It's not uncommon to see the Egyptian president sitting stony-faced listening to presentations by Cabinet ministers on development projects or panel speakers addressing an array of topics, as was the case during last week's World Youth Forum. He often cuts in and grab the microphone to ask for clarifications, offer counsel, heap praise or issue new orders.
His interventions, televised live, are sometimes pleasant, often impassioned but can also be angry. He vents frustration over a lack of popular co-operation with his government and laments the failure of officials to use time and resources better.
Whichever the case, they are always blunt.
With an Egyptian Parliament that rarely criticises or questions the president's plans and a press largely controlled by the state, the president's televised comments offer the country's 102 million people an insight into President Abdel Fattah El Sisi's thinking and the government’s priorities.
Egyptians have grown accustomed to watching their leader of seven years in these live televised functions when he faces the cameras while attendees are seated behind him.
A 67-year-old former general, the president’s impromptu comments during a tour of southern Egypt late last month and the World Youth Forum earlier this month covered a wide range of topics, from road construction and poverty to immigration, water conservation and power generation.
He also covered topics his predecessors feared to raise domestically, such as discussing Egypt's much-criticised human rights record or subtly lambasting the West for a perceived hypocrisy.
While his comments don't amount to the opinions of subject experts, they do hint at his diligence, tenacity, eye for detail and punishing work ethic as he pursues a high-octane quest to modernise Egypt after decades of negligence under his predecessors.
The Egyptian leader has urged his people to work harder, admonished them for flouting the law – like illegal construction on farmland – or threatened offenders with the full weight of the law.
“I believe in the freedom of expression. During recent years, we [Mr El Sisi and Egyptians] have been speaking to each other a great deal. We talk about everything with extreme transparency," he said on January 13 at the World Youth Forum held in the Red Sea resort city of Sharm El Sheikh.
The president's televised comments of late have shown a growing confidence in his leadership and policies, doing away with much of the caution that characterised his early public appearances after the election in 2014.
For example, after inspecting new trains in the southern city of Aswan last month, he brought up the subject of his predecessors allowing services like the railways to deteriorate rather than raise fares to generate revenue for maintenance work.
“It was never a question of political will," he said. "They knew exactly what the remedy was, but they wanted to hold on to power even if that meant the country was ruined. They stayed in power while Egypt turned into scrap, just scrap.”
Earlier in his southern tour last month, he said his government had no intention of giving newlyweds Egyptian state food cards, a social programme used by 60 per cent of people to buy heavily subsidised food. If they could not afford to buy food at market prices, he said, they should not get married.
Last year, also during a live broadcast event, he dropped a bombshell when he announced it was time to lift state subsidies on bread.
His announcement sent shockwaves through a country where the majority rely on cheap bread as their main staple. At least 70 people died in riots in 1977 when the government briefly reduced subsidies on bread.
“His predecessors lied either intentionally or unwittingly. But, with this president there’s transparency and honesty,” said Gehad Auda, a political science professor from Helwan University in Cairo. “In some ways, those events resemble a royal audience but they essentially offer a realistic look at where things stand and where they are headed.”
Mr El Sisi has also recently offered a blunt recollection of the 2011 uprising that forced long-time ruler Hosni Mubarak to step down and ushered in years of turmoil.
“We nearly ruined the country in 2011. I will never forget that and you Egyptians shouldn’t either," he said late last month.
While much of what the president offers is on the running of state, billion-dollar developments and new laws, he occasionally surprises viewers with unexpected comments over issues such as the best methods of milking cows or, as he did during his tour of southern Egypt, the problems pomegranate growers face when unable to sell their surplus.
Admonishing officials for not seizing the opportunity to build a factory that would process the surplus pomegranate, he yelled: “Why is it that you don’t dream?"
For a leader who has been questioned by rights groups and allies over the country's rights record, the president has been speaking publicly about the issue a great deal.
He did so again last week during the youth summit and, as on past occasions, he was not defensive.
"Give me $50 billion a year and I will personally ask Egyptians to demonstrate every day," he said in response to criticism in the West of his government's human rights record. "I am prepared to hold elections every year, but on one condition – you finance them; and if Egyptians say 'no' to me, I will just leave."
Addressing the West, he said: "Do you love our people more than we do? Are you more concerned about our country than us?"
When it comes to trying to deliver for the Egyptian people, Mr El Sisi has been trying to build a strong track record.
Since taking office in 2014, he has stabilised the country following a wave of deadly terrorist attacks after the military's removal the previous year of an Islamist president.
He then launched the largest building boom in Egypt's modern history with dozen of new cities under construction, including a new capital in the desert east of Cairo, thousands of kilometres of roads, hundreds of thousands of affordable housing units and enough power stations to make once common blackouts more of a rarity.
He has also introduced a reform programme to overhaul the battered economy that, while compounding the hardships faced by the poor and middle classes, won accolades from donors and international financial agencies.
An early riser who once boasted of starting to “study” conditions in Egypt as a young boy, Mr El Sisi has done enough to convince many Egyptians that his governing style is different from his predecessors.
His schedule, according to official media releases, suggests he hardly takes any time off.
"Poverty ... should push us not to sleep or even nap until we get rid of it with work, work, work," he said last week.
