It is one of the duties of a head of state to welcome foreign dignitaries and leaders, and, in turn, to return those visits overseas.
From the early days of the UAE and even before, these state occasions were crucial to establishing the emerging country’s place in the world, forging ties that could bring peace and security, not just at home, but for all mankind.
For Sheikh Zayed, as the Ruler of Abu Dhabi, this was a process that began well before unification in December 1971 and continues to this day with Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed, the current President; Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai; and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.
DIPLOMACY THROUGH THE AGES
1971: December 9 sees the UAE given membership to the United Nations. Among the first 14 nations to recognise the UAE are the United States, Egypt and Japan. Three days earlier, the UAE was also admitted to the Arab League.
1972: The United States Embassy opens in Abu Dhabi. New UAE embassies are announced for Paris, Rabat and Tokyo.
1973: Following US support for Israel in the October War, Sheikh Zayed annouces an oil embargo with other Arab oil-producing countries.
1974: Sheikh Zayed pays a state visit to Pakistan and then, later in the year, to India, signing a cultural agreement with the prime minister, Indira Gandhi.
1977: Saif bin Ghubash, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, is shot dead at Abu Dhabi International Airport while meeting Syria's foreign minister, the intended target.
1979: Queen Elizabeth visits Abu Dhabi and Dubai on the royal yacht Britannia, offically opening Jebel Ali Port and the World Trade Centre, then the tallest building in the Middle East.
1981: At the InterContinental Hotel, Abu Dhabi hosts a meeting of six Gulf states – the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and Qatar – to form the Gulf Cooperation Council.
1984: The UAE ambassador to France, Khalifa Ahmed Abdulaziz Al Mubarak, is shot dead by an unknown assailant.
1985: The UAE is elected to a
non-permanent membership of the UN Security Council.
1986: Following a request from the UAE, the United Nations votes to allow the Palestine Liberation Organisation to take part in debate condemning Israel's actions in seizing a Libyan passenger aircraft.
1988: After eight years of war, Iran and Iraq accept a UN Security Council resolution to end the conflict. As a non-permanent member, the UAE sends notes of satisfaction to both countries.
1989: Sheikh Zayed recieves Britain's Prince Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales, on a visit to the Arabian Gulf that includes Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Dubai.
1991: Following the invasion of Kuwait by Saddam Hussein, the UAE joins an international military coalition for Operation Desert Storm that drives out Iraq's armed forces.
1993: UAE troops return home safely from Somalia after taking part in a joint UN peacekeeping operation to prevent a humanitarian disaster caused by civil war.
1995: Nelson Mandela, now president of South Africa following the end of apartheid the previous year, is welcomed to Abu Dhabi by Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
1999: UAE Armed Forces deploy in Europe for the first time in Operation White Hands, providing humanitarian aid for the people of war-torn Kosovo.
2000: Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, the wife of Sheikh Zayed, announces the formation of a fund for refugee women with an initial donation of Dh2 million.
2001: Following the attacks of September 11 on the United States, the UAE severs relations with Afghanistan's Taliban government.
2003: UAE troops deploy in Afghanistan for the first time as part of a continuing mission to provide aid and support reconstruction.
2007: France and UAE sign an agreement to build and open the Louvre Abu Dhabi as the first museum in the Saadiyat Cultural District.
2008: President George W Bush visits the UAE, addressing an audience at the Emirates Palace and enjoying traditional desert hospitality
complete with tents and falcons.
2010: Queen Elizabeth makes her second state visit to the UAE.
2013: Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed pays a three-day state visit to the United Kingdom, the fourth time Queen Elizabeth has officially met a UAE President in her 62-year reign.
2015: Narendra Modi, the prime minister of India, pays a state visit to the UAE, greeted by huge crowds from the Indian diaspora.
Where to apply
Applicants should send their completed applications - CV, covering letter, sample(s) of your work, letter of recommendation - to Nick March, Assistant Editor in Chief at The National and UAE programme administrator for the Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism, by 5pm on April 30, 2020.
Please send applications to nmarch@thenational.ae and please mark the subject line as “Rosalynn Carter Fellowship for Mental Health Journalism (UAE programme application)”.
The local advisory board will consider all applications and will interview a short list of candidates in Abu Dhabi in June 2020. Successful candidates will be informed before July 30, 2020.
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2018 ICC World Twenty20 Asian Western Regional Qualifier
The top three teams progress to the Asia Qualifier
Final: UAE beat Qatar by nine wickets
Third-place play-off: Kuwait beat Saudi Arabia by five runs
Table
1 UAE 5 5 0 10
2 Qatar 5 4 1 8
3 Saudi 5 3 2 6
4 Kuwait 5 2 3 4
5 Bahrain 5 1 4 2
6 Maldives 5 0 5 0
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company%20profile
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At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
The bio:
Favourite film:
Declan: It was The Commitments but now it’s Bohemian Rhapsody.
Heidi: The Long Kiss Goodnight.
Favourite holiday destination:
Declan: Las Vegas but I also love getting home to Ireland and seeing everyone back home.
Heidi: Australia but my dream destination would be to go to Cuba.
Favourite pastime:
Declan: I love brunching and socializing. Just basically having the craic.
Heidi: Paddleboarding and swimming.
Personal motto:
Declan: Take chances.
Heidi: Live, love, laugh and have no regrets.
List of alleged parties
May 12, 2020: PM and his wife Carrie attend 'work meeting' with at least 17 staff
May 20, 2020: They attend 'bring your own booze party'
Nov 27, 2020: PM gives speech at leaving party for his staff
Dec 10, 2020: Staff party held by then-education secretary Gavin Williamson
Dec 13, 2020: PM and his wife throw a party
Dec 14, 2020: London mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey holds staff event at Conservative Party headquarters
Dec 15, 2020: PM takes part in a staff quiz
Dec 18, 2020: Downing Street Christmas party
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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ALRAWABI%20SCHOOL%20FOR%20GIRLS
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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.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
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)
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
