Australia's First Nations centred foreign policy on show in Dubai-Minister Chris Bowen acknowledges and condemns the Al-Maktoums for turning a fishing village into an oil and gas superpower

by Ganesh Sahathevan 

                      Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum , whose family has ruled Dubai
                                    since the mid 1800s(Source: President.gov.ua, CC BY 4.0,)

 

The Daily Mail and others reported: 

Australia's Energy Minister Chris Bowen began a speech at the Cop28 climate talks in Dubai with a modified Acknowledgment of Country, which normally is used to honour Aboriginal traditional owners.

'I begin with an acknowledgement that at the heart of action on climate change must be profound respect for those people who have cared for our respective lands for millennia – Indigenous people across the world,' Mr Bowen said on Saturday.

'I reaffirm our Government's commitment to the inclusion of our First Nations people in our climate change response and clean energy future.

'Recognising that respect for Indigenous knowledge, cultures and traditional practices is critical.' 

In Dubai, that would be the Al-Makoums and their followers, who turned a fishing village into  an oil and gas superpower (see history below). Bowen is also demanding that fossil fuels be phased out,so he cannot approve of how these indigenous people have used fossil fuels to transform their country.  

Australia has a First Nations centred foreign policy, which it obviously intends to prosecute regardless of the circumstances. 

TO BE READ WITH 


Dubai's ancient origins (3000BCE to 1700CE)
Dubai's roots reach all the way back to the early Minoan period.



The site where Dubai now lies used to be a vast mangrove swamp. By 3000BCE, that swamp had dried up and become inhabitable. It is believed that Bronze Age nomadic cattle herders were the first to settle in the area. Come 2500BCE, they had established a thriving date palm plantation and it was the first time that the site was successfully used for agriculture. Skip a couple of millennia ahead of quiet farming. During the fifth century CE, the area we now know as Jumeirah, home to beautiful beachside restaurants, was a caravan station along the trade route linking Oman to what is now Iraq.

Records show that Dubai was a walled city in the early 1800s.



Al Fahidi Fort was built around the same time Dubai became a dependency, in the late 18th century. The wall on the Bur Dubai side extended from Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood through Al Fahidi Fort, ending at the Old Souk. On the Deira side, Al Ras area was walled as well. However, in 1820, Britain negotiated a maritime truce with local rulers, meaning that the trade routes would be open and business could thrive. With this began a consistent interaction with countries from around the world, making Dubai a centre for crucial activity.

1833 was a milestone year in Dubai’s history, when Maktoum bin Butti of the Bani Yas tribe led his people to the Shindagha Peninsula at the mouth of Dubai Creek. He settled there and declared the town's independence from Abu Dhabi. From then onwards, Dubai was regarded as a fishing village. Today, even with all the massive changes the emirate has undergone, the Al Maktoum dynasty continues to rule Dubai. Visitors can explore the city’s yesteryears with a walk along the banks of Dubai Creek. An anchor to the emirate’s heritage, the site is a hub of bustling activity with abras and boats gliding along the historic waterways.

With the discovery of oil, the late Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum began the development of Dubai. He began transforming the city from a small cluster of settlements near Dubai Creek to a modern port, city and commercial hub. Rashid Port, Jebel Ali Port, Dubai Drydocks, the widening of the Dubai Creek and the Dubai World Trade Centre were a few of the major projects completed at the time. Leadership and vision allowed the UAE to push ahead with ambitious building and social projects. In the space of just half a century, Dubai exploded in growth, building modern wonders such as Burj Al Arab and Burj Khalifa, which are now very closely associated with the metropoli