Dubai: Though the US President George W Bush's visit to the United Arab Emirates is a watershed event for the Gulf state, the local media said that the Middle East needs specific policies and effective leadership, and not generalities.

The media, in turn, hoped diplomacy and peaceful engagement would prevail as the best way to address the region s concerns.

Bush's visit to the UAE is the first one by a United States president to the country, despite the close historical and strategic relations the two countries have always enjoyed.

According to editorials in major dailies here, Abu Dhabi and Dubai are two of the key stops on the US leader's whirlwind tour of the region that began with a historic visit to the occupied Palestinian territories and Israel and will conclude with Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

"Unfortunately, the focus of this epoch-making visit to Abu Dhabi and Dubai has been on the US preoccupation with Iran, rather than America's strong and healthy relations with the UAE and other Gulf allies," wrote the Khaleej Times.

The Times editorial also questioned why the first visit by a US president is preoccupied with Iran, rather than US relations with UAE.

"There's no denying the fact that Iran's nuclear ambitions are a source of concern to the Gulf countries including the UAE just as they exercise the US and its Western allies," the paper wrote.

"President Bush's address in Abu Dhabi yesterday articulated those concerns. And Iran needs to address these legitimate concerns. However, the best way to persuade Iran to address these concerns is by way of diplomacy and peaceful engagement," the Dubai daily said.

Source : PTI