It is absolutely critical the Cop28 summit in the UAE this year is successful, the new UK ambassador to the UAE has said.
Edward Hobart said a climate deal had to be done in Dubai, one that is as ambitious as possible.
Speaking to The National on Tuesday in his first interview since he took up the role in May, the envoy also rejected criticisms of the choice of Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, to lead the talks.
“It is critical for the world that it [Cop28] is as successful as it possibly can be. But the agenda is really challenging,” said Mr Hobart. “It is a huge undertaking for the UAE.”
He said the UK would do “whatever it can” to make the summit at Expo City Dubai from November 30 to December 12 a success, given the UK's hosting of Cop26.
He said Dr Al Jaber, Cop28 President-designate, was the right person to host the talks because he has credibility across the renewable energy and oil and gas sectors.
“We are absolutely clear,” Mr Hobart said. “We see the real benefit in Dr Sultan chairing Cop28 because of the experience he brings. He is a renewables man. Then he was an oil person.
"We need the big energy companies to switch their investment priorities to renewable energy from hydrocarbons. That’s about engaging them. He has got credibility. It is not the UAE’s responsibility to deliver the solution to climate change globally.”
Mr Hobart said the UK’s priorities for Cop28 were keeping the global warming target of 1.5°C alive; seeking a transition to renewable energy; reducing fossil fuel emissions but also usage, with a particular emphasis on coal; and scaling up climate finance for the transition.
“We must get as ambitious an agreement as we possibly can, so it is not a question of good luck but also a question of 'we want to help you'," he said.
Travelling the world
Mr Hobart’s role as ambassador represents a sort of homecoming for the career diplomat. He was born in 1971 in London, studied history at the University of Oxford and joined the UK’s diplomatic corps in 1993. His first field posting was to Cuba in 1990s.
“When I moved to Cuba ... there was one shop in the whole country. It was very difficult but a beautiful country.”
A keen rugby fan, Mr Hobart even managed to set up a team in Havana. “The number 8 was a Cuban record hammer-thrower,” he said, with a chuckle. “They have brilliant athletes.”
It was then on to Malaysia before taking up the deputy ambassador post in Abu Dhabi in 2011, then three years in Dubai as consul general during what was a crucial time in the UAE’s history. He arrived as Dubai was emerging from the global financial crash and then had a front-row seat as the country surged back to form. When asked how the UAE of today compared with 2011, Mr Hobart said it was still early days but “they are clear on being a clean energy superpower”.
“There is a lot more physical change in Abu Dhabi than Dubai. You expect it in Dubai. Now there is a sense the rest of the Emirates have grown and changed.”
Teaming up on defence
Mr Hobart’s other priorities will be on defence and security, and boosting economic ties. In terms of defence, he highlighted the UK’s naval assets deployed in the region such as HMS Lancaster, which has intercepted illegal weapon shipments in the Arabian Gulf.
“There is lots of co-operation,” he said. “There are lots of things we agree on and then sometimes things where don’t necessarily agree on. But we can have those conversations.”
Ties are warm and historic. British residents and companies played a crucial role in building up the early UAE from the airports to the police force. Underlining this, Mr Hobart during the interview sits in the ambassador’s residence in Abu Dhabi, the same building designed by John Harris who was also behind Dubai’s World Trade Centre and the city’s first master plan.
Economic ties
Today there are about 5,000 British companies in the UAE; the UAE is Britain’s largest trading partner in the Middle East and third-largest trading partner outside Europe after China and the US. Total trade in goods and services between the UK and the UAE last year was £21.6 billion (Dh98 billion).
The UK is also negotiating a free trade deal with the GCC and it says this could boost the current bilateral trade between it and the GCC that stood at £61.3 billion in 2022 by 16 per cent. The UAE and UK have also launched a strategic dialogue to boost ties and there is major UAE investment in the UK spanning sectors from energy to infrastructure.
Mr Hobart also highlighted the 100,000 British residents in the UAE (he said there has not been a rise since Covid-19) and 1.5 million visitors a year to the UAE as further examples of the strong relationship.
"We have a long, strong history together – people ties, investment ties and business ties. The messages have been very positive from the Emiratis to me about the fact they see a lot of opportunities to work with the UK. There is a lot of alignment in our interests. And we want to take these opportunities now."
Cop26 in Glasgow - in pictures
Outside of his busy schedule, Mr Hobart has largely left his rugby-playing days behind but still coaches youth teams and is a frequent visitor to Dubai Rugby Sevens. But he is also hoping to take advantage of Abu Dhabi's extensive cycle tracks to indulge his love of the sport.
“Normally I cycle through the rain in the Surrey Hills,” he said. “It will be a bit different here.”
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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South Korea
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Manchester United v Club America
When: Thursday, 9pm Arizona time (Friday UAE, 8am)
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MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
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What is dialysis?
Dialysis is a way of cleaning your blood when your kidneys fail and can no longer do the job.
It gets rid of your body's wastes, extra salt and water, and helps to control your blood pressure. The main cause of kidney failure is diabetes and hypertension.
There are two kinds of dialysis — haemodialysis and peritoneal.
In haemodialysis, blood is pumped out of your body to an artificial kidney machine that filter your blood and returns it to your body by tubes.
In peritoneal dialysis, the inside lining of your own belly acts as a natural filter. Wastes are taken out by means of a cleansing fluid which is washed in and out of your belly in cycles.
It isn’t an option for everyone but if eligible, can be done at home by the patient or caregiver. This, as opposed to home haemodialysis, is covered by insurance in the UAE.
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$1,000 award for 1,000 days on madrasa portal
Daily cash awards of $1,000 dollars will sweeten the Madrasa e-learning project by tempting more pupils to an education portal to deepen their understanding of math and sciences.
School children are required to watch an educational video each day and answer a question related to it. They then enter into a raffle draw for the $1,000 prize.
“We are targeting everyone who wants to learn. This will be $1,000 for 1,000 days so there will be a winner every day for 1,000 days,” said Sara Al Nuaimi, project manager of the Madrasa e-learning platform that was launched on Tuesday by the Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, to reach Arab pupils from kindergarten to grade 12 with educational videos.
“The objective of the Madrasa is to become the number one reference for all Arab students in the world. The 5,000 videos we have online is just the beginning, we have big ambitions. Today in the Arab world there are 50 million students. We want to reach everyone who is willing to learn.”
Need to know
When: October 17 until November 10
Cost: Entry is free but some events require prior registration
Where: Various locations including National Theatre (Abu Dhabi), Abu Dhabi Cultural Center, Zayed University Promenade, Beach Rotana (Abu Dhabi), Vox Cinemas at Yas Mall, Sharjah Youth Center
What: The Korea Festival will feature art exhibitions, a B-boy dance show, a mini K-pop concert, traditional dance and music performances, food tastings, a beauty seminar, and more.
For more information: www.koreafestivaluae.com
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
