balance of the Middle East, and the Abraham Accords are just a few things that my new friend Ahmed Sharif and I
discuss in this interview. Ahmed is a political analyst from the United Arab Emirates, the UAE, with a solid,
balanced approach to improvement in the Middle East and an understanding of the fundamentalism of the Islamists and how
they affect not just Europe and the West, but the Middle East itself. Now, this episode is brought to you by Go and
Do Travel and the Wave Makers podcast or cruise. This is November 15th to 22nd
this year, 2025. We are sailing down the Mexican Baja with Jacob Hansen of
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scroll down to Wavemakers. going to be so much fun. Here's the interview.
[Music]
Now, you've described the Muslim Brotherhood as an ideological Trojan horse in Europe. What specific tactics
or strategies do you believe the Brotherhood uses to embed itself in Western institutions under the guise of
uh social activism? Well, they they use I I'd also like to
say infiltrate in a way. They would go to uh student unions, local councils.
They would go to uh spreading an ideology by way of uh funding organ like
having an organization. And it's really I don't want to say smart, but the way
they're doing it isn't using violence. It's soft power basically. And the Western or the Europeans keep
falling for it. And I'm on a daily basis throughout my tweets, throughout the threads I'm uploading, I'm trying my
best to show people that they they might wear suits and ties, they might shave
their beards, they might look like they're all normal people trying to just be uh kind people and get some charity
uh fundings. But realistically, I'm not saying saying all organizations of
course, but a a big number of them are just utilizing that, taking advantage of
people that are unaware of what's going on around them. Now, you mentioned the universities and
student councils and different things like that. Is that a primary target? Because we see the same thing in the US here on on the Hamas on Hamas coming in
and kind of infiltrating into the into the campuses and and getting activism really fmenting here in in on the
university campuses. Is that a primary target and why? Well, it it could be possibly a primary
target due to it being an easy way the youth. Mhm. A you a youth person, a young
person can be easily swayed towards a certain goal or a certain topic as long
as it fits his idea, his ideology. And most of the young people are very um
rash and brash and they're very, you know, u they they don't think before they act. So they utilize this. For
example, let's say and I'll take an example from from the UAE. they they would hold uh their meetings their
secret meetings in in educational places and the reason is no one would think
that oh he's a terrorist in a school no one would think that no one would think
oh terrorist in a university and when do they start thinking when something happens and that's what what what's
happening in the west when something happens when when it implodes when something happens there then they're
like oh he's part of a terrorist group why not just get rid of it before it spreads. Think of it as a cancer. It
starts spreading slowly but surely. And then when when when the whole body is just tired and done, then it's game
over. But if I can get rid of it as soon as possible, then that's that's even
better. Now, you call for Europe specifically to show some moral courage by, as you're
saying, banning uprooting the Brotherhood's networks. What would an effective and principled approach look
like? one that would confront the extremism without, you know, on our
side, it's kind of like what they're doing often times is they're working within our own system, right? Our
democratic freedoms. We want freedom of speech. We want even though we completely disagree with things as long
as there's not a call for violence. We want open discussion. That's how we kind of work through truth, right? But
they use that in in so many ways. So what what would a principled approach look like in the west that would
confront that extremism without undermining those democratic freedoms?
