Dr Yasar Jarrar teaches at the Hult International Business School and is a columnist for The National
December 02, 2021
“If you are going to tell a story,” author and world mythology chronicler Joseph Campbell once said, “tell a big one". Today, we are living amid one of the biggest stories in human history: the dramatic rise of the so-called “emerging markets” from economic under-achievers to central nodes of global business, economics, culture, arts, science and innovation. In the last 50 years, new Silk Roads have formed, linking and re-linking Asia to Africa, the Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and the heartland of Eurasia to the heartland of Latin America. When the history of the 21st century is written in the year 2100, the rise of China, India and vast swathes of Asia and Africa will occupy a starring role in that narrative.
The UAE, a country at the heart of these emerging markets, has just celebrated its 50th anniversary. Its story qualifies as a “big one,” materialising from a small group of emirates into a united federation in 1971, and growing into a dynamic, cosmopolitan, commercially and diplomatically powerful country. There are few countries in the world that are more connected and dynamically interlinked with the rest of the world.
By many measures, the UAE is one of the most globalised places on earth. It is home to more than 200 nationalities, and with a population of 10 million people, it conducts more international trade than Brazil or Indonesia, both of which have populations exceeding 200 million. The country is linked to the world via 150 airlines flying to and from more than 220 global destinations. Its companies account for nearly one-third of global outward investment from West Asia and UAE foreign aid per capita ranks among the highest in the world.
Anyone who has spent time in the UAE will understand how two words – "UAE" and "global" – naturally fit together. The UAE is a nexus state, at the crossroads of some of the key transformations shaping our world today, including aviation, telecommunications, trade, investment, entrepreneurship and more. The country has also shaped many of those transformations. It was not always this way. Before there was a unified country, there was a sparsely populated region with only modest prospects for the future. A traveller to the UAE who happened to visit the country the day after its unification on December 2, 1971, could hardly have foreseen what the country would become today.
Children enjoy the water feature at Expo 2020 Dubai. Victor Besa / The National
An air display by the Al Fursan team wows the crowds at Expo 2020 Dubai. Victor Besa / The National
The UAE's 50th National Day show in Hatta. Photo: Dubai Media Office
Hatta's Golden Jubilee show reflected the country's 'early dreamers' who began the story of the Emirates. Victor Besa / The National
Burj Khalifa in Dubai illuminated in the colours of the national flag. Pawan Singh / The National
A group of children celebrate National Day at the dhow monument on the Corniche in Abu Dhabi. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
Colours of the World Parade during Golden Jubilee celebrations at Expo 2020 Dubai. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai
A visitor to Al Wasl Plaza, Expo 2020 Dubai. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai
(L-R) Anju Jacob, Evelyn and Sebin Dcruz in the flag garden near Kite Beach, Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National
Fireworks light up the night sky at the UAE's 50th National Day celebrations in Hatta. Photo: Ministry of Presidential Affairs
The UAE flag is illuminated in Hatta. Photo: Ministry of Presidential Affairs
Part of the UAE's 50th National Day extravaganza in Hatta. Photo: Ministry of Presidential Affairs
Golden Jubilee show which reflects on the country's "early dreamers" who began the story of the Emirates. Victor Besa / The National
Artists perform during the celebration of the 50th UAE National Day at Expo 2020 Dubai. EPA
Adnoc's headquarters in Abu Dhabi displays an image of the UAE's Founding Father, Sheikh Zayed. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
Proud Emirati children wave the UAE flag from a sunroof in Abu Dhabi. Khushnum Bhandari/ The National
The Al Fursan team put on a dazzling display. Victor Besa / The National.
From left: Sheikh Ammar bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, Crown Prince of Ajman, Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, Sheikh Saud bin Rashid Al Mualla, Ruler of Umm Al Quwain, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, Sheikh Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, Ruler of Fujairah and Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, attend the Federal Supreme Council meeting, at the Sheikh Rashid Palace in Hatta, Dubai, on Thursday. Photo: Mohamed Al Hammadi / Ministry of Presidential Affairs
A lerge crowd watched a spectacular fireworks display over the Abu Dhabi Corniche. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
People soaking up the atmosphere on the Abu Dhabi Corniche on National Day. Khushnum Bhandari/ The National
Over 50 years, the UAE built some of the best infrastructure around the world. Its sea and air ports are some of the busiest and most efficient, the quality of its roads rank number one globally by World Economic Forum (WEF) rankings, and it has some of the fastest ICT networks around. Today, it is a powerhouse in global trade, with UAE shipping ports among the world’s busiest.
But this hard infrastructure does not explain the success and rapid rise of the nation. In fact, it has been copied by many countries around the world, often with more resources, without the same impact. While hard infrastructure is critical to development, it is just hardware, and everyone knows it is useless without the software. This is where the UAE’s real competitive edge comes from. Its soft infrastructure.
