Oliver Dowden to meet with the lieutenant of the UAE power broker overseeing the Telegraph takeover

Cabinet officials said Oliver Dowden would not talk about the Telegraph takeover during his trip, despite the scrutiny it has generated. Photo: Oli Scarff/AFP

The Deputy Prime Minister will meet with a senior lieutenant of the UAE power broker overseeing the attempted takeover of The Telegraph in the UAE.

Oliver Dowden, who is responsible for making the decision whether RedBird IMI's application should be investigated as a potential threat to national security is visiting the UAE this week for meetings on business investment in the UK.

Meetings will include on Thursday with Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, executive Director of Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company, the Cabinet of Ministers said.

He reports to Chairman Sultan Al Jaber, a powerful figure in Abu Dhabi who runs the oil company and also oversees International Media Investments (IMI), which is providing three-quarters of the funding for the Telegraph bid. Mr Al Jaber will not attend the meeting with Mr Dowden.

IMI has a history of censorship and editorial interference across its media assets, including Sky News Arabia, The National newspaper and CNN Business Arab. It belongs to Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President of the UAE.

Cabinet officials said Mr Dowden would not talk about the Telegraph takeover during his trip, despite the scrutiny it brought to the relationship. with the autocracy of the Persian Gulf.

Abu Dhabi Future Energy, also known as Masdar, agreed in December to buy a 49 percent stake in UK-based Dogger Bank Wind Farm, the world's largest offshore turbine development.

The deal came despite soaring offshore costs wind energy, which has cast doubt on the financial viability of some major players and projects.

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Mr Dowden's trip to the Persian Gulf, which also included stops in Kuwait and Qatar, is a signal that investment of these oil-rich countries have become a key part of the government's business strategy.

RedBird IMI, a joint venture between the UAE and a US private equity firm, hopes to take control of The Telegraph following an ongoing investigation into whether it poses a threat to press freedom.

The foundation, led by US media chief Jeff Zucker, said that will guarantee editorial independence and that concerns about UAE influence are unfounded since its IMI will be a completely passive investor.

The Culture Secretary will have this power in the public interest to block or approve the takeover following a review by Ofcom and the Competition and Markets Authority, which could not be completed until next winter.

The Cabinet Office, which is headed by Mr Dowden, has the authority to launch a separate intervention if the UAE's ownership of The Telegraph is considered to have national security implications.

This month he intervened to protect Briand's national security by placing restrictions on the UAE's 15 percent stake in mobile operator Vodafone. The next day, he issued an unusual statement in which he emphasized that the powers he used were “completely independent of the country.”

Ministers have come under pressure from MPs this week to initiate national security intervention in the takeover of The Telegraph. No such move has been announced. The Cabinet Office will never confirm whether such a move is being considered until the intervention is announced publicly.

The process, launched three years ago, typically involves officials scrutinizing the details of deals before making recommendations to ministers. who will then make the final choice.

MPs on opposite sides of the political divide have in recent weeks demanded that the attempt to seize power be driven by national security concerns.

Ofcom and the CMA were given up to March 11 to complete the investigation into the Telegraph takeover.