Well, first of all, just listen to to the countries that already dealt with
them, first of all, because it's not it's not, you know, rocket science. You
can just ask uh the UAE how they dealt with them, how we legally designated
them as a extremist terrorist organization, how we dismantle their financial networks, how we shut down
their organizations, how we're strengthening the integration politics here. And
I mean, some countries are beginning to try like France and the UK, they're
starting slowly but surely. And it's never too late. Uh, as I said,
going back to the question, designate them as a terrorist organization,
dismantling their financial networks, blocking any way that they could
infiltrate, whether it's in schools, whether it's in uh the education system, whether it's in the NOS's just also
counter their ideological narratives. It's clear as daylight. They don't have
any tolerance in their teachings. They have no coexistence. They keep using jihad as a word to the the the gateway
to heaven. It just doesn't make sense. How would you handle immigration going
to Europe? I mean, you look at that, there's mass immigration coming in from the Middle East. Uh there is a definite
cultural just to begin with, even going not even going to the extreme of a Muslim Brotherhood, there's a strong
cultural conflict from east to west, right? and and but beyond that there is
the the infiltration of groups like the Muslim Brotherhood that go into the West
into Europe. What is a good way a good policy for immigration there to keep
borders somewhat at least open but not allowing these types of teachings to
come into Europe? Well, first of all, establishing a clear
legal pathway. It's create a well reggulated channel for work study and
humanitarian protection. And when people see a fair system, they are less likely
to rely on dangerous smuggling networks. That's one. And strengthening the external border control, investing in
modern technology, joint patrols, and rapid response. And we could also maybe
tackle the root causes. let's say for example investing in development stability and security to reduce the
migration uh process and migration policy starts far beyond the European
borders and also as as I keep mentioning and it's not u a I don't know how
European countries would do that but within the UAE they could also you know it's not wrong to to get some advice or
get some tips on how to do it from other countries that have dealt with it properly So also you know going to countries
listening to to their feedback not just trying to do things as as things are going is is also a very smart and simple
uh way. You know there seems to be in the west a thought where where you know we're human
nature brings us to a point where we want to simplify things to understand the world. So you have people on one end
of the spectrum that say look keep the borders open completely. We want everybody coming in. Everybody deserves
a chance if they want more opportunity in the West if that's what they're looking for. Uh and then you have on the
other end of the spectrum those that want to close everything off. There's a conflict between Christianity and Islam
and and all Islam is bad and and and you have a uh just just this feeling of of
concern for a a radical change in what's happening in the West.
How do you parse those two ends of the spectrum out
to understand first of all we're all human beings there's good and bad perhaps in everyone but but say look
what the message often times that comes out in the west is
that Islam wants to take over in the west they want to take over in Europe
and therefore everything needs to be shut down all of Islam is bad. How do you help the West understand what's
going on in the Middle East already? That those conflicts already exist in the Middle East between extremism and
and fundamentalism and and what you might find more in versus what you might find more in the UAE.
I mean, it's a a double-edged sword because as you said, some people want to
be like, "Hey, we're we're a welcoming country. Everyone can come in." And some people are like, "No, just stop. We
don't want anyone coming in. So in a positive way, having more people
come in, depending on which country you're you are at, let's say, for example, I'm I'm a very small European
country. I will need more people coming into my country, but at the same time, I
don't know what ideology this person has. So it's a double-edged sword at the same time. So being in the middle is way
harder than being very supportive of this side or this side. And this hard
tactic is what the UAE has been doing for years and no one has been paying attention until lately until the Abraham
Accords in 2020. That was when the people were like, "Oh, hey, wait, maybe this country is actually a mediator, not
not part of a certain side." And it's way harder to to keep consistent at this
because you have different ideologies, different people, the good and the bad. There are so many good Muslims, there
are so many good Christians, so many good Jewish people. There's there's more good than bad,
but what we're seeing on social media, on news flashes are basically the bad
people. And that's where they just I mean, I would understand why some Western people would be like, "Hey, most
Islam Islamic people are bad." It's because the news only shows the bad people, never shows the good people. And
when they show it, other Muslims keep fighting with the
other Muslims, you know, and it's just a a very big headache that um it's it's
it's way smaller than leaders. It's just like the citizens having this fight with
each other. It's like Muslims always have issues with Muslims. Christians also always have a Muslim an issue with
Christians. And the same with other faiths. But with Islam, it's like if anything happens, it's a Muslim that did
it. And sadly enough, most of the time it is. And we don't consider them as
Muslim Islamic people or Muslims because of what they're doing. Our religion or the real Islam doesn't teach us to blow
things up. Doesn't teach us to be violent or to be uh to be filled with hatred. They teach us to teach us to
coexist, tolerate, and always live in peace and knowledge. Which is why I want to also talk about the the Abrahamic
family house that we have in Abu Dhabi. It's one street where you can see a synagogue, a church, and a mosque all together. And I always keep bringing it
up because of how beautiful it is. And even even today, I was just walking
across the mall. I saw a Sikh. I saw a Jew. I even saw a Christian. And they're
walking smiling and having a norm like normal conversations with each other. They were just walking around. I don't
know why people don't can't live with us. It's it's it's
surprising really. Yeah. It's it's the extremist that that caused the problems. It's it's it's
fundamentalism. Now, talking about that tolerance going to the Abraham Accords, this was a you know, hailed as a
historic breakthrough. Uh we're 5 years in now on those Abraham Accords. Do you believe the initial momentum has been
sustained after October 7th? Is it revved back up? Are we going to see
progress with the Abraham Accords or has it already plateaued?
