ABU DHABI // The FNC has been part of Ahmed Al Shamsi’s life for as long as he can remember.
His father was a member and Deputy Speaker in the early FNC days, and often took his young son to council sessions and official visits.
“It was not a surprise for me [to be appointed], I consider myself the son of the Federal National Council,” says Mr Al Shamsi, a retired brigadier general.
“I attended some sessions in 1974 and in some official visits I accompanied my father, such as the visit to Kuwait.
“They took me with them and I met the emir Sabah Al Ahmad, the first one, when he was staying at Al Manhal palace.”
His older brother followed the footsteps of their father, as did he when the Ruler of Ajman appointed him as an FNC member three years ago.
Mr Al Shamsi says members used to be chosen based on elite and social levels, whereas now the focus is more on their knowledge and education, he says.
“They put outstanding efforts,” Mr Al Shamsi says. “My father served and argued laws since the foundation of the Union.
“They were different laws and they worked with Sheikh Zayed and met with him. There is still direct communication between us members and the leaders.
“I personally attend the majlis of leaders, not just to meet but also for exchange of opinions.
“The leaders listen to our opinions. It is no good if we do not speak up truthfully. We would be unjust to our leadership.”
In his 32 years with the Armed Forces, which ended in 2010, Mr Al Shamsi held diplomatic roles that brought him closer to his responsibilities on the FNC. He served in military and field operations with official missions in Greece, Belgium and Nato.
But his duties on the council were an education.
“Everything I learnt in the council I did not know before,” says Mr Al Shamsi. “The biggest challenge is to maintain the progressive rhythm of the FNC.”
There are some frustrations, especially when there is not enough time for discussion.
Mr Al Shamsi says his biggest achievement is making positive contributions to the council.
“We are a comprehensive team,” he says. “Even if they approve one of my recommendations it is a product of the council. I have received a lot of praise and I learnt a lot about the legal chain from draft laws to actual laws.”
He has developed a thorough understanding of how laws are discussed, and general exposure to different spectrums in other countries and systems.
“This increases one’s personal experience,” Mr Al Shamsi says. “I don’t take the laws and read them, I look at the spirit of the law.”
Social relations through parliamentary work also boosts one’s self confidence, connections and expands horizons, he says.
“Debates in the council teach you to be elegant with dialogue.”
Mr Al Shamsi says the most important issues he has came across are the national service, child protection, commercial fraud, money-laundering and companies laws.
“The UAE is still in a building stage,” he says. “It has been 40 years and legislations are still ongoing, and the modernisation must continue.”
osalem@thenational.ae
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
The Bio
Favourite place in UAE: Al Rams pearling village
What one book should everyone read: Any book written before electricity was invented. When a writer willingly worked under candlelight, you know he/she had a real passion for their craft
Your favourite type of pearl: All of them. No pearl looks the same and each carries its own unique characteristics, like humans
Best time to swim in the sea: When there is enough light to see beneath the surface
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Your rights as an employee
The government has taken an increasingly tough line against companies that fail to pay employees on time. Three years ago, the Cabinet passed a decree allowing the government to halt the granting of work permits to companies with wage backlogs.
The new measures passed by the Cabinet in 2016 were an update to the Wage Protection System, which is in place to track whether a company pays its employees on time or not.
If wages are 10 days late, the new measures kick in and the company is alerted it is in breach of labour rules. If wages remain unpaid for a total of 16 days, the authorities can cancel work permits, effectively shutting off operations. Fines of up to Dh5,000 per unpaid employee follow after 60 days.
Despite those measures, late payments remain an issue, particularly in the construction sector. Smaller contractors, such as electrical, plumbing and fit-out businesses, often blame the bigger companies that hire them for wages being late.
The authorities have urged employees to report their companies at the labour ministry or Tawafuq service centres — there are 15 in Abu Dhabi.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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More on Quran memorisation:
Madrid Open schedule
Men's semi-finals
Novak Djokovic (1) v Dominic Thiem (5) from 6pm
Stefanos Tsitsipas (8) v Rafael Nadal (2) from 11pm
Women's final
Simona Halep (3) v Kiki Bertens (7) from 8.30pm
Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
West Indies v England ODI series:
West Indies squad: Jason Holder (c), Fabian Allen, Devendra Bishoo, Darren Bravo, Chris Gayle, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope, Evin Lewis, Ashley Nurse, Keemo Paul, Nicholas Pooran, Rovman Powell, Kemar Roach, Oshane Thomas.
Fixtures:
1st ODI - February 20, Bridgetown
2nd ODI - February 22, Bridgetown
3rd ODI - February 25, St George's
4th ODI - February 27, St George's
5th ODI - March 2, Gros Islet
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Disturbing%20facts%20and%20figures
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E51%25%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20of%20parents%20in%20the%20UAE%20feel%20like%20they%20are%20failing%20within%20the%20first%20year%20of%20parenthood%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E57%25%20vs%2043%25%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20is%20the%20number%20of%20mothers%20versus%20the%20number%20of%20fathers%20who%20feel%20they%E2%80%99re%20failing%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E28%25%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20of%20parents%20believe%20social%20media%20adds%20to%20the%20pressure%20they%20feel%20to%20be%20perfect%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E55%25%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20of%20parents%20cannot%20relate%20to%20parenting%20images%20on%20social%20media%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E67%25%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20of%20parents%20wish%20there%20were%20more%20honest%20representations%20of%20parenting%20on%20social%20media%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E53%25%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20of%20parents%20admit%20they%20put%20on%20a%20brave%20face%20rather%20than%20being%20honest%20due%20to%20fear%20of%20judgment%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cspan%20style%3D%22font-size%3A%2014px%3B%22%3ESource%3A%20YouGov%3C%2Fspan%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
