Omar Saif Ghobash

Omar Saif Ghobash presents his Letters of Credence to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on 27 February 2009.

Omar Saif Ghobash (Arabic: عمر سيف غباش‎)(born 1971)[1] is an entrepreneur and diplomat from the United Arab Emirates.

Omar Ghobash was appointed as Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to Russia in 2008,[1] and presented his Letters of Credence to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on 27 February 2009.[2]

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,[3] who was assassinated at Abu Dhabi International Airport in 1977.[4][5]

Ambassador Ghobash is considered a modern thought leader on moderate Islam and the future of the Arab world. In response to the regional instability caused by the Arab Revolutions and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, he calls for change through technological innovation and education in Arab countries.[6] 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.” [7]

The Institute of Strategic and International Studies in Malaysia hosted Ambassador Ghobash to give a lecture on moderate Islam for its final International Affairs Forum series for 2014.[8]

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.[9]

Omar Ghobash speaks Arabic, English, Russian, French, Italian and Spanish.[1]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "New envoys urged to lift UAE's stature". Gulf News. 21 September 2008. Retrieved 2009-07-29.
  2. ↑ "UAE Russia ambassador meets President Medvedev". Emirates Business 24/7. 28 February 2009. Retrieved 2009-07-29.
  3. ↑ "Remembering Saif Ghobash". Gulf News. Retrieved 5 March 2015.
  4. ↑ "About The Prize". Banipal Trust for Arab Literature. Retrieved 2009-07-29.
  5. ↑ Niblock, Tim (Taylor & Francis). State, society and economy in Saudi Arabia. 1982. p. 161. ISBN 0-7099-1806-2. Retrieved 2009-07-29. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  6. ↑ "Fighting ISIS in the Realm of Ideas". Knowledge at Wharton.
  7. ↑ Al Almeri, Khalid. "Our Youth Need Guidance". The National. Retrieved 6 March 2015.
  8. ↑ "Search for the Moderate Muslim". New Strait Times.
  9. ↑ Lewin, Tamar (10 February 2008). "U.S. Universities Rush to Set Up Outposts Abroad". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-07-29.