Ibrahim Abdul Rahman Al Abed, adviser and former director general of the National Media Council, former adviser to the Ministry of Information and Culture and founder and long-time director general of the Emirates News Agency, Wam, died earlier today. He was 78.
I met Ibrahim in January 1969 when I first visited the Middle East. One highlight of that trip was the opportunity to receive a briefing at the Palestine Research Centre in Beirut, where he was the deputy director. It was the beginning of a close friendship that has lasted for over half a century.
He was never one to miss an opportunity to try to help those in need
A few years later, in 1975, Ibrahim moved to the UAE to work with the Ministry of Information and Culture, where he was charged with the establishment of the Emirates News Agency, Wam. I arrived the same year, initially to make documentary films on the overseas state visits of the late Founding President, Sheikh Zayed. Our friendship swiftly developed into a close working relationship that has spanned 45 years. During that relationship, I worked with him to establish and run the English service of Wam in 1977, while, during my years as managing editor of the daily Emirates News from 1985 to 1999, he was a guide and a never-failing source of advice and assistance. Following the closure of the newspaper, Ibrahim and I had worked closely over the last two decades, discussing politics, both local and foreign, the media, our families, our concerns, our hopes and our disappointments.
We shared tales from our past and our views on the present. Sometimes we bickered. I tended to think that Ibrahim was, on occasion, over-careful in expressing an opinion, while he thought that I needed to learn a little bit more caution in offering to get engaged in matters that were none of my concern. He laughed at my passion for heritage and the environment. I teased him about his lack of knowledge of the wilder, more remote parts of the Emirates. Those who observed us were often rather surprised at how we engaged with each other – he the senior official and I a more junior employee. With decades of friendship behind us, such reactions amused us both.
In his work at the Ministry of Information and Culture and then at the National Media Council, Ibrahim was dedicated and passionate about his loyalty to the Emirates. His network of media contacts around the world, built up over 45 years, enabled him to tell the UAE’s story in a way that few others could hope to emulate. Some of those contacts, from leading international newspapers and news agencies, have been in touch with me today to tell me how much they respected him and valued his honest advice and assistance.
That respect was widely shared throughout the Emirates, not just among media colleagues but elsewhere. That is evident from the messages of condolences that I have received today, both from people at the very top of Government and from those of a less elevated status. Ibrahim Al Abed earned that respect as a professional par excellence. He earned it too, in a quiet discreet way, through his generosity, with his time and in other ways. He was never one to miss an opportunity to try to help those in need.
Despite his achievements, Ibrahim never thought that he was anything particularly special. When, in 2018, he received the Abu Dhabi Award, his response was one of shy self-deprecation. Innately modest, very rarely irritated, even when there was due cause, he offered wise advice to all, regardless of their nationality, origins or status.
Ibrahim Al Abed, my friend, was, to use a term that has gone out of fashion, a real gentleman. I will miss our morning coffees, our affectionate arguments and our half a century of friendship enormously.
Peter Hellyer is a UAE cultural historian and columnist for The National
Company%20Profile
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Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Why seagrass matters
- Carbon sink: Seagrass sequesters carbon up to 35X faster than tropical rainforests
- Marine nursery: Crucial habitat for juvenile fish, crustations, and invertebrates
- Biodiversity: Support species like sea turtles, dugongs, and seabirds
- Coastal protection: Reduce erosion and improve water quality
Essentials
The flights
Whether you trek after mountain gorillas in Rwanda, Uganda or the Congo, the most convenient international airport is in Rwanda’s capital city, Kigali. There are direct flights from Dubai a couple of days a week with RwandAir. Otherwise, an indirect route is available via Nairobi with Kenya Airways. Flydubai flies to Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo, via Entebbe in Uganda. Expect to pay from US$350 (Dh1,286) return, including taxes.
The tours
Superb ape-watching tours that take in all three gorilla countries mentioned above are run by Natural World Safaris. In September, the company will be operating a unique Ugandan ape safari guided by well-known primatologist Ben Garrod.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, local operator Kivu Travel can organise pretty much any kind of safari throughout the Virunga National Park and elsewhere in eastern Congo.
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The%20specs
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The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh122,745
On sale: now
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How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
Reputation
Taylor Swift
(Big Machine Records)
More from Armen Sarkissian
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The biog
Favourite film: Motorcycle Dairies, Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday, Kagemusha
Favourite book: One Hundred Years of Solitude
Holiday destination: Sri Lanka
First car: VW Golf
Proudest achievement: Building Robotics Labs at Khalifa University and King’s College London, Daughters
Driverless cars or drones: Driverless Cars
Normcore explained
Something of a fashion anomaly, normcore is essentially a celebration of the unremarkable. The term was first popularised by an article in New York magazine in 2014 and has been dubbed “ugly”, “bland’ and "anti-style" by fashion writers. It’s hallmarks are comfort, a lack of pretentiousness and neutrality – it is a trend for those who would rather not stand out from the crowd. For the most part, the style is unisex, favouring loose silhouettes, thrift-shop threads, baseball caps and boyish trainers. It is important to note that normcore is not synonymous with cheapness or low quality; there are high-fashion brands, including Parisian label Vetements, that specialise in this style. Embraced by fashion-forward street-style stars around the globe, it’s uptake in the UAE has been relatively slow.
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The Greatest Royal Rumble card as it stands
50-man Royal Rumble
Universal Championship Brock Lesnar (champion) v Roman Reigns in a steel cage match
Intercontinental Championship Seth Rollins (champion) v The Miz v Finn Balor v Samoa Joe
SmackDown Tag Team Championship The Bludgeon Brothers (champions) v The Usos
Casket match The Undertaker v Chris Jericho
John Cena v Triple H
Matches to be announced
WWE World Heavyweight Championship, Raw Tag Team Championship, United States Championship and the Cruiserweight Championship are all due to be defended
MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Ajax v Juventus, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Match on BeIN Sports