2018 ICC World Twenty20 Asian Western Sub Regional Qualifier
Event info: The tournament in Kuwait this month is the first phase of the qualifying process for sides from Asia for the 2020 World T20 in Australia. The UAE must finish within the top three teams out of the six at the competition to advance to the Asia regional finals. Success at regional finals would mean progression to the World T20 Qualifier.
UAE’s fixtures: Fri Apr 20, UAE v Qatar; Sat Apr 21, UAE v Saudi Arabia; Mon Apr 23, UAE v Bahrain; Tue Apr 24, UAE v Maldives; Thu Apr 26, UAE v Kuwait
World T20 2020 Qualifying process:
- Sixteen teams will play at the World T20 in two years’ time.
- Australia have already qualified as hosts
- Nine places are available to the top nine ranked sides in the ICC’s T20i standings, not including Australia, on Dec 31, 2018.
- The final six teams will be decided by a 14-team World T20 Qualifier.
World T20 standings: 1 Pakistan; 2 Australia; 3 India; 4 New Zealand; 5 England; 6 South Africa; 7 West Indies; 8 Sri Lanka; 9 Afghanistan; 10 Bangladesh; 11 Scotland; 12 Zimbabwe; 13 UAE; 14 Netherlands; 15 Hong Kong; 16 Papua New Guinea; 17 Oman; 18 Ireland
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
The specs: 2018 Nissan Patrol Nismo
Price: base / as tested: Dh382,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 428hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 3,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km
More coverage from the Future Forum
How to vote
Canadians living in the UAE can register to vote online and be added to the International Register of Electors.
They'll then be sent a special ballot voting kit by mail either to their address, the Consulate General of Canada to the UAE in Dubai or The Embassy of Canada in Abu Dhabi
Registered voters mark the ballot with their choice and must send it back by 6pm Eastern time on October 21 (2am next Friday)
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
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Omar Yabroudi's factfile
Born: October 20, 1989, Sharjah
Education: Bachelor of Science and Football, Liverpool John Moores University
2010: Accrington Stanley FC, internship
2010-2012: Crystal Palace, performance analyst with U-18 academy
2012-2015: Barnet FC, first-team performance analyst/head of recruitment
2015-2017: Nottingham Forest, head of recruitment
2018-present: Crystal Palace, player recruitment manager
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
if you go
Getting there
Etihad (Etihad.com), Emirates (emirates.com) and Air France (www.airfrance.com) fly to Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport, from Abu Dhabi and Dubai respectively. Return flights cost from around Dh3,785. It takes about 40 minutes to get from Paris to Compiègne by train, with return tickets costing €19. The Glade of the Armistice is 6.6km east of the railway station.
Staying there
On a handsome, tree-lined street near the Chateau’s park, La Parenthèse du Rond Royal (laparenthesedurondroyal.com) offers spacious b&b accommodation with thoughtful design touches. Lots of natural woods, old fashioned travelling trunks as decoration and multi-nozzle showers are part of the look, while there are free bikes for those who want to cycle to the glade. Prices start at €120 a night.
More information: musee-armistice-14-18.fr ; compiegne-tourisme.fr; uk.france.fr
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company%20profile
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PROFILE
Name: Enhance Fitness
Year started: 2018
Based: UAE
Employees: 200
Amount raised: $3m
Investors: Global Ventures and angel investors
Full list of Emmy 2020 nominations
LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Anthony Anderson, Black-ish
Don Cheadle, Black Monday
Ted Danson, The Good Place
Michael Douglas, The Kominsky Method
Eugene Levy, Schitt’s Creek
Ramy Youssef, Ramy
LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Christina Applegate, Dead to Me
Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Linda Cardellini, Dead to Me
Catherine O’Hara, Schitt’s Creek
Issa Rae, Insecure
Tracee Ellis Ross, Black-ish
OUTSTANDING VARIETY/TALK SERIES
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah
Full Frontal with Samantha Bee
Jimmy Kimmel Live
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Jason Bateman, Ozark
Sterling K. Brown, This Is Us
Steve Carell, The Morning Show
Brian Cox, Succession
Billy Porter, Pose
Jeremy Strong, Succession
LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Jennifer Aniston, The Morning Show
Olivia Colman, The Crown
Jodie Comer, Killing Eve
Laura Linney, Ozark
Sandra Oh, Killing Eve
Zendaya, Euphoria
OUTSTANDING REALITY/COMPETITION PROGRAM
The Masked Singer
Nailed It!
RuPaul’s Drag Race
Top Chef
The Voice
LEAD ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES/TV MOVIE
Jeremy Irons, Watchmen
Hugh Jackman, Bad Education
Paul Mescal, Normal People
Jeremy Pope, Hollywood
Mark Ruffalo, I Know This Much Is True
LEAD ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES/TV MOVIE
Cate Blanchett, Mrs. America
Shira Haas, Unorthodox
Regina King, Watchmen
Octavia Spencer, Self Made
Kerry Washington, Little Fires Everywhere
OUTSTANDING LIMITED SERIES
Little Fires Everywhere
Mrs. America
Unbelievable
Unorthodox
Watchmen
OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Dead to Me
The Good Place
Insecure
The Kominsky Method
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Schitt’s Creek
What We Do In The Shadows
OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES
Better Call Saul
The Crown
The Handmaid’s Tale
Killing Eve
The Mandalorian
Ozark
Stranger Things
Succession
