during the UAE President’s official visit to the US in September. According to WAM, they spoke about how the visit “further strengthened the two nations’ robust partnership”.
“Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed reaffirmed that the shared commitment to promoting security, stability and peace, both in the region and globally, has been a central pillar of UAE-US cooperation over the past decades, and expressed his confidence that this collaboration will continue into the future,” the statement from WAM read.
Panipat
Director Ashutosh Gowariker
Produced Ashutosh Gowariker, Rohit Shelatkar, Reliance Entertainment
Cast Arjun Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, Kriti Sanon, Mohnish Behl, Padmini Kolhapure, Zeenat Aman
Rating 3 /5 stars
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
The bio
His favourite book - 1984 by George Orwell
His favourite quote - 'If you think education is expensive, try ignorance' by Derek Bok, Former President of Harvard
Favourite place to travel to - Peloponnese, Southern Greece
Favourite movie - The Last Emperor
Favourite personality from history - Alexander the Great
Role Model - My father, Yiannis Davos
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA
Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi
Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser
Rating: 4.5/5
Three tips from La Perle's performers
1 The kind of water athletes drink is important. Gwilym Hooson, a 28-year-old British performer who is currently recovering from knee surgery, found that out when the company was still in Studio City, training for 12 hours a day. “The physio team was like: ‘Why is everyone getting cramps?’ And then they realised we had to add salt and sugar to the water,” he says.
2 A little chocolate is a good thing. “It’s emergency energy,” says Craig Paul Smith, La Perle’s head coach and former Cirque du Soleil performer, gesturing to an almost-empty open box of mini chocolate bars on his desk backstage.
3 Take chances, says Young, who has worked all over the world, including most recently at Dragone’s show in China. “Every time we go out of our comfort zone, we learn a lot about ourselves,” she says.
How to report a beggar
Abu Dhabi – Call 999 or 8002626 (Aman Service)
Dubai – Call 800243
Sharjah – Call 065632222
Ras Al Khaimah - Call 072053372
Ajman – Call 067401616
Umm Al Quwain – Call 999
Fujairah - Call 092051100 or 092224411
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
