Remembering Saif Ghubash, the UAE’s first Minister of State for Foreign Affairs

Saif Ghubash’s son now follows in his father’s footsteps.

Saif Ghubash with the then United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim at the UN Headquarters. UN Photo / Saw Lwin

ABU DHABI // Saif Ghubash worked hard to encourage all Arabs to be productive, happy and forward looking and today his son is following in his footsteps to achieve those goals.

The UAE’s first Minister of State for Foreign Affairs is remembered as a self-made, intelligent and highly educated man, who was proactive and keen on seeking welfare and peace for all Arabs.

His son Omar, who is now the UAE’s Ambassador to Russia, was only six in 1977 when his father was killed by an assassin targeting Abdel-Halim Khaddam, Syria’s foreign minister at the time. Mr Khaddam survived the shooting at Abu Dhabi International Airport unhurt, but the UAE minister was hit twice and died in hospital.

“At the age of six it was not something I understood. I believed for another two years that he would be coming back,” Omar says.

“I remember that he was away from home a great deal and that my siblings and I would rejoice when he was back. I remember his gentleness with us. And I remember the warmth of his embrace.”

While many continued to hail the legacy of his father and told stories about his life, it was never enough for his son.

“A child will want to know so much more about his missing parent than anyone can ever tell him,” he says.

“A child will want to know why his missing parent made the sacrifice and left him or her behind. This is the question that burns.”

Omar says he longed to know more about his father’s character: “I don’t know because I didn’t know him. It’s a very upsetting position to be in. I imagine how he must have been, but it is all conjecture.”

Omar has taken many steps towards promoting moderate Muslim thought and providing platforms for Arab youth in education, art, literature and culture. Besides his diplomatic role, he is a thinker, philanthropist and entrepreneur.

When asked what he would like to implement on his father’s behalf, he says: “Get Arabs being productive, happy and forward looking. And I am serious about it.”

He believes that his father would be proud of him: “Not one day goes by without me thinking about him, and trying to live up to what he would have expected of me.

“This I imagine to be loyalty, an insistence on the truth, compassion for those less fortunate, and always striving towards understanding.”

He believes Commemoration Day will give everyone a chance to reflect on “where we came from, who we are, and what we hold truly valuable. Remembering is an important part of understanding ourselves and writing our own future”.

He applauded the designation of a special day for martyrs because it was “emotionally important for those left behind to feel and know that their loved ones are remembered”.

“It will draw attention to the fact that although we are blessed with a peaceful and prosperous society, there is a price to be paid with vigilance, determination and, unfortunately, blood,” he says.