I mean, it's most likely that there will be a an improvement within the Abraham
Accords. There will be more uh work going into it because the Abraham
Accords really marked a transformative pivot for the region. For decades the
narrative was if you normalize you betray and the UAE just shattered that mindset showing that standing for
Palestinian dignity and pursuing regional partnerships are not mutually exclusive you know and the trade between
the US and Israel exceeded 2.5 billion in just two years like beyond trade
collaborations in health agriculture and tech they continue to deepen
artists also are exhibiting in Tel Aviv and Israeli entrepreneurs are also presenting in
And for young people, this isn't about signatures on paper. It's a window to
what regional cooperation can look like. Real, dynamic, and full of possibility. So
going back, supporting Palestinian rights remains a principle, but engagement can build bridges that
isolation never could. And the Abraham Accords show that bold leadership can
turn historical divisions into shared futures.
How dependent are the Abraham Accords on the Israeli Palestinian conflict? I
mean, if there is not more progress in that conflict, is that going to hold up the Abraham
Accords? The Abraham Accords can can definitely stand. it it it will never be affected
by any uh influence or effects. But the
the more we can spread awareness to the people that the Abraham Accords is
normalizing a relationship that can build not destroy. We're not here to
destroy any country. We're not here to destroy any human being. We're here to defend the human rights of people. We
are here to defend the dignity. And that's where the Abrahamic Accords come. We're not just a, as I said, it's not just a signature on a paper. It's not
just uh oh, we're just telling people that we're friends. No, we're actually trying to do something. We're working
together. And as we're seeing right now, what we've done since 2020 has been such
a a great improvement for both countries, whether it's a diplomatic relationship or agreements.
Do you how do Amirati citizens and and and in your society perceive the
normalization process today? Is that support growing? Is it waning? Where is
it at? Well, to to be frank, the UAE citizens,
myself as well, whatever our leadership leadership told us, we support 110%
before they even announce it. As as soon as we know what our leadership wants, we're like, "Yes, we agree." because we
we've seen historically speaking everything that our leadership has done has led to a greater future. The UAE was
just seven different states in the desert and with an agreement in 19
finished in 1972. We saw years later
the high the highest skyscraper. We saw the greatest mediator in the Middle East. We saw so many aid aids to
different country uh fin humanitarian aid to Sudan Gaza. We've seen so many
things pan out and we didn't rely on on oil. We're now currently as Abdullah
said by 2030 if I'm not mistaken AI is going to be the new oil and this
is this is crazy to see how vision for the UAE citizens is always
met with reality. People's visions are our reality. And going back to to the
question, we trust our leadership 110%. We don't even need to wait for news to
trust. We already trust them blindly. It's blind faith because we're used to being glorified. We're used to being
great citizens. We have the greatest passport. We have the greatest diplom diplomatic uh connections. And this is
because we have great leadership that love the country that love the citizens and love the people that are also living
in their nation. Because let's let let's be honest as a citizen I have free
healthcare, free education and I have all the the the necessities I need. I am
in char as soon as you get uh married you get a you get a key to your new house. That's how beautiful the UAE is.
