UAE - The Ruler of Dubai has a dream. A dream that goes beyond the borders of Dubai. A pan-Arab dream that one day the entire region will get to enjoy what the Emiratis today do in terms of prosperity, security and stability. A dream that the Dubai model will spring across the Arab world and will one day outshine the Emirati success.

"I have a dream that the entire Arab world could live in its age, investing in its youth, education and scientific research," His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, told Saudi newspaper Asharq Al Awsat in an interview.

Talking about events that led to the Arab Spring of 2010, Sheikh Mohammed said he was optimistic about a genuine Arab Spring. "For over 20 years, I have warned of the severity of the situation and the need for change and modernisation, but some officials were shocked at the thought that problems in their countries could escalate. Indeed, they escalated until they reached a dead end. This culminated in the developments of the so-called Arab Spring.

"I believe that the majority of the leaderships in the Arab world have realised that the winds of reforms, change and modernisation are blowing through the majority of our Arab world. They hold a promise of a real spring," he said.

Ruling out any impact from the return of US-Iran skirmishes to the Gulf, he said the region has witnessed tensions for the last 40 years. "Despite this, the cycle of construction and development has not stopped and neither have the investments."

He said investors who know the Gulf are aware of the sustainability the region offers and so are not swayed by moments of some passing development.

Talking about a campaign targeting Saudi Arabia in the wake of the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, he declared that the UAE will always stand by Saudi Arabia through thick and thin.

Asked if Dubai could lose its luster due to regional tensions or competition, Sheikh Mohammed said: "Dubai is part of the UAE. Its luster adds to the luster of the UAE that is unique in its composition. We in the UAE are a united house that is built on solid foundations. If one of us falls ill, then it will be felt throughout the body."

 

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