Inside the FNC: Minister of Environment and Water gets grilled

Council members and the Minister of Environment do not bottle much up while debating issues, most recently farming and fisheries. Dr Rashid bin Fahad’s four-hour bout last week gives us a sense of his uncompromising style.

Dr Rashid bin Fahad, the Minister of Environment, is not one to back down during questioning by members of the Federal National Council. Delores Johnson / The National

ABU DHABI // Debates between FNC members and the Minister of Environment and Water are usually quite gripping.

Dr Rashid bin Fahad is one of the most frequent ministerial visitors to the council, and one of the staunchest in his beliefs.

Last Tuesday, Dr bin Fahad joined the council for a debate on government efforts to support Emirati fishermen and farmers.

It could not have been clearer that the minister and members had completely opposite views on the matter.

While many of the members wanted to support Emiratis in the two professions, worried that the industries could die out, the minister had a more pragmatic take on the situation.

Dr bin Fahad told members more than once to stop thinking only along the lines that these were the professions of their ancestors.

He said that in his opinion, fishermen and their bad practices were causing the sea’s wealth to decline – and they were the ones who were hiring expatriates to work on the boats.

Dr bin Fahad resisted for hours the members’ attempts to change his views, and he also vigorously argued with them on farming.

At one point, he asked members to change the course of the debate so that a plan of action could emerge from the discussion.

That didn’t happen.

The minister was surrounded by conflicting views but he was not discouraged. He remained firm in his opinion and the energy of his arguments was high to the end of the four-hour discussion.

Dr bin Fahad has been one of the firmest ministers, even in the face of provocative questions.

Recently, Mosabeh Al Kitbi (Sharjah) attacked him, saying his ministry was the least developed of all government bodies. This was a statement made early on in an FNC debate, but it did not throw him off course.

Every minister who comes to the FNC arrives with a certain debating style. Some tell members they agree with everything in their report and everything they are about to say. Some give short answers promising change.

Some, like Dr bin Fahad, give long, elaborate answers showing no diplomatic filter.

He clearly has an unshakeable vision for his portfolio and does not seem willing to budge. As the Minister of Environment, he has made it clear that it is his job to protect the country’s natural resources.

Dr bin Fahad’s insistence on protecting the environment is perhaps why he and the members of the chamber so often clash.