The UAE on Sunday advised citizens to not travel to Lebanon, where a week of heavy fighting between armed factions in a Palestinian refugee camp has prompted similar notices from other nations in recent days.
The advisory is in place to preserve the safety of UAE citizens, Wam news agency reported on Sunday, citing a decision from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Lebanon's caretaker prime minister Najib Mikati on Saturday said there was no cause for "concern or panic" after continuing violence in the Ain Al Hilweh refugee camp prompted several European and Gulf countries to issue travel warnings.
Mr Mikati said there had been "significant progress" in resolving tensions in the restive camp, where 13 people have been killed and more than 60 injured in the fighting.
He said after talks with security chiefs there was "no cause for concern".
Sparked by the assassination of a Fatah commander and his four bodyguards on July 30, clashes continued throughout the week as militants fired rocket-propelled grenades and deployed snipers within the densely populated camp.
Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Germany and the UK have all updated travel advice to Lebanon in light of the violence, urging their citizens to take precautions and, in some cases, leave the country as soon as possible.
On Friday, Riyadh told its citizens to leave Lebanon as quickly as possible, stressing "the importance of adhering to the Saudi travel ban to Lebanon" in a statement on the X social media platform, formerly known as Twitter.
Kuwait advised citizens in Lebanon to stay vigilant and avoid "areas of security disturbances" but stopped short of asking them to leave the country. Qatar issued similar advice.
The UN's Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) said about 2,000 of Ain Al Hilweh's estimated 50,000 residents had been displaced by fighting between mainstream faction Fatah and hardline Islamist groups entrenched in the sprawling camp.
Many have sought refuge in schools and mosques administered by UNWRA.
A ceasefire brokered on Monday was broken repeatedly, although fighting had mainly subsided by Thursday.
Palestinian factions met at the embassy in Beirut on Thursday amid efforts to prolong the truce, Lebanese media reported.
Mr Mikati threatened to send the army into the camp amid fears the clashes could spread to nearby cities.
In a phone call with Palestinian Prime Minister and Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas, he said the army would "play the required role" in ending the clashes.
About 400,000 refugees live in Lebanon’s 12 Palestinian camps, which date back to the war of 1948.
Ain Al Hilweh has long been the fighting ground for vying gangs and militant groups based there, which have grown in influence under an agreement that largely prevents the Lebanese army from entering Palestinian refugee camps.
Residents told The National of falling asleep to the sound of bombs during the clashes, while rockets and shrapnel landed in nearby military headquarters and injured soldiers.
Two UNWRA-run schools were also damaged in the fighting.
The agency called "on all militant parties to ensure civilians' safety and respect inviolability of UN premises", in a statement from its Lebanon chief Dorothee Klaus.
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The chef's advice
Troy Payne, head chef at Abu Dhabi’s newest healthy eatery Sanderson’s in Al Seef Resort & Spa, says singles need to change their mindset about how they approach the supermarket.
“They feel like they can’t buy one cucumber,” he says. “But I can walk into a shop – I feed two people at home – and I’ll walk into a shop and I buy one cucumber, I’ll buy one onion.”
Mr Payne asks for the sticker to be placed directly on each item, rather than face the temptation of filling one of the two-kilogram capacity plastic bags on offer.
The chef also advises singletons not get too hung up on “organic”, particularly high-priced varieties that have been flown in from far-flung locales. Local produce is often grown sustainably, and far cheaper, he says.
Dhadak
Director: Shashank Khaitan
Starring: Janhvi Kapoor, Ishaan Khattar, Ashutosh Rana
Stars: 3
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
MATCH INFO
World Cup 2022 qualifier
UAE v Indonesia, Thursday, 8pm
Venue: Al Maktoum Stadium, Dubai
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
The specs
BMW M8 Competition Coupe
Engine 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8
Power 625hp at 6,000rpm
Torque 750Nm from 1,800-5,800rpm
Gearbox Eight-speed paddleshift auto
Acceleration 0-100kph in 3.2 sec
Top speed 305kph
Fuel economy, combined 10.6L / 100km
Price from Dh700,000 (estimate)
On sale Jan/Feb 2020
The Bio
Ram Buxani earned a salary of 125 rupees per month in 1959
Indian currency was then legal tender in the Trucial States.
He received the wages plus food, accommodation, a haircut and cinema ticket twice a month and actuals for shaving and laundry expenses
Buxani followed in his father’s footsteps when he applied for a job overseas
His father Jivat Ram worked in general merchandize store in Gibraltar and the Canary Islands in the early 1930s
Buxani grew the UAE business over several sectors from retail to financial services but is attached to the original textile business
He talks in detail about natural fibres, the texture of cloth, mirrorwork and embroidery
Buxani lives by a simple philosophy – do good to all
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
Know your Camel lingo
The bairaq is a competition for the best herd of 50 camels, named for the banner its winner takes home
Namoos - a word of congratulations reserved for falconry competitions, camel races and camel pageants. It best translates as 'the pride of victory' - and for competitors, it is priceless
Asayel camels - sleek, short-haired hound-like racers
Majahim - chocolate-brown camels that can grow to weigh two tonnes. They were only valued for milk until camel pageantry took off in the 1990s
Millions Street - the thoroughfare where camels are led and where white 4x4s throng throughout the festival
Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
Director: Scott Cooper
Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Odessa Young, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 4/5
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
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