DUBAI // Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, the Vice President, yesterday said he does not believe Iran will ultimately develop a nuclear weapon.
Sheikh Mohammed made his comments in an interview on CNN, which also addressed the Arab Spring and the recent imprisonment of five Emiratis, who were later pardoned, for threatening state security.
"Iran is our neighbour," he told the interviewer, Erin Burnett. "They are Muslim and we've lived next to each other for thousands and thousands of years. I don't believe that Iran will be under the nuclear weapon."
Burnett had asked Sheikh Mohammed, who is also the Prime Minister and the Ruler of Dubai, if Iran was a bigger threat than it had been in the past.
He responded: "What can Iran do with a nuclear weapon? For example, will they hit Israel? How many Palestinians will die? You think if Iran hits Israel, do you think their city would be safe? They'd be gone the next day."
On the Arab Spring, he said: "In 2004, I said, please change or you will be changed . the Arab Spring is the people who've waited for a long time. Some governments are serving themselves, not serving their people."
He said despite the strong showing of conservative Muslim groups in Egypt's recent elections, he did not fear the country would go the way of Iran, with a religious leader, as the country was protected by a strong army.
"I think Syria is more complicated than Egypt or Libya because they have Iraq behind them, they have Lebanon, they have all that.
"So it is the same as everywhere else. The people want jobs, they want opportunities. And they are asking for it. Unless Bashar [Al Assad] changes and starts making things good for the people, they will carry on like that."
Sheikh Mohammed said there was no current threat of political unrest in Gulf countries.
"I think this period of time, you know, every hundred years this might happen again, you know?" he said.
"Yes, well, you have to be careful. You don't know what is happening, you know, here or there. But I think the Gulf states are safe for the time being."
Sheikh Mohammed also addressed the recent case of five Emirati activists who were imprisoned for charges of threatening state security following posts they made on the internet and then pardoned by Sheikh Khalifa, the President, on National Day, along with 549 other prisoners.
"If you are a criminal, you go to court," he said. "You know, not everybody is really perfect and we are not perfect. We are doing a lot for our people; we still have more to do.
"So we hope all these five also will become better citizens for their own good and for their people."
He denied the case was about restricting press freedom.
"You cannot transport your democracy to us," Sheikh Mohammed said.
"We are different. Our democracy comes from the Quran and as long as you don't step on somebody else, you're free to do what you like."
On Burnett's questions about the country's lack of democratic government and its system of hereditary rule, he said the tribal governing system still worked and would continue "as long as the people want that".
"Our tribes are ruling what's really a mega tribe as they are accepting us to do that. Here, it's different. Everyone can come to the Ruler and say, why I didn't get that or that", even those complaining about problems with other government departments or ministers, he said.
"I'll get hold of that minister and ask why they didn't do their job. So transparency is here more."
Sheikh Mohammed denied the UAE's generous social-welfare system, free health care, education and system of no taxation were examples of "buying off the people" so they did not demand change as in Egypt or Syria.
He said the provisions were "only the basics", with people wanting better lives and better jobs, and remained firm that "the Government is working".
"We are tribes. We must serve our people. We must get education, the universities, hospitals, housing and no tax. The Government gives its wealth to spend on the people."
Burnett described Sheikh Mohammed as "the man who dreamed up and delivered Dubai to the world" but said it was impossible to ignore the effects of the recession on the emirate, with many of Dubai's projects stalled or cancelled, and buildings empty.
But the Ruler preferred to highlight Dubai's achievements despite the crash.
"The American and European crisis is affecting the market but here, we are better than anywhere else," Sheikh Mohammed said.
"We got out of the crisis and are back building again.
"We completed the world's tallest building [Burj Khalifa], the metro, the Meydan [racecourse], all during the crisis. All the big projects we did not stop."
mswan@thenational.ae
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.
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.
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
'Gehraiyaan'
Director:Shakun Batra
Stars:Deepika Padukone, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Ananya Panday, Dhairya Karwa
Rating: 4/5
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
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
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In numbers
Number of Chinese tourists coming to UAE in 2017 was... 1.3m
Alibaba’s new ‘Tech Town’ in Dubai is worth... $600m
China’s investment in the MIddle East in 2016 was... $29.5bn
The world’s most valuable start-up in 2018, TikTok, is valued at... $75bn
Boost to the UAE economy of 5G connectivity will be... $269bn
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
Sam Smith
Where: du Arena, Abu Dhabi
When: Saturday November 24
Rating: 4/5
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
Company profile
Company name: Suraasa
Started: 2018
Founders: Rishabh Khanna, Ankit Khanna and Sahil Makker
Based: India, UAE and the UK
Industry: EdTech
Initial investment: More than $200,000 in seed funding
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
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
THE CARD
2pm: Maiden Dh 60,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
2.30pm: Handicap Dh 76,000 (D) 1,400m
3pm: Handicap Dh 64,000 (D) 1,200m
3.30pm: Shadwell Farm Conditions Dh 100,000 (D) 1,000m
4pm: Maiden Dh 60,000 (D) 1,000m
4.30pm: Handicap 64,000 (D) 1,950m
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
The biog
Name: Maitha Qambar
Age: 24
Emirate: Abu Dhabi
Education: Master’s Degree
Favourite hobby: Reading
She says: “Everyone has a purpose in life and everyone learns from their experiences”
How%20champions%20are%20made
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The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
