A hectic year for Ali Al Nuaimi, the firm voice of the FNC

An FNC member appointed by the Ruler of Ajman, Ali Al Nuaimi has dedicated his time with the council to serving the people of the UAE.

Ali Al Nuaimi, one of the most vocal members of the Federal National Council, has on many occasions put ministers in tight spots. Fatima Al Marzooqi / The National

Standing through a four-day marathon session debating the Commercial Companies Law was one of the year’s most difficult moments for Federal National Council member Ali Al Nuaimi.

“It took a lot of time and effort,” said the 48-year-old, from Ajman. “This was a challenging moment in the FNC.”

The length of the debate reflected the amount of work the finance committee had put into the final report, which was compiled by Mr Al Nuaimi, the deputy of the committee.

The finance committee was one of the busiest in the FNC this year, which meant a hectic year for Mr Al Nuaimi.

But even with all his committee work, he saw to it that all issues raised to him by Emiratis were discussed by the council.

He questioned ministries about debt issues, travel, Islamic bank systems and loans. Mr Al Nuaimi also made sure to go out on field visits and investigate cases.

As a result, he quizzed government officials publicly more than anyone else in the FNC this year.

With a firm voice, he would make a stand at almost every session.

Because of his vast experience, he has on occasion put ministers in tight spots, pointing out technical issues only a person of experience would know about.

But while Mr Al Nuaimi is now one of the most vocal council members, two years ago he had no idea he would even join the FNC.

In 2011 he retired as deputy chief executive at Ajman Bank after 25 years in the banking sector, starting off as a junior clerk.

“It was my choice to retire from banking,” he said. “After that I was told of my appointment to the FNC. Most of my life I have been working in the private sector – it is good to serve my country and serve the public sector now.”

The news came via an unexpected phone call from the Court of the Ruler of Ajman, Sheikh Humaid bin Rashid Al Nuaimi.

“I was told that His Highness decided to appoint me,” he said. “I know him, everyone in Ajman knows the Ruler. He is close to the people.”

Fear followed the appointment, he admitted. The pressure was on to meet Sheikh Humaid’s expectations. To achieve this, Mr Al Nuaimi knew only too well what he needed to do.

Immediately, he went to the people to listen to their concerns and worked to resolve their issues.

“All FNC members appointed by Rulers have some sort of obligation to do their extreme best and to do what is expected from them,” he said. “Similarly, those elected by the people have a responsibility to the people. In the end, we all want to serve the public.”