Egypt and Turkey wrapped up two days of “frank and deep” talks in Cairo on Thursday to normalise relations after eight years of tensions that pushed them close to hostilities last summer.
The two sides will assess the outcome of the talks before they decide on what to do next, a joint statement read.
The talks were seen as a dramatic turn in relations, whose sharp and rapid deterioration began when Egypt’s military removed Turkish-backed President Mohammed Morsi in 2013 amid a wave of protests against his divisive one-year rule.
Egypt and Turkey have since been at odds over a range of bilateral and regional issues, including the conflicts in Libya and Syria. Ankara has also attempted to muscle in on plans led by Egypt and Turkish rivals Greece and Cyprus to create a major energy hub in the East Mediterranean following the discovery of massive natural gas reserves.
“Discussions were frank and deep. They dealt with bilateral issues in addition to several regional issues, including the situation in Libya, Syria and Iraq as well as the necessity of achieving peace and security in the East Mediterranean,” said the joint statement.
“The two sides will assess the outcome of this round of consultations and agree on the next steps.” It gave no further details.
A rapprochement between Egypt and Nato-member Turkey has the potential to change the geostrategic landscape of the Middle East a decade after a series of the Arab uprisings wreaked havoc across much of the volatile region.
The list of issues over which the two nations differ is long and would require compromises from both sides, but recent signs are somewhat encouraging.
Last summer, Egypt’s president, Abdel Fatah El Sisi, said he was prepared to deploy troops to Libya, where Turkey was backing the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord, if loyal militias took the town of Sirte from the Cairo-supported Libyan National Army and moved towards Egypt’s borders in the east.
But things have changed a great deal since in energy-rich Libya, where a ceasefire has been holding in the conflict-wracked country and a new unity government is in place.
Egypt is demanding the withdrawal of Turkish forces in Libya as well as foreign fighters shipped there by Ankara.
In a gesture of goodwill, Turkey has ordered three opposition television networks operating from Turkey to tone down criticism of the Egyptian government. Ankara has yet to decide on whether to extradite wanted members of the now-banned Muslim Brotherhood to face terror-related charges in Egypt.
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Name: Brendalle Belaza
From: Crossing Rubber, Philippines
Arrived in the UAE: 2007
Favourite place in Abu Dhabi: NYUAD campus
Favourite photography style: Street photography
Favourite book: Harry Potter
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Getting there
The flights
Flydubai operates up to seven flights a week to Helsinki. Return fares to Helsinki from Dubai start from Dh1,545 in Economy and Dh7,560 in Business Class.
The stay
Golden Crown Igloos in Levi offer stays from Dh1,215 per person per night for a superior igloo; www.leviniglut.net
Panorama Hotel in Levi is conveniently located at the top of Levi fell, a short walk from the gondola. Stays start from Dh292 per night based on two people sharing; www. golevi.fi/en/accommodation/hotel-levi-panorama
Arctic Treehouse Hotel in Rovaniemi offers stays from Dh1,379 per night based on two people sharing; www.arctictreehousehotel.com
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
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Tomorrow 2021
World Mental Health Day
The biog
First Job: Abu Dhabi Department of Petroleum in 1974
Current role: Chairperson of Al Maskari Holding since 2008
Career high: Regularly cited on Forbes list of 100 most powerful Arab Businesswomen
Achievement: Helped establish Al Maskari Medical Centre in 1969 in Abu Dhabi’s Western Region
Future plan: Will now concentrate on her charitable work
Women%E2%80%99s%20T20%20World%20Cup%20Qualifier
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ANDROID%20VERSION%20NAMES%2C%20IN%20ORDER
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Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
The biog
Name: Dhabia Khalifa AlQubaisi
Age: 23
How she spends spare time: Playing with cats at the clinic and feeding them
Inspiration: My father. He’s a hard working man who has been through a lot to provide us with everything we need
Favourite book: Attitude, emotions and the psychology of cats by Dr Nicholes Dodman
Favourit film: 101 Dalmatians - it remind me of my childhood and began my love of dogs
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Other ways to buy used products in the UAE
UAE insurance firm Al Wathba National Insurance Company (AWNIC) last year launched an e-commerce website with a facility enabling users to buy car wrecks.
Bidders and potential buyers register on the online salvage car auction portal to view vehicles, review condition reports, or arrange physical surveys, and then start bidding for motors they plan to restore or harvest for parts.
Physical salvage car auctions are a common method for insurers around the world to move on heavily damaged vehicles, but AWNIC is one of the few UAE insurers to offer such services online.
For cars and less sizeable items such as bicycles and furniture, Dubizzle is arguably the best-known marketplace for pre-loved.
Founded in 2005, in recent years it has been joined by a plethora of Facebook community pages for shifting used goods, including Abu Dhabi Marketplace, Flea Market UAE and Arabian Ranches Souq Market while sites such as The Luxury Closet and Riot deal largely in second-hand fashion.
At the high-end of the pre-used spectrum, resellers such as Timepiece360.ae, WatchBox Middle East and Watches Market Dubai deal in authenticated second-hand luxury timepieces from brands such as Rolex, Hublot and Tag Heuer, with a warranty.
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- 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
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- 600-seat auditorium
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- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Tomorrow 2021
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
