The UAE’s new Ambassador to the UK has tweeted Thursday of his joy at presenting his diplomatic credentials to Queen Elizabeth at a special ceremony in London.
Mansoor Abulhoul met the British monarch at Buckingham Palace as part of an accreditation ceremony steeped in pageantry and tradition.
The ambassador and his wife, and members of his diplomatic team travelled from the UAE Embassy in central London to the palace in a landau, one of the Queen’s horse drawn carriages
During his audience with the British monarch Mr Abulhoul presented his letter of credence and discussed the close ties between the UAE and the UK.
Speaking afterwards at a reception at the Lanesborough Hotel attended by diplomats and officials, Mr Abulhoul said he had been warmly welcomed by the Queen. "It was an extraordinary experience — almost a little bit sort of magical," he told The National at the reception attended by diplomats, civil servants and other officials.
He said the Queen had shown great interest in the Middle East during their conversation, fondly recalling her trip to the UAE in 1979 when she met with Sheikh Zayed.
As tradition dictates a senior British diplomat gave a toast to Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. Abigail Boyle, the Assistant Marshall of the Diplomatic Corps, praised the “strong and prosperous and mutually beneficial relationship” between the UAE and the UK.
Mr Abulhoul has strong personal ties to the UK. His mother, who has lived in the UAE since 1968, was born in Britain. He also attended school and university in the UK.
“On so many levels, the UK and the Emirates have a wonderful connection and I sometimes feel we do all of these wonderful things but we don't really say ‘we are great friends and we should really celebrate this friendship,’ so we can use it as a platform going forward and I really see that as being key to my role,” the Ambassador said.
Mr Abulhoul also sees sport as a great opportunity for a meeting of UAE and British culture. An avid sportsman himself the ambassador has set himself the challenge cycling the length of the UK. “I see sport as great medium to bring together the nations,” he said.
“There is a lot more to learn about the Emirates and I feel our presence here and our engagement here on the ground will make people aware,” the Ambassador added.
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.
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ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
SPECS
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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.
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Everton (2002-2004)
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Manchester United (2004-2017)
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England (2003-)
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- Goals: 53
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Milan: Kessie (14'), Cutrone (25', 43'), Calhanoglu (85')
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Defenders: Yuto Nagatomo, Tomoaki Makino, Maya Yoshida, Sho Sasaki, Hiroki Sakai, Sei Muroya, Genta Miura, Takehiro Tomiyasu
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Coming soon
Torno Subito by Massimo Bottura
When the W Dubai – The Palm hotel opens at the end of this year, one of the highlights will be Massimo Bottura’s new restaurant, Torno Subito, which promises “to take guests on a journey back to 1960s Italy”. It is the three Michelinstarred chef’s first venture in Dubai and should be every bit as ambitious as you would expect from the man whose restaurant in Italy, Osteria Francescana, was crowned number one in this year’s list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
Akira Back Dubai
Another exciting opening at the W Dubai – The Palm hotel is South Korean chef Akira Back’s new restaurant, which will continue to showcase some of the finest Asian food in the world. Back, whose Seoul restaurant, Dosa, won a Michelin star last year, describes his menu as, “an innovative Japanese cuisine prepared with a Korean accent”.
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
The highly experimental chef, whose dishes are as much about spectacle as taste, opens his first restaurant in Dubai next year. Housed at The Royal Atlantis Resort & Residences, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal will feature contemporary twists on recipes that date back to the 1300s, including goats’ milk cheesecake. Always remember with a Blumenthal dish: nothing is quite as it seems.
