The Middle East is faced with major strategic issues related to limiting weapons of mass destruction, experts said at a recent conference in Washington.
And in an increasingly globalised world, preventing the illicit trade of such weapons will become even more difficult.
“Iran’s nuclear programme and the conflict in Syria, especially in light of the use of WMD, in many cases dominate and define the security dialogue in the Middle East,” said Johan Bergenas, an Abu Dhabi security expert and deputy director of the Managing Across Boundaries Initiative at the Stimson Centre think tank.
“There are, however, other important challenges that deserve attention, including the illicit diversion of WMD materials and technology in light of emerging civilian nuclear energy programmes in the region.”
Mr Bergenas was speaking ahead of a workshop in Washington on weapons of mass destruction and strategic stability.
“The UAE, Turkey and Jordan are considered some of the global frontrunners most likely to successfully build up nuclear energy programmes in the coming decades,” he said.
“The nuclear renaissance in the Middle East will result in a massive influx and movement of nuclear materials and technology circulating through the [Arabian] Gulf over the next few decades.”
Mr Bergenas said a significant effort would be needed in security, safety, law enforcement and legislation to battle trafficking.
“This process has begun,” he said. “But in a globalised world it is extremely difficult to prevent WMD proliferation, as proven by the sustained access by Syria to such materials despite being under intense surveillance by the international community.”
As Middle East countries move more towards nuclear technology for energy, the challenge of keeping materials in safe hands will become greater.
“While the UAE’s commitment to nuclear non-proliferation, safety and security has been well demonstrated over the past few years, there is concern that a commitment-compliance gap will emerge as the country develops its nuclear programme, if the international community does not provide the UAE with the appropriate capacity-building assistance and guidance,” Mr Bergenas said.
“Like any nuclear energy newcomer, even one with such a positive track record on commitment, the UAE faces considerable capacity-building challenges as its energy programme moves forward.”
Kavita Berger, an associate director at the Centre for Science, Technology and Security Policy with the American Association for the Advancement of Science, said more programmes were needed in the region to counter such threats.
“Several countries in the Mena region have experienced significant degree of social unrest, change in leadership, civil war, and or terrorism,” Ms Berger said.
“Concerns about biological, chemical, and nuclear weapons in the region have been raised at the regional and international levels, and efforts to have a WMD-free zone have been contentious at times.
“The region has a number of naturally occurring infectious diseases that could adversely affect human, animal, plant, and or environmental health, which could result in shortage of food, loss of agriculture, public health emergencies and other possible outcomes.”
She said the region was diverse in its scientific infrastructure, workforce, laws and regulations.
“The confluence of all of these things makes it an important partner in preventing, detecting, and responding to threats that affect the region, its neighbours or the world,” Ms Berger said.
“Bioengagement that builds on local needs and is carried out in full partnership with regional scientists and or health officials could help address biological risks and enhance safety and security in the region and internationally.”
Although the UAE has in recent years strengthened its export controls, border security and legal infrastructure needed to clamp down on illicit trafficking, the country serves as a significant trans-shipment point for illicit and counterfeit goods.
“The UAE cannot afford to do it alone,” Mr Bergenas said. “These challenges come on top of the significant heavy-lifting required by any country when building up indigenous expertise regarding nuclear energy infrastructure and industry.
“To ensure sustainability, the UAE will have to build up its own national expertise on these matters in the coming years.”
cmalek@thenational.ae
Company%20profile
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The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Essentials
The flights
Whether you trek after mountain gorillas in Rwanda, Uganda or the Congo, the most convenient international airport is in Rwanda’s capital city, Kigali. There are direct flights from Dubai a couple of days a week with RwandAir. Otherwise, an indirect route is available via Nairobi with Kenya Airways. Flydubai flies to Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo, via Entebbe in Uganda. Expect to pay from US$350 (Dh1,286) return, including taxes.
The tours
Superb ape-watching tours that take in all three gorilla countries mentioned above are run by Natural World Safaris. In September, the company will be operating a unique Ugandan ape safari guided by well-known primatologist Ben Garrod.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, local operator Kivu Travel can organise pretty much any kind of safari throughout the Virunga National Park and elsewhere in eastern Congo.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
The specs
Engine: Turbocharged four-cylinder 2.7-litre
Power: 325hp
Torque: 500Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh189,700
On sale: now
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Command%20Z
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
