The nominee for Palau’s Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Rabih Antonios Reaidy, told Island Times that if his appointment for the post is confirmed by the Senate, he can help Palau promote its tourism and enhance collaborations with UAE for future projects that especially target the fields of education and health.

Reaidy, who was accompanied by his wife, Joelle Farah-Reaidy, at the Senate Hearing on August 31 at the Old Olbiil Era Kelulau (OEK) building, said that UAE had already took part in the investment of the $5-M solar panel installations in Palau even in the absence of a consulate office in UAE.

The UAE Ambassador nominee was referring to UAE’s $5-million grant for the solar panel installations and water desalination projects for Peleliu and Angaur.

Reaidy said that his main target is to help Palau bring in more tourists to visit the island country and push for more collaborations with the UAE to continue its projects in Palau.

Reaidy shared that he came to know Palau President Tommy Remengesau, Jr. about five years ago when he met him in Dubai during the president’s visit there.

Reaidy also said that since then, he had visited Palau for more than six times already, adding that the President had been asking them if they can “really support Palau.”

“To start, we open for them (Palau) a consulate in Lebanon,” Reaidy said, explaining further that with the establishment of the consulate office in Lebanon, they had made Palau known in the “Arab world.”

According to Reaidy, he also aimed to make Palau be known in UAE and the Gulf areas.

When asked what made him interested to respond to the President’s call for the appointment, Reaidy said that as a businessman he had already made a lot of achievements and now he wanted to achieve something that is different from what he was already doing and that is to support Palau in enhancing its diplomatic relationships.

Reaidy said that he is willing to support Palau in “the maximum” way he can.

Reaidy, who is also Palau’s Honorary Consul in Lebanon, states in his curriculum vitae that he is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of RAR Holding Group of Companies since 2000 until the present.

According to the company website, RAR Holding is a wood paints manufacturer that was established in 1970 and now has most of its manufacturing and trading business concentrated in the Middle East coatings market. It also has factory facilities in Italy, UAE, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Lebanon and Nigeria as well as its many global agents/distributors, according to the same site.

RAR Holdings is one of the largest coatings manufacturers in the Middle East according to the 2017 post of www.coatingsworld.com.

In our previous report, President Remengesau said through a letter to Senate President Hokkons Baules that Reaidy is willing to take the UAE Ambassador post at no cost to Palau and for a salary pay of only $1.

Chief Executive Officers of big companies in the world – the likes of Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, are also paid a one-dollar salary.

Reaidy has also committed to establish a consulate office in UAE still at no cost to Palau.

“Mr. Reaidy, who has served as our Honorary Consul to the Lebanese Republic, holds an exceptional portfolio as an entrepreneur and investor in the Arabian and Gulf States with a business and political network that will surely strengthen and enhance our relationship with the UAE as well as around the middle-eastern region,” Remengesau states in the letter to the Senate President.

“Mr. Reaidy comes at an opportune time as we move forward in solidifying our relationship with one of our most promising partners — the United Arab Emirates. I have every confidence that Mr. Reaidy will represent the Republic well in advancing our sustainable domestic development agenda as well as in the strengthening of our bilateral relations with the UAE,” the letter further explains.

The reason why Palau is opening a consulate office in UAE in spite of the absence of Palauan citizens there, Press Secretary Olkeriil Kazuo, in a previous interview with Island Times, said that President Remengesau wants to enhance diplomatic policy with its partners, and wants to look at the global concern rather than just Palau.

The Senate has yet to decide whether or not to approve Reaidy’s appointment on their next session. ( Rhealyn C. Pojas)