The move towards full normalisation of relations with Israel will support the UAE's vision for the region as "a beacon" for tolerance and coexistence, Lana Nusseibeh, the UAE permanent representative to the UN in New York, told The National on Thursday.
It will also provide opportunity for the UAE's youth, Ms Nusseibeh said.
Israel’s annexation of Palestinian lands seemed “inevitable” before the peace accord was struck between the UAE and Israel a week ago.
The Abraham Accord was agreed to in a call between Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“I think this is a broad international consensus," Ms Nusseibeh said.
She said the annexation "was a very imminent reality that, through this historic diplomatic breakthrough, has been taken off the table".
The landmark accord has created "a wider opportunity for regional peace and security", Ms Nusseibeh said
Halting the planned annexation of large parts of the occupied West Bank “opens up a window” for a resumption of peace negotiations between the Palestinians and Israelis.
“The empty chair policy [of not being engaged with Israel] has not led to the fruition of peace that we were hoping for," Ms Nusseibeh said.
"And we thought it was time to inject some new thinking, creative thinking, around how to fully integrate Israel as laid out in the [2002] Arab Peace Initiative, as a stable and constructive partner in our region.
"And to do that, we need to see a Palestinian state materialise."
"We have our aspirations as a country that is looking towards the next 50 years and how we want to see our region evolve as a beacon for moderation, tolerance, co-existence, diversity, religious pluralism, and all of the educational and cultural exchanges that will come out of this agreement
She said the UAE would demonstrate "how this approach is a win-win for the region, is a win-win for the youth in our region, who are looking for leadership that doesn't focus on the failures … of what we have not been able to achieve in the last 100 years, but looks instead towards the future to the next 50 years of what we hope to achieve, the kind of opportunities we hope to create for that youth in our region”.
“We have our aspirations as a country that is looking towards the next 50 years and how we want to see our region evolve as a beacon for moderation, tolerance, coexistence, diversity, religious pluralism, and all of the educational and cultural exchanges that will come out of this agreement.
"We think it could be a game changer for that vision to be materialised.”
Normalisation for the UAE and Israel will be defined in talks to build on decisions such as the “symbolic and technical” move to open phone lines between the two countries this week.
“In the field of co-operation, it's a blank canvas, and I think we need to start drawing on that canvas,” Ms Nusseibeh said.
“You will see meetings between aviation industry officials, you will see meetings on the consular level, about what normalisation looks like.
"You will see meetings between tourist authorities … exchanges around culture.”
At the UN, the UAE remains steadfast “in terms of the international consensus on the two-state solution, UN resolutions, our voting record and our support for the Palestinians; in terms of humanitarian agencies or support in terms of UNRWA”, she said.
Ms Nusseibeh said the UAE could still be firmly committed to the Arab consensus while beginning a process of normalisation with Israel, “which is a part and parcel of our region today”.
The accord has been welcomed by the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, and the UN special co-ordinator for the Middle East peace process, Nickolay Mladenov.
“The main takeaway [at the UN] from all of those conversations is that this was a much-needed breakthrough in a very challenging region," Ms Nusseibeh said.
"And the courage that breakthrough took and the decisions that Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed took to establish the process with the state of Israel, I think has been viewed rightly by many member states and by UN senior officials, and in a bipartisan way in the United States, as a historic diplomatic breakthrough and one that will hopefully create some new opportunities.
"Some outcomes could change in the dialogue in our region, for a better region."
The failure to bring about a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict has helped to spur a rise in extremism in the region, she said.
Pushing for a Palestinian state is in the UAE’s interests because it “is part of the stable regional security architecture”.
A two-state solution "is not only a win and a benefit for the Palestinians and an essential driver, it is also a win for all the entire community in the region", Ms Nusseibeh said.
"And so that's why I think it was in our interest to take annexation off the table."
There are always critics to anything that is a geostrategic shift and this is certainly a geostrategic shift. So, we have our critics and we are engaging actively to demonstrate that this agreement is a win win-win for everyone involved
Before the accord, the planned annexation of large parts of the West Bank was “a done deal”, she said.
It would have further damaged the prospects for a Palestinian state and the UAE’s decision to normalise ties with Israel in exchange for halting annexation was in the interests of the UAE and the wider Middle East.
Ms Nusseibeh said the accord removed “a stumbling block” to negotiations resuming on a two-state solution.
She acknowledged that there had been criticism of the what was a “sovereign decision” by the UAE.
“There are always critics to anything that is a geostrategic shift, and this is certainly a geostrategic shift," Ms Nusseibeh said.
