LONDON: A senior British politician has praised the UAE for its role in \u201cdiscreetly shaping peace and stability\u201d in the Middle East and North Africa.<\/p>\n
Tobias Ellwood, a former government minister and chair of the UK Defence Select Committee, said Britain needs to work closely with the UAE, calling it a \u201cloyal ally\u201d and \u201ca worthy member of the UN Security Council.\u201d<\/p>\n
Writing in the Daily Telegraph, he highlighted the UAE\u2019s \u201cquiet leadership\u201d in a region where \u201cdiplomatic momentum has been all but lost, but stability is vital.\u201d<\/p>\n
He noted that changing priorities among the world\u2019s major powers means the US risks causing a \u201cvacuum\u201d in the region as it withdraws further from its involvement there.<\/p>\n
The UAE, Ellwood said, is doing its bit to responsibly temper that vacuum, engaging in a \u201cmature\u201d approach to politics since it signed the Abraham Accords in 2020 normalizing ties with Israel, playing a \u201clong game\u201d by \u201cworking for consensus and good neighbourliness.\u201d<\/p>\n
He noted how the UAE has sought to improve trade with Israel, citing a recent deal to reduce 96 percent of all tariffs between the two countries, and how it is seeking to promote religious tolerance, highlighting the recent opening of the Abrahamic House religious center in Abu Dhabi earlier this year.<\/p>\n
Ellwood also praised the UAE\u2019s commitment to humanitarian work in the region, writing about its \u201cunprecedented\u201d role in donating huge sums of aid, and persuading the Syrian government to cooperate in alleviating suffering by opening humanitarian corridors after the recent earthquake that struck the country and neighboring Turkiye earlier this year.<\/p>\n
\u201cThose bold moves changed the dynamic in the region,\u201d Ellwood said. \u201cAnd so, last month, after years of frosty relations, the UAE signed a trade deal with Turkey that could double trade to $40 billion in five years.\u201d<\/p>\n
As well as improving relations with Israel and Turkiye, Ellwood also touched upon how the UAE is seeking a peaceful path forward with Iran.<\/p>\n
\u201cDifferences remain strong, but even so the Emiratis have extended a cautious welcome and invited the Iranian president to visit the UAE, which would be the first since 2007,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the absence of any superpower strategy, the UAE appears to be adopting a policy of constructive engagement towards its traditional rivals and foes: Israel, Qatar, Turkey and Iran. <\/p>\n
\u201cSlowly and surely, the Emiratis are opening communication, expanding diplomatic and mediation efforts, and avoiding confrontation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ellwood noted the UAE\u2019s leading role in tackling climate change, through its capacity as host of the COP28 Summit later this year, and its $100 billion deal with Washington to pursue clean energy sources worth \u201c100 gigawatts globally by 2035.\u201d<\/p>\n
The UK\u2019s relations with the UAE, Ellwood added, have brought significant progress and investment.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Emiratis are ploughing hundreds of millions into UK life science investments, all with little fanfare,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn Monday, foreign ministers of both countries are meeting to review the progress of the UAE-UK Sovereign Investment Partnership (SIP) which is investing millions in key innovation-led sectors: technology, infrastructure, healthcare and life sciences, and clean and renewable energy,\u201d Ellwood added.<\/p>\n
\u201cNormalising relations with Israel, offering a tentative, exploratory hand to Iran, investing in the UK\u2019s future and signing the world\u2019s biggest deal with the US to promote sustainability among nations worst hit by climate change: This is grown-up politics conducted delicately and without seeking approval or spotlight.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
LONDON: A senior British politician has praised the UAE for its role in \u201cdiscreetly shaping peace and stability\u201d in the Middle East and North Africa. Tobias Ellwood, a former government minister and chair of the UK Defence Select Committee, said Britain needs to work closely with the UAE, calling it a \u201cloyal ally\u201d and \u201ca […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":331364,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-331357","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n