Following a successful career in banking at national and international levels, Ali Al Nuaimi brought his negotiation skills to the FNC to fight for issues that concern UAE nationals and residents.
Mr Al Nuaimi, 48, was appointed for his first term in the council by the Ruler of Ajman and has been noticeably active in the past three years during the sessions, raising questions to ministers.
He was the first member to raise five questions in a single session.
“I was previously in the banking industry, so maybe from that angle the Ruler saw me as a person who could communicate with the public and showcase their points and problems to decision-makers,” he says.
Reflecting on his most productive moments, Mr Al Nuaimi considers the discussions regarding commercial companies, small and medium projects, and pensions draft laws as big accomplishments.
“For example, after the small and medium projects law was referred to us, I took the opinions of nationals on how beneficial this law was to them and what they wanted from it,” he says. “So I was able to form some ideas and discuss them with the committee.”
Similarly, ahead of the pensions law discussions, nationals were consulted and voiced their concerns.
“We asked them about women’s retirement. Some said they preferred it if she focused on her home, and some said they preferred she was not tied to the retirement ladder,” he says.
“Each had differing opinions, so in the end I took the average, and formed a point of view based on it and raised it to the committee.
“I felt an accomplishment after we discussed and passed the commercial companies law. Also, a number of civil laws which I had the chance to be the committee’s representative for and to present the draft in front of the council. This gave me a chance to argue and defend the choices of the committee.”
Despite the long, active debates held in public sessions, Mr Al Nuaimi says most of the members’ work is conducted behind the scenes during committee meetings and through the questions they raise to ministers.
While there is official communication with the public, most discussions are done informally.
In fact, Mr Al Nuaimi considers increased social communication with the public as his biggest life change since he joined the council.
“We meet with the locals in majlises face to face ... or any event or occasion they walk up to me and voice their issues and problems.”
Mr Al Nuaimi also follows the media for upcoming issues and takes in comments made by people.
“If there is a specific trend that requires my attention I try to work on the issue and discover if it is true and deserves to be raised.”
He is looking forward to discussing the Central Bank’s policy, an area with which he is familiar and has a lot to offer.
“Surely I had a lot of experience and views to add in many points in the report, but it does not mean that I was the only one who participated.”
In general, Mr Al Nuaimi describes his FNC experience as an optimistic one where he turns any disappointments into something positive.
“Maybe, until now, at the council we were not able to reach an agreement on a specific idea, but I consider this as exposure to a variety of opinions,” he says. “In general, the members have a lot of energy and can produce more but it depends on the available capabilities we condition ourselves for. We focus on quality not quantity.”
hdajani@thenational.ae
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
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
The bio
His favourite book - 1984 by George Orwell
His favourite quote - 'If you think education is expensive, try ignorance' by Derek Bok, Former President of Harvard
Favourite place to travel to - Peloponnese, Southern Greece
Favourite movie - The Last Emperor
Favourite personality from history - Alexander the Great
Role Model - My father, Yiannis Davos
RESULT
Liverpool 4 Southampton 0
Jota (2', 32')
Thiago (37')
Van Dijk (52')
Man of the match: Diogo Jota (Liverpool)
The years Ramadan fell in May
UAE SQUAD
Mohammed Naveed (captain), Mohamed Usman (vice captain), Ashfaq Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Boota, Ghulam Shabber, Imran Haider, Tahir Mughal, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed, Fahad Nawaz, Abdul Shakoor, Sultan Ahmed, CP Rizwan
SERIE A FIXTURES
Saturday Benevento v Atalanta (2pm), Genoa v Bologna (5pm), AC Milan v Torino (7.45pm)
Sunday Roma v Inter Milan (3.30pm), Udinese v Napoli, Hellas Verona v Crotone, Parma v Lazio (2pm), Fiorentina v Cagliari (9pm), Juventus v Sassuolo (11.45pm)
Monday Spezia v Sampdoria (11.45pm)
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
THE%20HOLDOVERS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAlexander%20Payne%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Paul%20Giamatti%2C%20Da'Vine%20Joy%20Randolph%2C%20Dominic%20Sessa%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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MATCH SCHEDULE
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Tuesday, April 24 (10.45pm)
Liverpool v Roma
Wednesday, April 25
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid (10.45pm)
Europa League semi-final, first leg
Thursday, April 26
Arsenal v Atletico Madrid (11.05pm)
Marseille v Salzburg (11.05pm)
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
SPEC SHEET
Display: 6.8" edge quad-HD dynamic Amoled 2X, Infinity-O, 3088 x 1440, 500ppi, HDR10 , 120Hz
Processor: 4nm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1/Exynos 2200, 8-core
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Storage: 128/256/512GB/1TB
Platform: Android 12
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Colours: burgundy, green, phantom black, phantom white, graphite, sky blue, red
Price: Dh4,699 for 128GB, Dh5,099 for 256GB, Dh5,499 for 512GB; 1TB unavailable in the UAE
Match info
What: Fifa Club World Cup play-off
Who: Al Ain v Team Wellington
Where: Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
When: Wednesday, kick off 7.30pm
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
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
MATCH DETAILS
Juventus 2 (Bonucci 36, Ronaldo 90 6)
Genoa 1 (Kouame 40)
