Mana Al Otaiba

Mana Al Otaiba (Arabic: الدكتور مانع العتيبه‎‎) was born on 15 May 1946 to Saeed Al Otaiba in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. Little else is known about Al Otaiba's personal life. Al Otaiba is the former Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources of the United Arab Emirates under the Presidency of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.^[1] Al Otaiba then became his Personal Adviser until the president's death, after which he became the Private Advisor to Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan ,^[2] as well as a member of the Royal Moroccan Academy under King Hassan II.

Politics

Al Otaiba is an Arab diplomat who is sought for advice by Arab and international leaders because of his economic experience and his high levels of experience in the diplomatic circuit. His son Yousef Al Otaiba became the UAE ambassador to the United States.

Mana Al Otaiba served as President of OPEC a record six times, for its 26th, 52nd, 53rd, 54th, 62nd and 63th conferences, held during 1971–1983.^[3] He caused controversy in the 1970s by disregarding OPEC agreements that he considered harmful to the economy of the UAE, his most famous quote being "I always sign" whenever asked about whether he would comply with an agreement.^[4]

Business

Al Otaiba is the former chairman of Noor Capital,^[5] a firm dealing in asset management, private equity, investment banking, investment placement and direct equity. He is also a major shareholder in Abu Dhabi Group,^[6] a company with holdings in real estate, banking, Islamic banking, telecommunication, ISP, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, hotels and tourism, as well as being a major shareholder in Dana Gas,^[7] which is the first regional private-sector natural gas company in the Middle East. Al Otaiba is the owner of the Royal Mirage Hotels in Morocco (formerly part of Sheraton Hotels and Resorts), which include the Royal Mirage Marrakech, The Royal Mirage Marrakech Deluxe, the Royal Mirage Fes, and the Royal Mirage Agadir. He also owns Maissoune, a business venture that has a significant presence in Morocco.^[8] His sister Moza Saeed Al Otaiba is a prominent businesswoman and philanthropist. The rest of his business activity is unknown due to his very private nature.^[9]

Culture

Al Otaiba has published more than 42 books of poetry, written in colloquial Arabic, formal Arabic, and English. His writing was renowned even before the unification of the Emirates in 1972.^[10] Al Otaiba has written novels (including Karima, which became the basis for a television series)^[11] and several non-fiction books including Essays on Petroleum,^[12] The Petroleum Concession Agreements,^[13] and OPEC and the Petroleum Industry.^[14] He has been awarded several honorary doctorates, including a Doctorate of Law from Keio University in Japan,^[15] a Doctorate of Law from the University of Manila in the Philippines,^[16] and a Doctorate of Economics from the University of São Paulo in Brazil.

Books

• Al-Otaiba, Mana Saeed (1971). The Economy of Abu Dhabi, Ancient and Modern. Beirut, Commercial and Industrial Press. 
• Al-Otaiba, Mana Saeed. The Abu Dhabi Planning Board. 
• Al-Otaiba, Mana Saeed (1975). OPEC and the Petroleum Industry. Croom Helm. ISBN 978-0856642623. 
• Al-Otaiba, Mana Saeed (1977). Petroleum and the Economy of the United Arab Emirates. Croom Helm. ISBN 978-0856645198. 
• Al-Otaiba, Mana Saeed (1982). The Petroleum Concession Agreements of the United Arab Emirates. Routledge Kegan & Paul. ISBN 978-0709919155. 
• Al-Otaiba, Mana Saeed (1982). Essays on Petroleum. Routledge Kegan & Paul. ISBN 978-0709919216. 
• Al-Otaiba, Mana Saeed (2008). Dialogue of Civilizations: The Self and the Other. Red Sea Press,U.S. ISBN 978-1569022948. 

See also

• Otaibah
• List of Arabic language poets

References