World Governments Summit: live updates
The UAE’s diplomatic strategy is not based on any one president in the White House, Minister of State and UAE ambassador to the US Yousef Al Otaiba said.
Mr Al Otaiba said he had been in Washington for years and the approach was much broader than election cycles. Speaking at the World Governments Summit in Dubai on Wednesday, the envoy said how the UAE got its message out was more important.
“How do we tell people who we are, what our priorities are, what our values are,” said Mr Al Otaiba, responding to a question about the impact on diplomacy of Donald Trump as president. “That is what we focus on – not really who's in the White House.”
Mr Al Otaiba said he believed the US did listen to the UAE on certain messages such as business, investments and they “sometimes listen” to advice on regional issues. But the UAE was not “shy” and made our “voices heard and we are very outspoken and unapologetic about it”.
“Sometimes our friends listen to us and sometimes they don't. Sometimes we agree on certain positions; sometimes we disagree,” he said. “We've always strived to find common ground.”
When asked about finding common ground with the current administration on Gaza, he said the UAE was “going to try”.
“I think the current approach is going to be difficult but at the end of the day we're all in the solution-seeking business. We just don't know where it's going to land yet,” said Mr Al Otaiba.
The comments came in a talk on “public diplomacy in action” with the questions posed by journalist Hadley Gamble. The envoy said the UAE had “honest conversations with every US administration”.
“We've had challenges with previous administrations where we had very, very tough conversations in the past,” he said. “It's always about trying to find a solution and trying to find common ground and, right now, this particular set of issues is challenging. But we'll find a way through.”
Mr Al Otaiba has been envoy since 2008. In that time there has been a flourishing of relations between the two countries. Bilateral trade has surged, partnerships boosted and major US institutions such as the Cleveland Clinic and New York University have established outposts in the UAE.
In a wide-ranging conversation, Mr Al Otaiba said he had worked really hard during his tenure to make sure there was a good relationship with both sides, Democrat and Republican, despite it being “increasingly difficult”. “Otherwise we will be at a disadvantage,” he said.
When asked about Mr Trump’s moves to cut the USAID programme, he said an unambiguous approach is “tough” and, separately, if the American dream had “died”, Mr Al Otaiba said there was a lot of people who still wanted to go to the US.
“I still see it around the world,” he said. “I think people want to go. Maybe it's not what it used to be.”
The ambassador also reflected on artificial intelligence. AI has been a major part of the summit, dominating the rooms at the Madinat Jumeirah location but it could also be heard in hushed tones in the corridors. Mr Al Otaiba said the advent of the Chinese AI model, DeepSeek, apparently developed at a cheaper cost, was not going to change the UAE’s approach.
“People should watch this space both in the UAE and in our investments very carefully,” he said. “Because what I think is going to happen here if our dreams come true … this is going to be, hands down, the most important AI hub in the world.”
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
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Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
The Prison Letters of Nelson Mandela
Edited by Sahm Venter
Published by Liveright
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
UAE squad to face Ireland
Ahmed Raza (captain), Chirag Suri (vice-captain), Rohan Mustafa, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Boota, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmad, Zawar Farid, CP Rizwaan, Aryan Lakra, Karthik Meiyappan, Alishan Sharafu, Basil Hameed, Kashif Daud, Adithya Shetty, Vriitya Aravind
Tips to stay safe during hot weather
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