So most UAE citizens, they don't need to even look at politics in the UAE because they just trust the leadership. Same
with me. I look into politics because it's my major, but I I trust my leadership. That's why I go full full
steam ahead. How did that happen? If you had seven separate tribes that I'm guessing had
conflict before then, how did that come to be? How how did you bring seven tribes together and unify them? Well,
going back to uh our founding father,
he didn't look at it as tribes with conflict. He looked at it as a
opportunity. He never looked at anything as a something that's just there. He looked at things as opportunity. And I'm
from the city of where Z and the the royal family were brought up. And Alain
was literally just a desert. He turned sand into a green place and now it's
called is called the garden city and that shows how his vision goes far
beyond just oil and that's where the UAE comes into play. It's written in the
name the United Arab Emirates. Emirates imirat it means states and those states
they were correct they were not together and then the different leaders were
gathered together in 1971 actually and they had the initial agreement and then
the the the seventh emirates joined in 1972 which created the United Arab Emirates and until then we've not've
seen nothing but future turned into reality and vision turned into something
that we see in front of us like the Marsel probe, etc. Well, it's a success story. It's pretty
rare. It doesn't happen very often. Uh, now Iran's regional posture continues to
be confrontational. Do do you believe the Abraham Accords have helped deter
Iranian influence and shifted the battleground?
Well, the Abraham Accords always comes uh into play where it's it's vital and vitally needed. Regarding the Iranian
regime, the Abraham Accord, I'd like to say and put it short and simple, it
stood tall because of how how strong it is. I mean, people really underestimate
the Abraham Accords, especially on social media. They don't know how how powerful it is and how smart it is. It's
it's it's what makes it so what what gives it its power? Why is it powerful?
It's powerful because of as I mentioned it's it's beyond trade. It's collabor it's different collaborations in
different sectors and it's also something that let's say it broke the
the mindset the norm that we had because as I said the narrative was if you normalize that means you're betraying
and it's not the not the case at all. It's just a narrative that was pushed
and people started believing it and just using it as as a fact. And it's it's
surprising really to me as an Imirati to see that what's what's betraying? Define
betray, you know, and as soon as you ask that question, they're like, "Well, you're just you're being friends. You're
you're you're just trying to be uh trying to create a a relationship, a diplomatic relationship." I'm like, "Yes, how is that betraying?" It's I'm
literally uh exchanging diplom diplomatic relationships. I'm having
different deals. I am also uh using health, agriculture, and tech. And the
Abraham Accords are literally just that. They're they're it's not just a
signature on a paper. Yeah. I'm going to get to that a little bit later that that idea of betrayal and
and the relationship there in just a minute. what you know back just for my
own curiosity sake there was you know back on the the attack from Hamas on October 7th um there were rumors at the
time that Saudi Arabia was in talks to sign the Abraham Accords. Do you think
that had anything to do with the timing of October 7th and that the Hamas was saying wait a minute if Saudi Arabia
signs on this this is a bad sign for us. We want the conflict and this is going
to stabilize and normalize much more at a much greater reach the the uh
relationship with Israel. Well, it's important to clarify that
October 7th was a turning point for the entire region, not just for one country.
And the rumors involving our neighbors Saudi Arabia reflected a broader
regional momentum towards exploring normalization and new security arrangement. Now many countries were
evaluating their own strategic options of course at the time driven by shared concerns. Now
as I am a political in the UAE I mainly talk about the UAE. So the UAE had mainly made it position clear through
the Abraham Accords proving its independent diplomatic approach. October 7th didn't change that. It reinforced
the urgency for the region to prioritize stability and their opportunities. So, this isn't really about One Nation's
timeline. It's about a collective regional realization that the old status quo is unsustainable.
You know, there's rumors now that Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Lebanon are in quiet
talks on the Abraham Accords. What would change if those countries did
sign on to the Abraham Accords? What would there be a a radical shift in the mindset throughout the rest of the
Middle East on normalization? It's it's important to remember that
normalization is a sovereign decision for each country rooted in its own strategic calculations and national
interests. Now if every country moves at its own pace, some will prioritize
economic diversification, others security guarantees and other domestic considerations. Now new security
partnerships will deter shared threats and counter extremist networks. And that's where I
would like to just put a a uh a point in the end of the sentence to to just make
it simple and short. Okay. Um,
you know, there's talk about actually the Abraham Accords expanding into Central Asia and Africa.
Uh, what would the lines be or the guidelines be the values in expanding
these agreements? What would be needed for that to happen?
Well, let's imagine trade routes linking to Tel Aviv and Tashkant, Abu Dhabi to
Acra or Riat to Kegali, accelerating investment, tech exchange
and infrastructure development across entire continents. Now, let's talk about energy and sustainability. In that case,
there will be joint renewable energy projects, water security initiatives, and climate innovation could flourish.
