On February 15, FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov arrived in the capital of the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi, to meet old friends and personally congratulate Sheikh Saud bin Abdulaziz Al Mualla on his victory in the election of the President of the Association of Arab Chess Federations.

The meeting of old friends took place in the palace of Sheikh Nahyan. A friendly warm conversation took place with Sheikh Nahyan Al Nahyan and with Omar Askari.