HAMID AL ZAABI, DIRECTOR GENERAL OF THE UAE EXECUTIVE OFFICE FOR ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING AND COUNTER TERRORISM FINANCING The United Arab Emirates has made significant progress in the battle against financial crime, but strengthening the system requires engaging with more stakeholders than ever before. Financial crime continues to grow in sophistication and frequently involves global patterns of activity that extend across multiple jurisdictions and financial institutions. In just a few years, reporting, investigations, prosecutions and fines have all risen dramatically as authorities have thwarted criminals with ever-increasing effectiveness. To put this progress into context, when it comes to confiscations (as a…
Unipath
Unipath Staff Unipath: What is the importance of holding exercises with colleagues from Gulf Cooperation Council partner nations and your strategic partner, the United States? Maj. Gen. Fahad: Joint exercises with our colleagues in the Gulf Cooperation Council and U.S. forces play an important role because the desired objectives of such exercises are to strengthen and standardize military concepts between GCC and U.S. forces. The goal is to standardize planning and execution procedures and to establish principles and foundations for coordinating the joint work needed to achieve required operational compatibility and integration among the military forces of these nations. Unipath:…
UNIPATH STAFF The situational map at military headquarters displayed ominously glowing streaks of green arcing from enemy missile bases. They represented missiles on course for military and civilian installations in the Arabian Gulf. But the enemy had surrendered much of the element of surprise: Tracking the missiles was a military team from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, part of a multinational coalition tasked with defending the region. The responses were as varied as the defensive arsenals of the partner forces throughout the Arabian Gulf. Patriot anti-missile batteries erupted with counterfire. Fighter jets sprang from airfields to intercept the approaching threat.…
I am pleased to provide this introduction to the latest edition of Unipath focused on the themes of peace, stability and good governance. In the Middle East and Central and South Asia, the achievement of these goals must contend with the threats of terrorism, radicalization and extremism. How best to respond to such challenges? For the states of the region, I believe we need to focus on the three C’s of consistency, cohesion and connectivity. By consistency, I mean adhering to well-known norms and principles of international law, including resolving disputes through peaceful means, not using or threatening to use…
UNIPATH STAFF For Qatar, among the latest countries to sponsor a domestic space program, the need for reliable surveillance above the Earth’s atmosphere is critical. Space debris, unknown objects, and electromagnetic disturbances require tracking to ensure the effective operations of Qatar’s communication satellites. On October 23, 2023, the Qatar Armed Forces signed a Space Situational Awareness data sharing agreement with U.S. Space Command (USSPACECOM) designed to provide improved surveillance of the increasingly cluttered space above Earth. Qatari Maj. Gen. Abdulaziz Al Dosari, advisor to Qatar’s deputy prime minister and minister of state for defense affairs for space and telecommunications, signed…
DR. ABDULLATIF BIN RASHID AL ZAYANI, MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, BAHRAIN I am delighted to extend a warm welcome to each and every one of you to this year’s Manama Dialogue, where in these most difficult of regional and international circumstances we reaffirm the practical value and importance of engaging in sincere and meaningful dialogue. By doing so, we are actively seeking solutions to all the issues and challenges that lie before us, to create opportunities for genuine peace, stability and prosperity in the days and years ahead. The focus of our session is Navigating Global Competition. As regions, the Gulf…
His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Bahrain’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister, delivered a keynote address at the 19th edition of the Manama Dialogue security conference in which he pressed for a peaceful resolution of the Gaza conflict. During a speech on November 17, 2023, His Royal Highness set out conditions necessary for “breaking the cycle of violence,” a feat only possible through the release of innocents and non-combatants. His Royal Highness stressed that the release of hostages is a prerequisite to pause hostilities. The Crown Prince also called for the full application of international law to…
JASEM MOHAMED AL BUDAIWI, SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE COOPERATION COUNCIL FOR THE ARAB STATES OF THE GULf May I start by expressing my sincere gratitude to the esteemed leadership of the Kingdom of Bahrain for graciously hosting this event and granting me the honor and privilege of addressing you. I would also like to extend my appreciation to the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) and the organizers of the “Manama Dialogue,” for providing this important platform that brings together government ministers, policymakers, experts and influencers in a unique forum for discussing critical issues in foreign policy, defense, and security in…
DR. NAYEF AL HAJRAF, then-SECRETARY-GENERAL, COOPERATION COUNCIL FOR THE ARAB STATES OF THE GULF Throughout history, the Middle East has been a region with great initiatives, yet with major and ongoing conflicts. I would like to focus on one great initiative that was introduced and implemented more than 42 years ago, the establishment of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, known as the GCC. On May 25, 1981, the GCC was established by its six member states — the United Arab Emirates, Kingdom of Bahrain, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, State of Oman, State of Qatar and…
UNIPATH STAFF The situational map at military headquarters displayed ominously glowing streaks of green arcing from enemy missile bases. They represented missiles on course for military and civilian installations in the Arabian Gulf. But the enemy had surrendered much of the element of surprise: Tracking the missiles was a military team consisting of Saudis, Emiratis, Bahrainis, Qataris, Omanis and Kuwaitis, part of a multinational coalition tasked with defending the region. The responses were as varied as the defensive arsenals of the partner forces throughout the Arabian Gulf. Patriot anti-missile batteries erupted with counterfire. Fighter jets sprang from airfields to intercept…