United Arab Emirates’ top diplomat came out in defence of United States President Donald Trump’s order temporarily barring citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering America. The yesterday comments by Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Gulf federation’s foreign minister, could help bolster the administration’s assertion that the directive was not intended as a ban against Muslims. The UAE minister said the US was within its rights to take what he said was a sovereign decision concerning immigration the first such remarks in support of Trump’s move from the Gulf Arab region.

Sheikh Abdullah also voiced faith in the American administration’s assurances that the move was not based on religion, and noted that most of the world’s Muslim-majority countries were not covered by the order. This is a temporary ban and it will revised in three months, so it is important that we put into consideration this point, he said.