And human development wise, expanded educational exchange, scholarships and
even healthcare cooperation. And to me most importantly is the healthcare
cooperation because many countries really lack you know in
in in healthcare expertise. They lack in new technology. They lack in this. They
lack in that. So expanding them would be amazing because we definitely benefited
from from the Abraham Accords and we want to see other countries benefit. We want to see the peace. We want to see
coexistence and tolerance and knowing that some countries uh as you said would
would maybe look into it. It's I I'm all for it. They they get a very a very good
thumbs up for that. Yeah. You know, and I go to Egypt a lot and you know, one of the things I see there, you know, these are two
countries, Israel and Egypt, that were at war at one point a couple times and and and yet now today they through
economic ties there are changes in mentality and I see it among the
citizens. I I talked to them um you know, but they've got especially with energy, they they've got a very strong
tie in energy uh between those two countries and it changes everything. Will the Abraham Accords then bring
that? I mean, you kind of implied that already, but it's will that bring further economic ties that can help
normalization through a process of economic progress for the citizens of
each of those countries. And you're talking in in the case of Egypt and Israel, right?
Well, beyond I mean going through beyond Egypt. I'm saying using Egypt as an example, but it's Oh, okay.
I've seen the change there, right? and and and I think that it seems to me that that economic those economic ties to
Israel and and normalizing things through economic ties can be a real
motivation for citizens, not just governments but for citizens to
normalize. I mean definitely the cooperation is always powerful because we have a saying
uh one hand can't clap alone. You always need two hands to clap. And that saying
goes deep into into what what we're talking about, the Abraham Accords. And having more countries, as you said,
Egypt and Israel have a a good energy and economic uh ties and those
interests, they would reshape mindsets. And over the years, the those joint projects, the cooperation are proving
that shared benefits can soften even the deepest historical tensions. And the
Abraham Accords are built on that same logic. But we take it even further by
opening direct channels uh by uh normalizing daily interactions, not just
formal treaties. And it's more of a in a very layman's terms way getting over
history. It's good to understand history. It's good to know history. It's good to it's built on history, but not
on grudges, not on uh hatred. Moving past that, going into cooperation is
what makes the country a leading country. It's what makes it powerful. It's what makes it flourish even more.
In May, President Trump visited Qatar and Saudi Arabia uh and and made some
pretty strong deals there with each of those countries in investment. You've got from Saudi Arabia, you've got a $600
billion commitment in investment in the US. uh I think it was $142 billion in
sales for for uh military equipment to the Saudi Arabia. Um cutters making some
real commitments and what's going on there. How does that affect the UAE in a
stronger rel US relationship with each of those two countries?
How does it affect the UAE and the relationship between uh how does it well how does it affect the
UAE within the Middle East and how does it affect the UAE and its relationship with the US?
I mean, does it help or does it hinder it? Of course, investments and and deals
always help. And here's the key. The these deals reflect each each country's
own strategy and priorities. The UAE has long positioned itself as an independent
future focused partner investing heavily in tech, energy transition, AI, and global logistics. Our relationship isn't
transactional. It's built on deep security. It's built on economic and innovation ties that have matured over
the decades. Now Saudi Arabia's large investments and Qatar's commitments,
they don't undermine or sideline. Instead, they create a more dynamic and and and a very beautiful regional
environment. A rising tide of investment and modern nation, modernization across the Gulf and the Middle East ultimately
strengthens the entire glo region's global relevance. And for the UAE, this
is a zero sum game. We welcome strong neighbors because we believe in regional growth. We always grow together. Uh
collective opportunity. It's never a rivalry. It's visionary projects, diversified partnerships like we have
Masdoch and those global expansions and diplomatic initiatives like the Abraham
Accords and mediation roles. we keep it uniquely positioned uh regardless of bilateral deals on the the other
countries are signing. In short, these new deals don't diminish the UAE. They
prove that our approach to openness, diversification, and strategic foresight is the blueprint for others to follow.
and learning and knowing even seeing it live
that Saudi Arabia and Qatar are are having these commitments and investments. It makes me feel proud to
be part of the GCC. It makes me feel proud to be an Arab because this region,
the whole region, not just the GCC, even the Mina region is is growing to see that there are deals, there are
investments and it's it's not just, you know, um, hey, we need this for oil,
this for this. No, it's there there's tech, there's AI, and there's other sectors that that that there has been
investments in, and it's beautiful. We're all growing together. It's all it's collective. We're on the same team.
