The President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al-Nahayan, has strongly criticised Washington's role in the Middle East peace process, accusing it of failing to be even-handed.

In an interview with the New York Times, Sheikh Zayed -- whose country recently awarded a six billion dollar defence contract to an American company -- said the United States was a friend to the UAE.

But he said American policy was biased against the Palestinians: whatever the Palestinians said was discarded, while Israeli demands were imposed.

A BBC correspondent in the Gulf says that while criticism by an Arab ruler of the American role in the Middle East peace process is nothing new, such an outspoken attack may cause some surprise.