UAE anti-corruption efforts 'good, but not good enough', says professor

The UAE ranked 27th worldwide in the 2012 Corruption Perceptions Index, but an Emirati professor says the country must continually strive for first position.

The UAE has made great strides in the battle against corruption but must continue to increase its efforts, Dr Abdulkhaleq Abdulla says. Jeff Topping / The National

DUBAI // The UAE is one of the least corrupt countries in the Arab world, but it must strive for greater transparency and oversight to continue making inroads against graft, experts and academics say.
A team of international experts reviewing the country's compliance with the United Nations Convention Against Corruption last week hailed the measures taken by the UAE to combat it. But the experts noted that further gains must be won by including ways of protecting informants and witnesses who report graft.
Sheikh Khalifa, the President, last year instructed the State Audit Authority to prepare a draft anti-corruption law that would apply the provisions of the UN convention, which was ratified by the UAE in 2006.
"The UAE has come a long way on corruption," said Jim Krane, author of Dubai: the Story of the World's Fastest City, and Arabian Gulf expert at Cambridge University's Judge Business School.
"The fact that the UAE is complying with the UN's regulations on corruption can be considered a milestone in the country's development."
Transparency International, which monitors and publicises corruption around the world, last year placed both the UAE and Qatar as the world's 27th cleanest nations – the highest placed in the Arab world.
But that must be just a start for a nation as ambitious as the UAE, said Dr Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, a professor of political science.
"If you look at these figures, it gives you a rather positive view of the UAE's fight against corruption," said Prof Abdulla. "For a country that tries to be the first all the time it might as well be the first in the fight against corruption. If we're not number one then we're still behind."
The Emirates must strive for greater transparency and accountability in order to make further strides, he said. "Whenever there are these cases the Government and officials have to go really public about them," he said.
"That's the first step in fighting corruption and apparently we're not doing enough of that. There are a lot of cases of corruption, apparently, that are hidden and not brought to the public's attention."
"Secondly, I think we need to tighten our legal system a little bit more so it becomes really, really stringent and tough on those who are caught trying to get public money."
He noted that corruption occurs at all levels, from low-level employees to decision makers in ministries.
"We need to combat that too, and make a greater effort to confront it."
But academics say the UN convention and legislation are not enough by themselves to wipe out corruption globally.
"Internationally, the only things that will help are rich countries making corruption in overseas investment and transaction punishable in home courts," said Dr Jonathan Hopkin, an expert on graft at the London School of Economics.
"Legislation is not the answer. Societies need to decide they want clean government. It helps if civil society organisations like business associations are also behind this."
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