"So, we have our critics and we are engaging actively to demonstrate that this agreement is a win-win-win for everyone involved.”
She said the Abraham Accord put diplomacy at the “forefront and centre of our toolkit as a nation in terms of how we approach these collective challenges in our region”.
So, while it happened “organically”, the UAE has charted a “different course”.
We are “committed to the Arab position", Ms Nusseibeh said.
"But we are also committed to higher ideals in the international community, to multilateral ideas of the United Nations …
"To put forward that peace and friendship amongst nations is a goal worth striving for in our region and around the world.”
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Company name: baraka
Started: July 2020
Founders: Feras Jalbout and Kunal Taneja
Based: Dubai and Bahrain
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $150,000
Current staff: 12
Stage: Pre-seed capital raising of $1 million
Investors: Class 5 Global, FJ Labs, IMO Ventures, The Community Fund, VentureSouq, Fox Ventures, Dr Abdulla Elyas (private investment)
The specs: 2018 Volkswagen Teramont
Price, base / as tested Dh137,000 / Dh189,950
Engine 3.6-litre V6
Gearbox Eight-speed automatic
Power 280hp @ 6,200rpm
Torque 360Nm @ 2,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 11.7L / 100km
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
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Meydan racecard:
6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 (PA) Group 1 | US$75,000 (Dirt) | 2,200 metres
7.05pm: UAE 1000 Guineas (TB) Listed | $250,000 (D) | 1,600m
7.40pm: Meydan Classic Trial (TB) Conditions | $100,000 (Turf) | 1,400m
8.15pm: Al Shindagha Sprint (TB) Group 3 | $200,000 (D) | 1,200m
8.50pm: Handicap (TB) | $175,000 (D) | 1,600m
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) | $175,000 (T) | 2,000m
10pm: Handicap (TB) | $135,000 (T) | 1,600m
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
The Greatest Royal Rumble card as it stands
50-man Royal Rumble - names entered so far include Braun Strowman, Daniel Bryan, Kurt Angle, Big Show, Kane, Chris Jericho, The New Day and Elias
Universal Championship Brock Lesnar (champion) v Roman Reigns in a steel cage match
WWE World Heavyweight Championship AJ Styles (champion) v Shinsuke Nakamura
Intercontinental Championship Seth Rollins (champion) v The Miz v Finn Balor v Samoa Joe
United States Championship Jeff Hardy (champion) v Jinder Mahal
SmackDown Tag Team Championship The Bludgeon Brothers (champions) v The Usos
Raw Tag Team Championship (currently vacant) Cesaro and Sheamus v Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt
Casket match The Undertaker v Chris Jericho
Singles match John Cena v Triple H
Cruiserweight Championship Cedric Alexander v tba
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RESULT
Arsenal 1 Chelsea 2
Arsenal: Aubameyang (13')
Chelsea: Jorginho (83'), Abraham (87')
ENGLAND TEAM
England (15-1)
George Furbank; Jonny May, Manu Tuilagi, Owen Farrell (capt), Elliot Daly; George Ford, Ben Youngs; Tom Curry, Sam Underhill, Courtney Lawes; Charlie Ewels, Maro Itoje; Kyle Sinckler, Jamie George, Joe Marler
Replacements: Luke Cowan-Dickie, Ellis Genge, Will Stuart, George Kruis, Lewis Ludlam, Willi Heinz, Ollie Devoto, Jonathan Joseph
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
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
Under-21 European Championship Final
Germany 1 Spain 0
Weiser (40')
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Guns N’ Roses’s last gig before Abu Dhabi was in Hong Kong on November 21. We were there – and here’s what they played, and in what order. You were warned.
- It’s So Easy
- Mr Brownstone
- Chinese Democracy
- Welcome to the Jungle
- Double Talkin’ Jive
- Better
- Estranged
- Live and Let Die (Wings cover)
- Slither (Velvet Revolver cover)
- Rocket Queen
- You Could Be Mine
- Shadow of Your Love
- Attitude (Misfits cover)
- Civil War
- Coma
- Love Theme from The Godfather (movie cover)
- Sweet Child O’ Mine
- Wichita Lineman (Jimmy Webb cover)
- Wish You Were Here (instrumental Pink Floyd cover)
- November Rain
- Black Hole Sun (Soundgarden cover)
- Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door (Bob Dylan cover)
- Nightrain
Encore:
- Patience
- Don’t Cry
- The Seeker (The Who cover)
- Paradise City
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
