Title His Excellency, Dr. Name Mana Otaiba | Religion Liberal Muslim | |
Full Name Mana Saeed Al Otaiba Other names Dr. Mani Said Al Utaybah, Dr. Mana Saeed Al Otaiba, الدكتور مانع سعيد العتيبة Occupation Politician, Business magnate, Poet, Hotelier, Economist, Novelist | ||
Dr Mana Alotaiba (Arabic: الدكتور مانع العتيبه) was born on 13 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]. After which Al Otaiba became the Personal Adviser to the president, which he remained until the death of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, 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.
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Politics
Al Otaiba is an Arab diplomat who is sought for advice by both Arab and international leaders because of his economic experience and his high levels of experience in the diplomatic circuit.
Business
Al Otaiba is the former chairman of Noor Capital [3], 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 [4], 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 [5], which is the first regional private-sector natural gas company in the Middle East. He also owns Maissoune, a Moroccan business venture that has a significant presence in the Morocco [6]. The rest of Al Otaiba’s business activity is unknown due to his very private nature.
Culture
Al Otaiba has published more than 42 books of poetry, written in colloquial Arabic, formal Arabic and English. Al Otaiba has written novels including Karima and several essays including "Essays on Petroleum " and the Petroleum Concession Agreement as well as the highly influential book on petroleum, OPEC and the petroleum industry. Al Otaiba is a noted poet of the modern Arab World and of the United Arab Emirates, and his writing was renowned even before the unification of the Emirates in 1972 [7]. Al Otaiba has been given several honorary doctorates, including a Doctorate of Law from Keio University in Japan [8], a Doctorate of Law from the University of Manila in the Philippines [9], and a Doctorate of Economics from the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil.
OPEC
Al Otaiba was the President of OPEC a record of six times, including the presidency of the 26th conference held in Abu Dhabi 1971, the 52nd held in Abu Dhabi 1978, the 53rd and 54th both held in Geneva in 1979, the 62nd held in Abu Dhabi in 1981, and the 63rd held in Vienna in 1982. [10] Al Otaiba caused a lot of controversy in the 1970s by disregarding the quotas agreed in OPEC for the better benefit of the economy of the UAE, his most famous quote being "I always sign" which was the answer he gave when asked about whether he would comply with the agreement he signed. [11]
Hospitality
Al Otaiba is the owner of the Royal Mirage Hotels in Morocco (formerly known as Sheraton). They include the Royal Mirage Marrakech, The Royal Mirage Marrakech Deluxe, the Royal Mirage Fes and the Royal Mirage Agadir.