UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation Reem Al Hashimy at Semafor World Economy

Hello everyone. Good morning. Um, and your excellency Reema Hashmi, the UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation. Welcome to Summerfall. Thank you for coming. >> It's lovely to be here. Thank you. I wondered if to begin with you could just tell us a little bit about um everyone in the room will of course be familiar with uh what the Gulf region and what the UAE has been through over the past six, seven weeks or so, but just from a from a from from a sort of a human and emotional level, how has it been for you dealing with all of this going on and also having to deal with being very involved in the diplomatic response as well? So February 28th marked a really important moment in the UAE's history because for the very first time we received a barrage of missiles and drones from a country [clears throat] across the Arabian Gulf who we thought we could actually work with in a way that won't solicit a reaction of this magnitude. I'd like to remind the audience on day one we received 137 missiles when the UAE had traditionally repeatedly called for this war to not even happen. We very quickly through [clears throat] an incredible integrated air defense system managed to avert those missiles, the 300 plus drones that came in on day one and every day since until day 40 where there was a total of 2800 missiles, ballistic and crews, as well as drones. I mention these numbers because for a country of the size of the UAE, for a population that includes 200 different nationalities, and for a people that have always been peaceloving people, a people that have relationships with countries from all around the world and partnerships from all around the world. This was a very consequential moment. But the resolve, the resilience, the strength of our community independent of nationality really rose to the occasion in ways that surprised me on a personal level and reaffirmed the belief and the conviction that what the UAE has put on the table as a way of life, what the UAE has put on the table as a way to not just be prosperous but also to live in security really really came through. Now, for the last couple of weeks, our children have been schooled through online learning, and that's been challenging for many families, but otherwise, you see you see life continue and go on and our planes have moved in very quickly with almost 75 to 85% capacity. >> Mh. And that is a testament to incredible incredible resilience and also incredible vision and both of which I think is a testament to the leadership of the country and to the spirit [clears throat] of the people of the Emirates. >> Yeah. And where do you see things going now? Obviously, you know, we've had a first round of talks between um the US and Iran. Um, and how much input also are you as the UAE having on where you want to see those talks go? >> So, I think the most uh difficult piece of where we are right now in this continuum is what happens to the straight of Hormos. And for those of you who are unaware about the sheer significance of this straight, what we're really talking about is an international passageway, an international waterway that supplies several really important factors. The first one is 30% of global fertilizers, which means food security is at serious risk if ura doesn't get through. And that's a significant portion. You've got a good 25% of global gas, 25% of global oil, 70% of Asian petrochemicals, all fully reliant on this international passageway. And when the war began, Iran blocked that and began to pick and choose who can go and for what fee and when and how. and that is a clear violation of international law and of maritime security which we are all advocates of. And so how we reopen and rather reallow prefeebary 28th passageways to come through is really going to be the most important piece here. But in addition to that, February 28th revealed the IRGC's intent to its neighborhood with missiles and drones. We cannot have a security arrangement through these talks that does not actually put a clear and final conclusion to missile and drone technology to navy because we've seen what they could do with Hormos to their nuclear enrichment program. Those all need to be sorted through. Ultimately, geography prevails. So, we're going to have to live with each other, the Gulf States and Iran. And the people of Iran and the people of the Gulf States cannot be taken hostage by a regime that is so malignant and malign and has clearly demonstrated that in no uncertain terms. >> What is the UAE position on who should control the straight of Hormos? >> Nobody should control the straight of Hermos. That's the whole point. International passageways are the they're a public good [clears throat] and therefore all international public goods just like the straits of Malaga, just like others all around the world necessitate that commercial vessels that carry food, oil, gas, etc. get to go to where they need to go. >> Yeah. And that is governed already through international statutes in very clear and uncertain terms. By seizing control, you actually weaponize. And then by demanding and enforcing who gets to go where and how, you're effectively violating that. And so no one country, no one party, no one grouping, right? It is an international public good. And many countries have come forward to say that as well, not just the US who said either everything goes through or nothing should be able to go through because this picking and choosing and adding a a toll service isn't isn't correct. But you have countries like the