The UAE government has launched four new strategies to achieve the goals of the UAE Centennial 2071 project to make the country the best in the world. [...] The soft power framework aims to see integrated diplomatic action that takes into account cultural components such as individual identity, heritage, social stability, political climate, culture openness and tolerance.

Promoting culture is imperative for Arabs given the destruction of, and war on, culture launched by extremist and terrorist groups in the Middle East/North Africa region, said Sultan Al Qassemi. [...] Al Qassemi spoke on the Arab world’s rich history in culture, and promoted the notion of cultural diplomacy, but admitted funding in general remained a hindrance to supporting the arts.

Members of the Gulf Cooperation Council brokered a consensus Thursday after a rift that saw Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain withdraw their ambassadors from Qatar.