Indeed, the UAE is a force for peace.”Thirty years later, Mohammed, now 58, crown prince of Abu Dhabi and de facto ruler of the UAE, is arguably the most powerful leader in the Arab world. )The United Arab Emirates’ Embassy in Washington declined to comment. Unlike Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates allow Christian churches and Hindu or Sikh temples, partly to accommodate a vast foreign workforce. (The country is estimated to have 9 million residents, but fewer than a million citizens; the rest are foreign workers. For a time, Obama sought out phone conversations with Mohammed more than with any other foreign leader, several senior White House officials recalled.But the Arab Spring came between them.

Source: Economic Times June 02, 2019 16:30 UTC