UK, like France, I know Japan is also looking at putting something together. You've obviously got the Indian subcontinent all looking at ways in which we can not just ensure that the straight of Hormos is an open and constant free passage but also that we don't create any kind of precedent anywhere else where international maritime can be taken uh as a weapon in this manner. >> Yeah. I mean, you you you mentioned um you know, you talked about the IRGC and you know, the the the role they've obviously had um in targeting the UAE and the Gulf and being a bad neighbor uh in the region. [clears throat] What what do you think the the future of the UAE Iran relationship is? Well, it's difficult to say now because we we don't know how this is going to evolve, but we are a nation that is incredibly practical and realistic about how we operate within our neighborhood and beyond that. being attacked in 2026 after having been attacked in 2022 by the Houthis on January 17th, uh, which is one of Iran's proxies, really does signal that there is nefarious, malignant intent in the IRGC. We're going to have to live with that and deal with it. That does not mean that we're going to accept a status quo that interferes with my country's ambition for the future and its god-given right to lead that future in a manner that is not just prosperous for the people living in the UAE but also beyond that. And so I get asked a lot, you know, what future do you see? And as a as a mother and as a public servant, I obviously want a future that is peaceful. I mean, we all want that, but I also understand that it's unacceptable and unlawful to shoot out missiles at a fellow neighbor in such an indiscriminate manner and completely and totally unprovoked. And that is not something that my nation is going to accept moving forward. >> Yeah. And um going back onto the the straight reformers, what role do you see the UAE playing in potentially reopening the straight? >> So we we're not involved in in closing this off, right? And therefore our role will continue to be [clears throat] one that advocates for the freedom of maritime passage. We work closely and it with in great partnership with so many of the international partners that I had mentioned to you before the US of course being first and foremost but also countries in Asia. Um we close we're very close to the Singaporeans for example who have their own the straits of Malaga and look very closely at what happens there as well to set precedent. But by and large, if there is a way for us to participate in demining, in securing safe passageway, we'll obviously be part of that. But what is far more important to us right now is highlighting that this is not a regional issue. That the straits of Hormos and the continuous weaponization of that strait is impacting everybody. you know, whether you like it or not, whether you're in Asia or you're reliant on, I don't know, jet fuel in Europe, you're going to feel that impact if you haven't already. And therefore, building out an international coalition and consensus that a straight of this nature and frankly all straits, Babil Mandib is not too far off, right? >> And Babilm Mandim connecting the Arab Sea to the Red Sea is also a very important passageway. All of these cannot be taken quote unquote by anyone and belong actually to everyone. >> And and with this conflict, you know, there's been a lot of talk about how um the Gulf region has end up being sort of dragged into this conflict that it didn't want um by the actions of the US and of Israel. How do you see the um the UAE US relationship going forward? It's obviously been crucial in the past and has been crucial through this conflict for supplying the interceptors and things that you you've been using to to defend. I mean, do you still see the US as being that reliable security partner? >> We've had a relationship with the United States since our very inception in the early '7s and I continue to see that relationship getting stronger and I definitely see it becoming more and more diversified. But Matthew, it's really beyond security alone. We have already invested about a trillion dollars in the US economy and we've committed to investing another 1.4 last year over 10 years. We have almost 65,000 Americans living in the UAE and our trade is over 35 billion. That tells you that this is a relationship that is not just diversified but it's also an ambitious relationship that goes you know from one administration to another independent of which political party uh it pertains to. What that means is you know we are here right now the war happened. We received the brunt of the attacks. We know now who we're dealing with, but we also know that we're going to have to find practical solutions so that we can salvage and preserve our own national ambitions and vision, but also where my nation wants to go. And so we were chatting earlier about uh the Aremis and about how I would have never thought that a country that's 50 plus years old would also have a space program as deep and as and as advanced as we do and to have actually developed this relationship also with the United States. And I was reminded that this month marks the third year that the first Imirati astronaut, Hz Mansuri, went on the ISI. So these proof points are to tell you we're not a people or a nation that's fixated on one aspect of let's say on defense alone. The indep having said that defense is pretty critical because without that defense we wouldn't be where we are today. But we are also a people that is optimistic, that is ambitious. We have an AI program that is incredibly incredibly bold because we want to