Now, President Trump also met recently with the new president of Syria, A Shar.
What What do you see happening there in Syria? You've got, you know, a land that has been riddled with civil war for so
long. Uh, alhamdulillah al- Shar actually comes from an organization that was at one point at least uh and maybe
in some countries still considered a terrorist organization tied to al Qaeda at some point. So where do you see the
future of Syria going? Syria seems so pivotal to me uh in terms of you know
geography, its location and and and what happens there. What do you see happening
in Syria? Well, after Trump met uh al that signals
to me, I'm not sure maybe you can agree on this, but it signals that Syria might be entering a new phase of quiet
diplomatic recalibration. U this could be seen as a symbolic bridge
to test possible pathways out of Syria's long isolation. This could also show regional uh
reintegration. Many Arab countries have gradually begun to re-engage with Syria,
not because they endorse the regime's past actions, but because they see that permanent isolation has achieved little
in terms of stability and bringing Syria back into the regional fold may create
leverage to encourage reforms, counter extremism, and facilitate reconstruction.
In regards to reconstruction, there's also reconstruction economics with billions in rebuilding needed. Syria
will require foreign investment, humanitarian aid, and infrastructure partnerships. And countries like the UAE
have already signaled a readiness to support rebuilding. And we provided that
there is a serious commitment to stability and sovereignty. And for the Syrian people, any future must
prioritize them, the people. Not just power balances, also opportunities for the youth, economic revitalization, and
genuine reconciliation are crucial to prevent another cycle of extremism and
displacement. Because let's let's be clear on on on one thing. You can't have
a state, you can't have a nation without the people being behind it. Every country needs to have its people behind
it. The UAE, I always bring this up. The UAE has the most loyal citizens to a
country I've ever seen. I mean, I I could be biased a little bit, and I'm proud to be biased on this case because
the UAE prioritizes the people, and that's what Syria also has to do. It's
also part of the job to prioritize their people as well. Now, you had a recent tweet you put out
that said talking basically about the subject of hate. And you said the following. I quote
here, "Real nations build entire cities, launch satellites, and unite people
without a single scripted tragedy." How, you know, this isn't just a Middle
East issue. This is something I see in Latin America uh in other parts of Asia.
But a common thread that goes through a society that
is stricken with poverty and real problems, real issues is to put the problem outside somewhere else and to
assign a hatred to that to an organization, to a group, to a nation, whatever it might be. um
how much of that exists in the Middle East and what is the solution?
Well, regarding hatred and how and the
tweet where the real nations build first of all real nations build without a
single rigid script. They adapt, innovate and course correct as new challenges emerge. A dangerous common
thread among amongst many conflicts in the Middle East is the way poverty and socioeconomic frustration are
manipulated. Instead of addressing unemployment, weak governance or lack of opportunity,
leaders or extremist groups often redirect that anger outward, blaming a
neighboring country, a minority group, or even an external power. And this
strategy doesn't solve problems, it only worsens it. And how much does it exist?
