Residents, top officials congratulate UAE general on appointment as Interpol president

Top government officials and residents in the UAE have sent congratulatory messages to the Inspector-General of the country's Ministry of Interior, Major-General Ahmad Nasser Al Raisi, on his election as President of Interpol on Thursday.

According to the global police agency, Major-General Al Raisi has been elected for a four-year term.

Interpol said Al Raisi was elected by the representatives of 140 Interpol-member nations following three rounds of voting and received 68.9 per cent of the votes cast in the final round. The elections were held at a meeting in Turkey on November 25.

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Major-General Al Raisi, who already served on Interpol's executive committee, became the first candidate from the Middle East to assume the position since Interpol, an agency fighting crimes globally, was founded in the 1920s.

"It's an honour to have been elected to serve as the next president of Interpol," the global police agency quoted Al Raisi as saying.

"Interpol is an indispensable organization built on the strength of its partnerships. It is this collaborative spirit, united in mission, that I will continue to foster as we work to make a safer world for people and communities," he said.

Al Raisi has said in a LinkedIn post that the UAE prioritizes "the protection of human rights at home and abroad."

Reacting to the news of Al Raisi's election via his Twitter account, Lieutenant General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior said: "The world's confidence in the UAE are the fruits of the wise leadership of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed, supported by his brothers, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid and Sheikh Mohammad bin Zayed, which enabled the country to register a new achievement by winning the presidency of the Interpol. Thank you for leading us towards the world's trust in the UAE."

Dr Anwar Gargash, the diplomatic adviser to President Sheikh Khalifa, also offered his congratulations to Al Raisi. He said: "The election of Maj-Gen Ahmad Nasser Al Raisi reflected the UAE's "achievements and efficiency in the field of law enforcement".

Ahmed Sultan bin Yousuf, a UAE national, said in a tweet: "Praise be to God, and congratulations, Maj-Gen Al Raisi. This is a great achievement for Sheikh Saif bin Zayed. He played a key role in this. Sheikh Saif choose the right candidate and provided him with support and assistance. It was a gradual process and the result were from the great efforts."

Another resident, Bu Khalid tweeted: "Honesty, hard work, and loyalty are the basis of success and trust. Alhamdulillah.‎ Congratulations to‎ Major General Dr Ahmed Nasser Al Raisi.‎ All the best to the people of the UAE.‎ May God protect the homeland and our wise leaders."

As President, Al Raisi's role during his four-year term will include chairing meetings of the Executive Committee, which supervises the implementation of decisions taken at the General Assembly.

Secretary-General Jürgen Stock, the Organization's senior full-time official who oversees the day-to-day running of Interpol's General Secretariat, welcomed Al Raisi's appointment.

"For the past three years, I have worked with Mr Al Raisi in his former role as Delegate on the Executive Committee. I look forward to working closely with him in ensuring that Interpol continues to fulfil its mandate and support international police cooperation."

The President and other Executive Committee members are elected by the General Assembly on a 'one country one vote' basis, with each vote carrying equal weight.

The role of the President, which is part-time and unpaid, is to chair the General Assembly and three meetings of the Executive Committee each year.

Joining the Abu Dhabi police force in 1980, Major-General Al Raisi rose through the ranks to become General Director of Central Operations in 2005.

He was appointed General Inspector of the Ministry of Interior in 2015 and played a key role in the arrest of Matthew Hedges, a British academic accused of espionage by the UAE regime, in 2018.

- ismail@khaleejtimes.com

• Abu Dhabi