At the core of this soft infrastructure is the quality of life on offer. In November 2021, the UAE was named the world's safest country to walk at night, according to Gallup's Global Law and Order Report. For most people around the world, the issue of safety and security is a key determinant when it comes to quality of life. The UAE managed to maintain this even in the toughest times when the world faced the Covid-19 pandemic. On November 30, the UAE ranked first in Bloomberg's Covid-19 Resilience Ranking.
The elements of this soft infrastructure are simple to explain, but very difficult to attain: talent, agility and entrepreneurial government.
The UAE is considered a hub for global talent. It tops the Middle East, Africa and Southeast Asia (MEASA) region in the Global Talent Competitiveness Index and has been the number-one sought after destination by Arab youth to live and work for eight years in a row in the annual Arab Youth Survey. This position earned it many titles like "Land of New Opportunity" and the region’s "Scale-up" nation.
The other element is its agility. Small countries such as the UAE have the advantage of being nimble and responsive to global geopolitics. Decision making in the UAE is extremely fast, in addition to its cherished values of openness and tolerance. It is also highly pragmatic. The UAE today is forging new trade deals and economic partnerships ranging from Indonesia to Colombia, and from Turkey to India. In the future, speed not size will be the key determinant for economic success.
At the heart of all of this soft infrastructure is a world-class local civil service. By 2021, the UAE was a clear leader in the Middle East when it came to government performance. It was first regionally and 21st globally in the E-Government Survey 2020 by the UN's Department of Economic and Social Affairs. It came third globally on the Government Responsiveness to Change indicator and fourth on the Government Long-term Vision indicator in the Global Competitiveness Report 2020 by WEF. It also came third globally for trust in government in the Edelman Trust Barometer 2021.
Centuries ago, while different communities were still exploring the globe, cartographers often alerted wayward travellers to "terra incognita", an unknown region outside the bounds of the known world. Trends around us today, from the rise of Asia to the pace of technological innovation, mean that many of today’s historical patterns will not apply to the future. The pace of change is accelerating, and the way in which change affects society is different. More importantly, new and unprecedented factors are emerging that are altering the very nature of change itself, making the historical patterns that we have once understood obsolete. The future is a churning and unknowable landscape, where the rules of the global game will be rewritten. The fast will have distinct advantages over the large, and the innovative will succeed over the resource-rich.
The UAE’s focus on local and global talent pools, relentless innovation, investment in future industries and expanding trade routes will be critical for the country to chart this unknown territory and thrive over the next 50 years.
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
Strait of Hormuz
Fujairah is a crucial hub for fuel storage and is just outside the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route linking Middle East oil producers to markets in Asia, Europe, North America and beyond.
The strait is 33 km wide at its narrowest point, but the shipping lane is just three km wide in either direction. Almost a fifth of oil consumed across the world passes through the strait.
Iran has repeatedly threatened to close the strait, a move that would risk inviting geopolitical and economic turmoil.
Last month, Iran issued a new warning that it would block the strait, if it was prevented from using the waterway following a US decision to end exemptions from sanctions for major Iranian oil importers.
MATCH DETAILS
Chelsea 4
Jorginho (4 pen, 71 pen), Azpilicueta (63), James (74)
Ajax 4
Abraham (2 og), Promes (20). Kepa (35 og), van de Beek (55)
Chennai Knights, Lahore Sikandars, Pakhtoon Blasters, Abu Dhabi Stars, Abu Dhabi Dragons, Pakhtoon Warriors and Hyderabad Nawabs.
Squad rules
All teams consist of 15-player squads that include those contracted in the diamond (3), platinum (2) and gold (2) categories, plus eight free to sign team members.
Tournament rules
The matches are of 25 over-a-side with an 8-over power play in which only two fielders allowed outside the 30-yard circle. Teams play in a single round robin league followed by the semi-finals and final. The league toppers will feature in the semi-final eliminator.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
Sole survivors
Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
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
Director: Shady Ali
Cast: Boumi Fouad , Mohamed Tharout and Hisham Ismael
Rating: 3/5
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
Travel distance: Limited
Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
Duration: Can linger for days
Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Goalkeepers: Francis Uzoho, Ikechukwu Ezenwa, Daniel Akpeyi Defenders: Olaoluwa Aina, Abdullahi Shehu, Chidozie Awaziem, William Ekong, Leon Balogun, Kenneth Omeruo, Jamilu Collins, Semi Ajayi Midfielders: John Obi Mikel, Wilfred Ndidi, Oghenekaro Etebo, John Ogu Forwards: Ahmed Musa, Victor Osimhen, Moses Simon, Henry Onyekuru, Odion Ighalo, Alexander Iwobi, Samuel Kalu, Paul Onuachu, Kelechi Iheanacho, Samuel Chukwueze
On Standby: Theophilus Afelokhai, Bryan Idowu, Ikouwem Utin, Mikel Agu, Junior Ajayi, Valentine Ozornwafor
