SimplyAbuDhabi XXXVII

Mike Milken: A lot of people ask, why are we here in Abu Dhabi? This was not a difficult decision to make Khaldoon. It was a question, as we step back, where did we see the future for the region? Where would others in the region want to come? Where did the leadership of the region have a clear sense of purpose? Humanity focused on citizens as the world changed around them. So, when we made a decision a number of years ago where to base our Asian headquarters for Milken Institute, we looked at China, we looked at India, we looked at Vietnam, we looked at Indonesia, we looked at Japan, but made the decision to go to Singapore. And the same decision was made a few years ago that if we’re going to build a base here over time in the Middle East, we would build it in Abu Dhabi. And one of the things that really struck me was my visit a few days ago to Louvre museum here. The peacefulness, the concept of civilisation, was quite different than what you feel in almost any other museum. The sense of unity, the sense that, in many ways, the world is one. Talk to me about the building of that museum and how you saw and the country saw its purpose, its vision and its growth. Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak: Well, Mike, I think I’m in that museum and you probably saw that and many people that have been to the Louvre Abu Dhabi will have seen it. It’s, there’s something about that museum that is a reflection of Abu Dhabi, of the UAE, a reflection of the vision, the future, not just the past. The museum really kind of is sometimes the reflection of the past, but I think this museum is a reflection of what we hope – that is the future of this country, of this region. And if you walk through this museum, you’ll be impressed, no doubt, I think with the architecture, with the art, which is very impressive. But I think more importantly than that is the curation and that journey through civilisation. That journey that brings humanity together. You see the different religions, the different civilisations throughout history, right next to each other. And there’s a message in there. There’s a message of togetherness, of inclusiveness, that I think is reflected in that museum – and is really a reflection of what we are trying to do in the UAE. You know this country is a young country. We were born in 1971, so we’re not too old. MM: If I go to ’69, 50 years ago when I went to Wall Street, this is a look at Abu Dhabi when I kind of made the decision to move our group to California in the mid 1970s, 76, Abu Dhabi had changed and looked much different than the 75/6 period. But today it is a modern city, magnificent architecture, but also the services, the infrastructure that’s been put in place, the country has changed and one of the reasons we are so happy to be here is it gives a chance for people to see the world from Abu Dhabi. And last year, 40 per cent of the people that came to the conference had never been to the Middle East before. This year we’re probably 30 per cent, with substantially more people. And you’ve grown up here, you’ve seen the world change. How has the country changed in your opinion over the years? KKM: Well, I think it’s, if you look at the UAE today and you look at the position of the UAE today, in the context of the entire region from Southeast Asia all the way to North Africa and of course, the Middle East, I think the UAE in every aspect, economically, education, infrastructure, healthcare… any one of these areas, you will find the UAE, either number one or in the top two or three in each one of these categories. And more, in this entire region, this entire radius from Morocco to Pakistan. Now going back to this 1971 start if, if we had sat down together in 1971 and I would have looked at it. MM: (Smiling) That would have been hard for us to sit together since last time I checked you were born in 1971. So, the country is older than you are. KKM: That’s true. Well if we, if he can go back in time and sit together, Mike, in 1971, and if I would have told you there’s two countries, one that just got established, the UAE and Libya, similar size, similar population. The demographics, again, Bedouin society in Libya, Bedouin in the UAE, oil and gas in abundance, desert, one in North Africa and the other in the Arabian Gulf, one country with hundreds and hundreds of miles of Mediterranean seafront, the weather. In terms of tourism profit potential, you look at the archaeological finds and the historic monuments and Libya compared to what we have in the UAE. And you would have said, okay, these two countries, pretty much the same, give or take – in 2019, who do you give a better chance of success? Who do you think actually is going to be more successful given what I’ve just described? Most likely you’re an intelligent man, Mike. I would have guessed you’d probably bet on Libya. MM: Plus, closeness to Europe… large consuming nations. KKM: Oil, gas… from every perspective, you know, that you have that upside of being close to Europe, but look at what happened – 1971, 2019 – the difference is one fundamental difference. The difference is leadership. And I think that’s what we’ve been lucky. And I say lucky three times. Lucky, lucky, lucky in the UAE, to have had an abundance of good leadership starting from Sheikh Zayed. 036 | SIMPLY INFLUENTIAL SIMPLY INFLUENTIAL | 037