“The only thing that is constant is change.”
When it comes to international relations and foreign diplomacy, never has this quote by ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus been more accurate.
Current international news agendas indicate just how complex a time in which we, as global citizens, live. In addition to ongoing political instabilities and economic pressures, technological advances mean the diplomatic toolbox is constantly evolving. Never has there been a more palpable need for the UAE to innovate and strengthen its diplomatic capabilities to cope with the intricacies and pace of change that we are witnessing around us. Equally, never before has soft power held so much potential to resolve the key challenges facing humanity.
The World Government Summit, an event that brings together prominent leaders from the public and private sectors, is taking place in Dubai this month. The event is a thought-leadership platform with a focus on government, futurism, technology and innovation and it will showcase best practices and smart solutions to tackle the challenges these things will bring in the future.
It is vital that our missions remain one step ahead and use the latest tactics and information where possible. The global diplomatic stage is not a stagnant one – it is changing daily. Indeed, the present world of diplomacy and international relations is very different from the one that existed just a few years back.
One of today’s new buzzwords, techplomacy, was unheard of until a short while ago. However, it is likely to be central to what diplomats across the world are doing to adapt to the disruptive changes facing society, marking the emergence of "tech cities" on the global scene. In addition to working with governments across the globe, the new breed of diplomats will need to liaise with these cities, which boast multi billion-dollar technology sectors.
Indeed, the foundations for this new reality have already been laid. French President Emmanuel Macron recently appointed an "ambassador for digital affairs", with jurisdiction over the digital issues that the foreign affairs ministry deals with. This includes digital governance, international negotiations and support for the export operations of digital companies. The new role indicates just how seriously France views its international digital strategy as a core component of its foreign policy. And it isn't alone in doing so. Just a year ago, Denmark appointed a techplomacy ambassador to the tech industry – possibly the first-ever envoy to be dispatched to Silicon Valley with a clear mandate to build better relationships with major technology firms.
The UAE already recognises the importance of such advancements. In a speech at the Ministry of Defence last year, Noura Al Kaabi, the Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development, highlighted how the UAE has already made great strides in digital diplomacy. Her speech reiterated that the country has secured active channels of communication with the international community to strengthen its national branding.
For her part, Sarah Al Amiri, the UAE Minister of State for Advanced Sciences, has emphasised how the nation considers scientific and technological advancement as a key driver for future development. She highlighted that research-driven institutions in the UAE are well on track to spurring a nationwide technological revolution.
The rise of cities as “autonomous diplomatic units” is also a noteworthy development. According to the McKinsey Global Institute, the top 600 cities generate 60 per cent of global GDP and are projected to house 25 per cent of the world’s population by 2025. McKinsey also expects that 136 new cities will make it into the top 600 by 2025.
Interestingly, all these new cities belong to the developing world – 100 of them are in China alone. These global cities appear likely to dominate the 21st century. They will become magnets for economic activity and serve as engines of globalisation – a vital brush stroke in the bigger picture that foreign diplomats need to be aware of.
Of course, the tools and topics of traditional diplomacy, such as preventive diplomacy and public diplomacy, as well as arbitration and mediation, remain vital and relevant to any international relations syllabus. However, the ability to adapt and innovate is today a cornerstone of what the Emirates Diplomatic Academy (EDA) teaches its Emirati students as they prepare to serve their nation on foreign shores.
EDA has achieved significant laurels in just a short span of time. Looking ahead, we see promising new opportunities to redefine diplomacy in the context of emerging realities facing the region and the world. By combining the best of innovative academia, research and practice, we are confident our students will be among the best-prepared diplomats in the world as they embark on a career that promotes the UAE’s soft power worldwide.
Bernardino Leon is director general of Emirates Diplomatic Academy
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 258hp from 5,000-6,500rpm
Torque: 400Nm from 1,550-4,000rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.1L/100km
Price: from Dh362,500
On sale: now
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
Keep it fun and engaging
Stuart Ritchie, director of wealth advice at AES International, says children cannot learn something overnight, so it helps to have a fun routine that keeps them engaged and interested.
“I explain to my daughter that the money I draw from an ATM or the money on my bank card doesn’t just magically appear – it’s money I have earned from my job. I show her how this works by giving her little chores around the house so she can earn pocket money,” says Mr Ritchie.
His daughter is allowed to spend half of her pocket money, while the other half goes into a bank account. When this money hits a certain milestone, Mr Ritchie rewards his daughter with a small lump sum.
He also recommends books that teach the importance of money management for children, such as The Squirrel Manifesto by Ric Edelman and Jean Edelman.
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
RESULT
Al Hilal 4 Persepolis 0
Khribin (31', 54', 89'), Al Shahrani 40'
Red card: Otayf (Al Hilal, 49')
I Care A Lot
Directed by: J Blakeson
Starring: Rosamund Pike, Peter Dinklage
3/5 stars
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Read more from Mina Al-Oraibi
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
