Omar Saif Ghobash

Omar Saif Ghobash (Arabic: عمر سيف غباش‎; born June 4, 1971)[1] is an Emirati diplomat and author. He was appointed Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to France on November 24, 2017, having previously served as UAE Ambassador to Russia from 2009-2017.[2] Ghobash authored the book, Letters to a Young Muslim (January 2017), which was written as a series of letters to his eldest son about what it means to be Muslim in the 21st century.[3]

Omar Saif Ghobash
Omar Saif Ghobash with Dmitry Medvedev
United Arab Emirates Ambassador to France
Assumed office
November 24, 2017
PresidentSheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Preceded byMaadhad Hareb Al Khayeli
United Arab Emirates Ambassador to Russia
In office
February 27, 2009 – November 2017
Personal details
BornJune 4, 1971
CitizenshipEmirati
Spouse(s)Fatima Ghobash
ChildrenSaif, Abdullah.
ParentsSaif Ghobash

Education

Between the years 1986—1989, Ghobash was educated at Rugby School,[4] a boarding independent school for boys in the market town of Rugby in Warwickshire, followed between 1989—1992 at Balliol College at the University of Oxford, where he gained a B.A. in Law.[4] Between 2003—2007, he studied BSc. in Pure and Applied Mathematics, in an external programme at the University of London.[4]

Life and career

Ghobash sponsors the Saif Ghobash Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation, in memory of his father, Saif Ghobash, the UAE's first Minister of State for Foreign Affairs,[5] who was assassinated at Abu Dhabi International Airport in 1977.[6][7] Likewise, he is a founding trustee of the International Prize for Arabic Fiction which runs with the support of the Booker Prize Foundation in London. He founded one of the region's first contemporary art galleries, The Third Line, which is based in Dubai as well as The Arab Fund for Arts and Culture which supports and identifies the production, research, and distribution channels of contemporary Arab art and culture.

Ghobash is on the advisory body of The International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation and Political Violence at King's College London and the Emirates Diplomatic Academy in Abu Dhabi.[8]

Prior to his appointment as Ambassador, the UAE did not have a diplomatic mission in Moscow for many years. More recently, however, the UAE has invested roughly $6 billion USD in Russia's infrastructure.[9] Ghobash believes Russia's participation in fighting extremism is integral to creating stability in the region.[10] A delegation from Abu Dhabi led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, has bolstered its presence at The Kremlin in 2015 to coproduce solutions to counter terrorism and conflicts in the Middle East.[11]

He is considered by many to be a thought leader on moderate Islam and the future of the Arab world, often calling for change through technological innovation and education in Arab countries.[12] Regarding extremism in young Muslims, he said, “The key challenge for us is to stop treating our youth with distance, because there are recruiters out there making sure to grab those youth from us.”[13]

After receiving funding from the government of Abu Dhabi, Ghobash was involved in 2008 in discussions with John Sexton on the opening of a campus of New York University in Abu Dhabi in 2010.[14]

Ghobash is an avid hiker, once spending five years climbing the mountains of Nepal and Switzerland. He speaks Arabic, English, Russian, French, Italian and Spanish.[1]

Bibliography
  • Ghobash, Omar Saif (2017-01-12). Letters to a Young Muslim. Picador. ISBN 9781509842599.

References
  1. "New envoys urged to lift UAE's stature". Gulf News. 21 September 2008. Retrieved June 4, 2017.
  2. "UAE Russia ambassador meets President Medvedev". Emirates Business 24/7. 28 February 2009. Archived from the original on March 2, 2009. Retrieved 2009-07-29.
  3. Abdul-Jabbar, Kareem (2017-01-11). "Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on Two Books About Muslim Identity". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2017-01-24.
  4. "The Kul Sharif mosque - The Crown of Kazan khans - Omar Saif Ghobash". Rusisworld.com. Retrieved 16 February 2017.
  5. "Remembering Saif Ghobash". Gulf News. Retrieved 5 March 2015.
  6. "About The Prize". Banipal Trust for Arab Literature. Retrieved 2009-07-29.
  7. Niblock, Tim (1982). State, society and economy in Saudi Arabia. Taylor & Francis. p. 161. ISBN 0-7099-1806-2. Retrieved 2009-07-29.
  8. "Governance". ICSR. Retrieved 2020-01-15.
  9. "Portrait of a Nation: Omar Ghobash". The National. Retrieved 2020-01-15.
  10. "People & Politics: UAE and Russia have a bond that will only grow stronger". The National. Retrieved 2020-01-15.
  11. "UAE and Russia in talks to tackle extremism in Middle East". The National. Retrieved 2020-01-15.
  12. "Fighting ISIS in the Realm of Ideas". Knowledge at Wharton.
  13. Al Almeri, Khalid. "Our Youth Need Guidance". The National. Retrieved 6 March 2015.
  14. Lewin, Tamar (10 February 2008). "U.S. Universities Rush to Set Up Outposts Abroad". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-07-29.
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