Abdulla Al Ameri, Director, arts section, Abu Dhabi Cultural Foundation, and his brother Major Jamal Salam Al Ameri, Director, Traffic Department, Abu Dhabi Police, speak to Kavitha S. Daniel

Director of the arts section in the Abu Dhabi Cultural Foundation, Abdulla Al Ameri is responsible for the exhibitions and cultural activities in the capital's premier cultural institution. His affable and friendly nature makes this UAE national a favourite with the embassies, the artists and the media who interact with him.

After acquiring a bachelor's degree in political science from UAE University he worked in a petroleum company before joining the Cultural Foundation.

However, it was his work as an artist - yes, Al Ameri is a reputed painter too, having held many exhibitions locally and abroad - which attracted him to the Cultural Foundation.

Major Jamal Salam Al Ameri, Director in the Traffic Department of the Abu Dhabi Police, is a popular figure among his colleagues in the police department. A helpful nature and a commitment to his job have stood him in good stead.

In just a short span of time, this 30-something officer who's done a masters in mass communication from the UAE University, has risen to the rank of a Major in the police department.

Abdulla Al Ameri:

Jamal was the second eldest in our family of five brothers. I came after him and there must be a difference of three to four years between us. Being the older brother, he dominated over me and my two other younger brothers all the time. Khalid, the oldest brother, was very quiet and never interfered with us, but Jamal wanted to be in control.

Naturally, we retaliated by setting traps for him and trying to make him angry. We used to tamper with his possessions, like his shoes or his bike (he was extremely possessive about his bike).

It was a cat and mouse game between him and the three of us. We had a plan to upset him everyday. My parents had a tough time keeping him away from us. I recall one day he ticked us off for turning the house upside down and demanded that we clean up in half an hour or else we will be punished by him.

To get back at him, we placed a vessel of water and white cement on top of the door and let it drop all over him. Since our parents were not at home we hid outside and remained there till they came home at midnight. He was so angry with us that day, I remember.

Jamal always wanted to be a policeman since he was a kid. There's a photograph of him in police attire when he was just four years old. Things changed when Jamal went to university and started working at the airport. His personality underwent a transformation and he became reserved and quiet.

We five brothers belong to a close-knit family and we are very close to each other today. We meet once a week at our family home outside Abu Dhabi and never let too much time pass before we meet.

I may be more closer to my younger brother Osama, who's more like a friend to me and almost a twin, but I admire and respect Jamal. Apart from being a nice guy, he has a strong personality which I would like to have and he's also very organised.

However, I don't like him to deal with me as a policeman and probe. I like him best when he's relaxed in the evenings and we discuss politics or some other issue. The best times we have had together were when we travelled together - all the five families with our children.

We've been on a trip to Syria, Lebanon and Oman and I have nice memories of that trip. We just ate, relaxed by the riverside and had fun. Jamal wanted to just sit back and relax. I was roaming around catching up with friends.

What we have in common is that we are ambitious and in love with what we do - he always wanted to be a policeman and I an artist since we were children. We achieved our goals, I believe.

Major Jamal Al Ameri:

My childhood memories are linked to the pranks my younger brothers used to play on me. It was Osama and not Abdulla who was naughty, doing things like cutting up the tyres and the seats of my bike.

I used to be very angry and upset with them but later as you grow up a brother comes to mean something different. When you are young there's no meaning to this relationship but later you begin to care for your brother. You begin to have a good relationship with him and start to view life with one target in mind.

The target we have chalked out is to maintain relations and a standing among the rest of the clan, the bin Makhbels. When we were young, I remember my father's goal in life was to get all of us educated.

But, today for us education is expected of us but we have to look beyond and aspire for good positions and a good life. We also have to make sure our children choose the right friends and don't stray. All the children of the five families are one for us.

Abdulla and I are very close, as much as I am with my other brothers. We brothers don't let anything come between us. Abdulla is the only one who took up art. When he first told me about his dreams, I told him not to waste his time and concentrate on more real things. But, he pursued his dream, which I admire and recognise and I'm really proud of him now.

I think his talent is a gift from God, we don't have anybody in the family who's artistic, he's the first. It was his education, his experience in the petroleum companies and his work as an artist which has placed him in a good position today.

Now, we look towards our children to love each other as we do and carry on the mantle of the family traditions and honour.