change the trajectory of human prosperity through this AI program. We believe in culture and respecting of different cultures, which is why we have 200 nationalities that live in the UAE with all of their religions and denominations in peace and in harmony. And more important than that, Matthew, we are a people that is hopeful. And if again if you look at who we were 50 years ago with very limited means to who we are today and how much of that we want to share with the world. You can get a sense of the type of character of the Imirati people. And that I think has been the most powerful revelation since February 28th is that character was actually reinforced. We were not stripped from that character of optimism, of resilience, of resolve, of hope. On the contrary, we doubled down on that and we are already looking at [clears throat] what are our new plans now in strengthening our eastern coast to avoid being so vulnerable down the line. How do we double down, triple down on technology, on infrastructure, on our railway? We have an incredible rail that's connecting the Emirates to each other and the different vicinities within the UAE for both people but also cargo. And who are we going to do that with? Who are the partnerships that February 28th has revealed? Um, you know, I'll give you an example just very briefly on our relationship with South Korea and Australia, our relationship, for example, with the French and with the Criates. These are just small indications of who we're doing this with. But with the United States, a country of this fortitude and magnitude and this trajectory and history of a 50 plus year relationship with one another has really proven that we will continue to keep those pillars strong but also continue to reimagine what more we could do together. >> Yeah. And you know, you talked about um a lot of that international cooperation there. What do you think this conflict means for regional integration within the Gulf as well? >> I think there were some really hard lessons for us. Uh we understood a lot. I'll I'll give the example of of Bahrain just how incredibly resilient the Bahraini people are and how incredibly not just strong but but bold the Bahraini civil service and the Bahraini defense team were in averting the attacks that they encountered. Bahrain did incredibly well does incredibly well. We've also discovered that there were some fault lines between us as the GCC and those I think don't take away from the necessity of us collectively dealing with this threat but it has been an eyeopener for us to realize not just different capabilities across the Gulf but also different orientations across the Gulf. What we've taken out of this is how do we learn, adapt, and just move forward with the same tempo of not just strength and resolve, but also ambition and sort of leaning in because that's also who we've always been as a people. I think netnet perhaps the most powerful um most powerful manifestation the most powerful conclusion of February 28th has been the incredible unity of the Imirati community and sticking together in this way independent of like I said nationality or background has been so heartwarming to see you everybody expected everybody would leave the UAE Nobody left. Well, obviously there were some who left, but really nothing. Nothing in terms of the scale that was projected. And that people who chose to stay because they love they love the UAE. They love the home that they've created and the lifestyle that they have. And it can be difficult to stay in this environment, but they chose to stay because they believe in the leadership. There's no marketing campaign, Matthew, that will get you there. >> And that is a testament, maybe the biggest testament to why our model works because people bought into it and they believed in it and they became their own advocates of it. And I say this with such humility and respect to those that have decided that the UAE is their home. They may not have the UAE nationality, but it's a home that they will protect, that they will defend, and that they would advocate for. And that is in stark, stark difference to the type of model that the IRGC has projected and other malignant and nefarious groups that use the population for their own political objectives. We're in a in a really blessed uh setup where it's the people of the UAE, all the people of the UAE who really rose to the occasion. >> Yeah. And just as as a as a final um question, what do you see um what is the role of Israel in in the region as well? You the UEE is obviously signary to the Abraham Accords. Um so you have direct relationship with with Israel now. How do you see that evolving over time? So, we signed the Abrahamic Accords a couple of years ago to really reimagine what the Middle East could look like in ways that would take us away from a from a conflict that has gone on for decades for us to be able to dialogue and integrate directly with Israeli leadership about how we also saw the fate and the destiny of the region. I see us continuing that relationship. I see us continuing to work closely with them about how we avert some of the bigger challenges that our region faces and I also see that there's incredible opportunity for us to do others in the region as well to be able to do a lot more so that we can create a type of future for our populations that is just as prosperous and just as ambitious as the UA's always set out to have. >> Yeah. Um well, look, thank you. We could go on a lot longer, but I'm afraid our time is up. So, um uh thank you very much, your excellency. Rema, please show your appreciation. Thank [applause] you. [music]