ABU DHABI // A generation of Emiratis who knew Saif Ghubash, the government minister assassinated in 1977, say that naming a street in his honour will encourage interest in his achievements.
“Saif Ghubash was a man of determination,” said Faisal Al Teniji (Ras Al Khaimah), a Federal National Council member who hails from the same home town.
Although he did not know Mr Ghubash, who was murdered at the age of 45 on October 25, 1977, at Abu Dhabi International Airport, Mr Al Teniji is well aware of the late minister’s life history, and is a friend of his two eldest sons, Adnan and Omar.
The older generation of locals know of Mr Ghubash’s life story but the younger people only know about the assassination, according to Mr Al Teniji.
Mr Ghubash was known for his quest for knowledge. He gained experience from his travels, and returned to the UAE to help develop the country.
After his parents died, Mr Ghubash, who was then 12 years of age, moved to Dubai to live with his aunt. He enrolled in Al Ahmedi school and studied English at night classes.
In the autumn of 1949 when he was 17, Mr Ghubash travelled to Bahrain to continue his education.
After finishing secondary school with the highest grades in his class, he enrolled in Baghdad University in Iraq, where he studied engineering. His education was, however, interrupted two years later because of political instability in the country.
After leaving Iraq in 1956 at the age of 24, he went to Egypt where he landed a scholarship and travelled to Kuwait to work as an assistant engineer.
When he was 27, Mr Ghubash flew to Austria to study German. He later moved to Germany and several other European countries, working as an assistant engineer and studying languages.
After 20 years away from home, he moved to Ras Al Khaimah in 1969, before the UAE’s federation in 1971. From then on, his short but influential political career started.
“Saif Ghubash is very well known for his time in politics,” said Mr Al Teniji. “He came back and gave so much to his country.”
After working in Ras Al Khaimah with Sheikh Saqr Al Qassemi, Mr Ghubash joined the civil service.
In 1971, at the age of 39, he went to Cairo with a UAE delegation to seek help from the Arab League following Iran’s invasion of three UAE islands.
Soon after he became an undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where he worked to build the ministry and prepare UAE nationals for ambassadorships abroad. He taught them not to overreact or be overtaken by their emotions.
Two years later, he was named the first minister of state for foreign affairs, and became the official spokesman for the UAE.
On October 25, 1977, Mr Ghubash, who had worked for the Government for six years, accompanied Abdel-Halim Khadim, Syria’s then foreign minister, to the Abu Dhabi International airport.
When they entered the airport’s hall, a shot rang out. The Syrian minister was the target, but Mr Ghubash became the assassin’s victim. He was shot in his arm and stomach, and died at hospital.
Although Mr Ghubash’s memory is kept alive in Ras Al Khaimah where a hospital was named after him, a new street near the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi would “preserve his existence for ever”, said Mr Al Teniji.
“Now that a road is named after him, people will want to research and know more about his history,” he said.
Abdulaziz Al Zaabi, a fellow FNC member from Ras Al Khaimah, said: “The role he played is part of the country’s history, one that people should know of.
“He was known for standing up for the UAE worldwide, and for the Arab and Muslim world.
“I am very happy that the President, Sheikh Khalifa, gave the orders for a road to be named after him.”
During the unveiling of a sign displaying Mr Ghubash’s portrait and his name on the road, his son, Omar Saif Ghubash, said his late father was “an example to us”.
