When Sheikh Khalifa was elected president, a degree of apprehension would have been wholly understandable. Not only was he dealing with the personal impact of the death of his own father but he was also taking over from a leader who was not just genuinely transformative but also internationally respected and truly loved by his people.
Ten years on, Sheikh Khalifa deserves a great deal of praise. Using the foundation created by Sheikh Zayed, he has continued the UAE’s progress and made this a better country for its citizens and its expatriate residents. He has also improved the country’s standing in the international community.
This is, of course, not simply the work of one person, but the collective effort of the entire country. The importance of having the right person at the top cannot be overstated. The demands on the president are many and the onerous responsibility of reading global trends and carefully steering the country towards tolerance, stability and prosperity is not a simple task. One need only look around at the turmoil of many other countries in this region to see what happens when that judgement is found wanting.
The verdict on the UAE’s past 10 years is obvious when one looks at Abu Dhabi and compares the capital now to November 2004. Emirates Palace, Sorbonne Abu Dhabi, New York University Abu Dhabi and Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque had not opened then, Saadiyat and Yas islands were mostly populated by gazelles, the Formula One season bypassed the UAE, and Masdar – along with Irena, the world renewable energy association, being based in the UAE – would have seemed like science fiction.
That point is emphasised when one’s gaze turns to the country as a whole, with development of the Northern Emirates continuing unabated and Dubai having weathered the global financial crisis and rebounding even stronger than before.
Sheikh Zayed set the bar extraordinarily high, not least because, as Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid put it, he was a rare leader who ruled through love rather than fear. Sheikh Khalifa ought to be proud of the legacy he has created in his own right.
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
Cases of coronavirus in the GCC as of March 15
Saudi Arabia – 103 infected, 0 dead, 1 recovered
UAE – 86 infected, 0 dead, 23 recovered
Bahrain – 210 infected, 0 dead, 44 recovered
Kuwait – 104 infected, 0 dead, 5 recovered
Qatar – 337 infected, 0 dead, 4 recovered
Oman – 19 infected, 0 dead, 9 recovered
57%20Seconds
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The specs: 2018 Nissan Patrol Nismo
Price: base / as tested: Dh382,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 428hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 3,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Punchy appearance
Roars of support buoyed Mr Johnson in an extremely confident and combative appearance
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
