Members of the six UAE ruling families (who number in the thousands, many of them youngsters), members of the Federal National Council, Government ministers, ambassadors and envoys, advisers to the rulers and tribal sheikhs and their families are all entitled to a red travel booklet that carries the country’s national emblem — a UAE diplomatic passport. Read more »
The National
The Gulf Can’t Deal with Iran Until Iran Deals with Itself
Since the 1979 revolution Iran has tried its best to maintain a sense of normality. But it is a classic example of a country that has not come to terms with itself, and that poses a challenge for the Gulf countries in trying to decipher how to deal with its northern neighbor. Read more »
Is there a doctor in the house? Answer carefully
Last year after writing We have our own heroes, we don’t need other people’s in The National I received an e-mail from a director in the Watani programme that began: “Dear Dr Sultan”. I must admit that I thought it was a nice compliment, but the thought stopped there and I promptly emailed him back, thanked him and pointed out that I do not have a PhD. Read more »
It’s About Time For the Gulf to Have its Own Special Envoy
Around the Arab world, it is just known as the Obama speech. You don’t need to mention in which venue or country it took place. People just know. Arabs and Muslims who have generally been ruled by autocrats have heard the US president Barack Obama speak directly to them twice in a period of six months. Mr. Obama first addressed us in the Turkish Parliament this spring and then at Cairo University this summer. Twice is two times more than Arab leaders have addressed their own people in many instances. Read more »
Sharjah’s Steady Pace Is Showing Its Strength
Depending on what time of day it is and in which direction you are traveling, a journey from Dubai to its sister Emirate, Sharjah, can take anywhere between 20 minutes and two hours. Sharjah, whose name means “easterly” or “shiny” and has a population of 800,000, is sometimes unfairly referred to by some expatriates in the UAE as “the bedroom of Dubai” since tens of thousands of residents, nationals and expatriates alike, commute daily to their place of work in Dubai from Sharjah. Read more »
The Arab League: This Moribund Body Needs A New Home in the UAE
Predating the United Nations, the European Union, Asean and almost every other regional body is an institution based in Cairo known as the Arab League. Read more »