WE ARE FOCUSED ON ENHANCING CULTURAL TIES WITH INDIA: UAE ENVOY

In this interview, Ambassador Dr Abdulnasser Jamal Alshaali talks about the cultural ties between India and the UAE, and support extended to filmmakers shooting in the UAE.

Dr. Abdulnasser Jamal Alshaali, the Ambassador of the UAE to India, holds a PhD in Economics from the Australian National University and Master’s in Business Management from Paris Sorbonne University. He also holds a Master’s of Business Administration from Murdoch University and a Bachelor’s of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from the American University of Sharjah. He previously held the position of Assistant Minister for Economic and Trade Affairs (ETA). Prior to that, Dr. Alshaali was the Director of the ETA Department since March 2019. He was also the Director of Policy Planning Department (PPD) from December 2016 to February 2019, which falls under the purview of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International. He was tasked to oversee PPD from January 2021 to January 2022.

In this interview, Ambassador Dr. Abdulnasser Jamal Alshaali talks about the cultural ties between India and the UAE, nature of cultural exchange in recent years, the key areas of focus going forth, support extended to filmmakers shooting in the UAE, among other things.

EXCERPTS 

Q. How do you look at the cultural ties between India and the UAE?

A. India is an important strategic partner for the UAE. India and the UAE enjoy a diversifying and deepening bilateral relationship built on close cultural, economic and people-to-people ties, which has evolved significantly over the past few years. Strong historical ties between India and the UAE make this a special partnership for both the countries. Among many other areas, our historic cultural ties are reflected in the food and architecture found across both nations.