The UAE will start its new term on the UN Security Council on January 1, 2022, the second time it has served on the body.
The country, elected to the council on Friday, has been a member of the UN since the UAE's founding in 1971 and held a seat once before, from 1986 to 1987.
During its campaign for one of the five rotating seats on the council, the UAE focused on building bridges between members.
The campaign was launched in September 2020 and the UAE held virtual briefings to learn the views of all UN members to help with decision-making while serving on the council.
"The UAE has always been ready to shoulder its share of responsibility for the world's most pressing challenges in collaboration with the international community and this was the driving force of our bid," said Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation.
"I hope that our history as a trusted partner and intermediary will enable us to make a lasting contribution during the two years we serve on the Security Council."
The diplomats representing the UAE said they would be working closely with all members.
"The UAE's turn to serve on the Security Council is based on our belief that our values and principles can help drive progress to achieve our collective goal of international peace and security," UN Ambassador Lana Nusseibeh said.
"During the two years that we serve on the council, our team here in New York, in Abu Dhabi and across the globe will seek to work constructively with fellow member states to overcome divides and make demonstrable progress in addressing the most critical challenges of our time."
A big part of the UAE's focus will be on fighting climate change and tackling global health crises.
After the announcement, Ms Nusseibeh congratulated Albania, Brazil, Gabon and Ghana on their success in also gaining election to the Security Council.
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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
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