“We have inherited his legacy to follow on the same path to carry out the UAE’s message and to represent it in the best way, based on its wise leadership’s vision in tying friendship and cooperation with world countries and spreading a message of love, peace, and goodwill to all,” said the UAE ambassador to Moscow.
osalem@thenational.ae
Top 10 in the F1 drivers' standings
1. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari 202 points
2. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-GP 188
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes-GP 169
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull Racing 117
5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari 116
6. Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing 67
7. Sergio Perez, Force India 56
8. Esteban Ocon, Force India 45
9. Carlos Sainz Jr, Toro Rosso 35
10. Nico Hulkenberg, Renault 26
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
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
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle%20front-axle%20electric%20motor%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E218hp%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E330Nm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle-speed%20automatic%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EMax%20touring%20range%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E402km%20(claimed)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh215%2C000%20(estimate)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeptember%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 0.8-litre four cylinder
Power: 70bhp
Torque: 66Nm
Transmission: four-speed manual
Price: $1,075 new in 1967, now valued at $40,000
On sale: Models from 1966 to 1970
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Results
Male 51kg Round 1
Dias Karmanov (KAZ) beat Mabrook Rasea (YEM) by points 2-1.
Male 54kg Round 1
Yelaman Sayassatov (KAZ) beat Chen Huang (TPE) TKO Round 1; Huynh Hoang Phi (VIE) beat Fahad Anakkayi (IND) RSC Round 2; Qais Al Jamal (JOR) beat Man Long Ng (MAC) by points 3-0; Ayad Albadr (IRQ) beat Yashar Yazdani (IRI) by points 2-1.
Male 57kg Round 1
Natthawat Suzikong (THA) beat Abdallah Ondash (LBN) by points 3-0; Almaz Sarsembekov (KAZ) beat Ahmed Al Jubainawi (IRQ) by points 2-1; Hamed Almatari (YEM) beat Nasser Al Rugheeb (KUW) by points 3-0; Zakaria El Jamari (UAE) beat Yu Xi Chen (TPE) by points 3-0.
Men 86kg Round 1
Ahmad Bahman (UAE) beat Mohammad Al Khatib (PAL) by points 2-1
Men 63.5kg Round 1
Noureddin Samir (UAE) beat Polash Chakma (BAN) RSC Round 1.
Female 45kg quarter finals
Narges Mohammadpour (IRI) beat Yuen Wai Chan (HKG) by points.
Female 48kg quarter finals
Szi Ki Wong (HKG) beat Dimple Vaishnav (IND) RSC round 2; Thanawan Thongduang (THA) beat Nastaran Soori (IRI) by points; Shabnam Hussain Zada (AFG) beat Tzu Ching Lin (TPE) by points.
Female 57kg quarter finals
Nguyen Thi Nguyet (VIE) beat Anisha Shetty (IND) by points 2-1; Areeya Sahot (THA) beat Dana Al Mayyal (KUW) RSC Round 1; Sara Idriss (LBN) beat Ching Yee Tsang (HKG) by points 3-0.
RESULTS
Main card
Bantamweight 56.4kg: Mehdi Eljamari (MAR) beat Abrorbek Madiminbekov (UZB), Split points decision
Super heavyweight 94 kg: Adnan Mohammad (IRN) beat Mohammed Ajaraam (MAR), Split points decision
Lightweight 60kg: Zakaria Eljamari (UAE) beat Faridoon Alik Zai (AFG), RSC round 3
Light heavyweight 81.4kg: Taha Marrouni (MAR) beat Mahmood Amin (EGY), Unanimous points decision
Light welterweight 64.5kg: Siyovush Gulmamadov (TJK) beat Nouredine Samir (UAE), Unanimous points decision
Light heavyweight 81.4kg: Ilyass Habibali (UAE) beat Haroun Baka (ALG), KO second round
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
How the bonus system works
The two riders are among several riders in the UAE to receive the top payment of £10,000 under the Thank You Fund of £16 million (Dh80m), which was announced in conjunction with Deliveroo's £8 billion (Dh40bn) stock market listing earlier this year.
The £10,000 (Dh50,000) payment is made to those riders who have completed the highest number of orders in each market.
There are also riders who will receive payments of £1,000 (Dh5,000) and £500 (Dh2,500).
All riders who have worked with Deliveroo for at least one year and completed 2,000 orders will receive £200 (Dh1,000), the company said when it announced the scheme.
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