Well, it exists way too much. More than it should shouldn't at all, but like more than maybe normally you'd see in
other countries, it remains one of the core obstacles to real peace to be
honest. And when over 60% of the population is under 30 and youth
unemployment hovers around 25 to 30% you have a pool of frustrated young people
easily swayed by populist or extremist narratives. The solution
there's many and some of them are could be having strong state institutions
government that deliver real services and justice not just empty slogans and
economic empowerment create jobs encourage entrepreneurship and open pathways for the youth. We see so many
youth initiatives in the UAE, so many in Bahin, so many in the different in Saudi Arabia, you name it. We we see so many
youth initiatives. Why can't we see that in other countries as well? Why can't we see regional cooperation? So the shift
from zero sum rivalries to shared products in energy, tech, and infrastructure that create that could
create interdependence rather than divisions. And that that's that's how I could sum
it up. Now, and that's look, you're obviously
someone Ahmed who who cares, right? You're going to care about the people. You've talked a lot about the people of
the UAE and and the people of Syria and you know every example you're talking about how do you solve these issues for
the people. A lot of people would say okay you know here I am in America and I feel the same
way. I care I I I this matters to me. I I care about individuals right but I'm
here in America in a wealthy nation right? You're in the UAE, a wealthy
nation, and people might say, "Well, you're just a bunch of privileged guys. Of course, you can talk like this. You've got
money, you've got opportunity, uh, etc. How do you and and you're the
problem also, right? You see, you're part of the problem, right? So, how do you convey a message of hope,
responsibility, and as you're saying, productivity to other countries, other individuals
that find themselves in in dire straits, right? Difficult situations. How do you
promote a message of hope, responsibility, and productivity over a common narrative or message of
oppression, victimhood, and revenge?
Well, when a nation or a person is cornered by crisis, it's easy to feel
that despair is the only language left. But the truth is, hardship isn't a full
stop. It's a comma in our story. And hope isn't a isn't naive optimism. It's
responsibility. It's the decision to see potential where others see rubble. It's the courage to stand up, not just for
survival, but for building something better. Now, the UAE never was never born rich. We were never born and and
just found oil out of nowhere. We we started from nothing. We started from, as I said, a desert that turned into
into one of the greatest countries in the world. And countries have a duty to their people to rise beyond slogans and
rise beyond the blame games because we see so many blame games that we're just tired of hearing on and on. It's like a
broken broken record really. And even in the hardest times, you can choose to invest in education, create opportun
opportunities, and protect dignity. It might sound difficult, but you have a
very strong sentence that many people live by. The American dream. You have the UAE that calls uh the impossible is
possible. We have these slogans and we live by these slogans. We we make them happen. We we talk the talk, but we walk
the walk. And it's very easy to talk, but it's way harder to walk. Very hard. Yeah. Very harder to walk. So for
individuals, the message is the same. You are more than your circumstances. Your struggle can be a seat for change
for yourself and for those around you. In every difficulty lies the invitation to lead quietly or boldly by showing
that progress is built by choice day by day. And the real question isn't whether the future can be better. The question
is whether we are brave enough to build it.
Let me finish with this. You are heavily engaged with youth policy, right, and diplomacy.
thinking of the youth in the UAE and the Middle East as a more broadly, what
gives you the most hope and what gives you the most concern about the direction the Middle East is
currently heading regarding the youth, right? Yes.
Well, as uh DOE has always taught me, we're always selfless and
I always thank our leadership for never making us feel like we're missing something or need or in need for
something. But other countries do need that help and we always see initiatives
in our country. We also see initi initiatives that merge us and different Arab countries. But what we need to see
is an Arab country that goes for an an initiative for their own citizens. Not
just waiting for other countries to to be like, "Hey, you want to participate in this with us or participate in that
with us?" No, we want other countries to see that because having the youth feeling secure, feeling
like feeling like they are safe, they have a safe haven which is their their own country won't let them delve into
ideologies that are extremist or or very violent ideologies. It wouldn't make them run away from their countries. In
fact, it would make them stay and try to build because everything starts with the youth. They're the foundation. Whether
some people would agree or not, the youth are the foundation cuz I mean, you build on them basically. They're the
future. You can't just be like, "Hey, after after I'm done, I don't know what I'm going to do. I'm just going to wait
until until the future happens." No. The UAE visions has a vision, has a plan, has
everything ready. That's why we say in Saudi Arabia, they say the vision of 2030. They're working on it. The UAE has
a vision. We're working on it. Other countries should definitely do the same especially for the youth because they
are the ones that are going to take the country from ground up and if the country is already up even higher.
Appreciate that. Completely agree. Uh Amed, I really appreciate your time. I love listening to what you have to say
and getting these perspectives. I I'm very excited about bringing you in front of my audience also and have you have
them listen to you and and what you have to say and your perspectives uh over there in the UAE. I hope we can get you
back sometime, but I really appreciate you coming on today. My pleasure. My pleasure, Greg. Thank you so much.
