Hend Al Otaiba, the UAE's ambassador to France, on Thursday presented her credentials to French President Emmanuel Macron.
The ceremony took place at the Elysee Palace in the French capital of Paris.
A fluent French speaker and a strategic communications expert, Ms Al Otaiba has spent her career promoting the UAE to the wider world through arts and culture as well as through public relations and diplomacy.
In her most recent role, she created and led the first strategic communications department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation.
The department is responsible for promoting the country’s foreign policies and interests through both the international media and the UAE's diplomatic missions.
Before that, Ms Al Otaiba worked as director of communications at Abu Dhabi Media and also alongside Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Co-operation, as an adviser on issues of international diplomacy until 2019.
As the UAE envoy to France, Ms Al Otaiba joins a select group of senior Emirati women diplomats, including Lana Nusseibeh, the UAE’s first woman permanent representative to the UN, and Reem Al Hashimy, director general of the Expo and Minister of State for International Co-operation.
More than half of the staff at the foreign ministry and 40 per cent of UAE diplomats are women, an achievement acknowledged by the UN in its 2021 Women in Diplomacy Index, which praised the UAE for the progress it has made in advancing women's participation in diplomacy.
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Ed Sheeran (Atlantic)
Find the right policy for you
Don’t wait until the week you fly to sign up for insurance – get it when you book your trip. Insurance covers you for cancellation and anything else that can go wrong before you leave.
Some insurers, such as World Nomads, allow you to book once you are travelling – but, as Mr Mohammed found out, pre-existing medical conditions are not covered.
Check your credit card before booking insurance to see if you have any travel insurance as a benefit – most UAE banks, such as Emirates NBD, First Abu Dhabi Bank and Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, have cards that throw in insurance as part of their package. But read the fine print – they may only cover emergencies while you’re travelling, not cancellation before a trip.
Pre-existing medical conditions such as a heart condition, diabetes, epilepsy and even asthma may not be included as standard. Again, check the terms, exclusions and limitations of any insurance carefully.
If you want trip cancellation or curtailment, baggage loss or delay covered, you may need a higher-grade plan, says Ambareen Musa of Souqalmal.com. Decide how much coverage you need for emergency medical expenses or personal liability. Premium insurance packages give up to $1 million (Dh3.7m) in each category, Ms Musa adds.
Don’t wait for days to call your insurer if you need to make a claim. You may be required to notify them within 72 hours. Gather together all receipts, emails and reports to prove that you paid for something, that you didn’t use it and that you did not get reimbursed.
Finally, consider optional extras you may need, says Sarah Pickford of Travel Counsellors, such as a winter sports holiday. Also ensure all individuals can travel independently on that cover, she adds. And remember: “Cheap isn’t necessarily best.”
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Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
