Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud visited Cairo and met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi on Wednesday to witness the signing of a co-operation protocol between both their countries' militaries.
After the signing ceremony, Mr El Sisi affirmed Egypt's commitment to preserving Somalia's territorial integrity and rejected “any intervention in its internal affairs”.
During the press conference held after the meeting, Mr Mohamud lauded the historic pact as a “testament to a future of common defence against the international terrorism we are combating both at home and abroad.”
He further asserted that the agreement serves as a “blueprint for the exchange of knowledge and expertise in the pursuit of regional, continental, and international peace and security.”
Mr El Sisi offered his condolences to Mr Mohamud and the Somali people for the recent terrorist attack in Mogadishu. He congratulated Somalia on the lifting of international sanctions and its upcoming term on the UN Security Council in 2025-2026, on which it was awarded a non-permanent seat in April.
Mr El Sisi highlighted the steps taken to improve ties, including the reopening of a revamped Egyptian embassy in Mogadishu the resumption of Egyptair flights between Cairo and the Somali capital, and the presence of Egypt's Banque Misr in Somalia.
He underscored Egypt's stance of non-interference and respect for national sovereignty. “We always call for construction, development and reconstruction, and we never interfere in the affairs of states,” he said. “What governs our policy paths is respect for international law, international norms, and the sovereignty of states.”
Mr El Sisi said he was ready to contribute troops to an African Union peacekeeping force stationed in Somalia, but “only if we are asked to”.
Egypt has repeatedly voiced its support of Somalia's unity and its rejection of an agreement signed between Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Muse Bihi Abdi, the President of Somaliland, a region of Somalia with separatist ambitions.
The Ethiopia-Somaliland deal, denounced by Egypt and Somalia since its signing in January, would provide landlocked Ethiopia with 20km of Somalia’s coastline which it intends to use to build a naval base.
The naval base is viewed as a threat to Egypt’s military supremacy in the Red Sea and portions of its Africa-bound maritime trade, which Addis Ababa’s port would partly receive instead.
“The defence pact between Somalia and Egypt was an example of astute manoeuvring by Cairo which has been trying to rally African support in its dispute with Ethiopia over the Rennaissance Dam,” African affairs analyst Hatim Dirdiri told The National.
“Egypt was able to leverage the rifts between Ethiopia and its neighbours in the Horn of Africa. The pact took everyone by surprise, most of all Abiy Ahmed, who was confronted with the reality that Ethiopia's bid for power in the region was estranging it from its neighbours.”
The deal has worsened relations between Cairo and Addis Ababa. Both nations have had strained ties over Ethiopia’s construction of a mega dam on the Blue Nile, seen by Egypt as an existential threat to its share of the Nile’s waters.
On Monday, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, who met with Mr Mohamud in the Rwandan capital, Kigali, earlier this week at the inauguration of President Paul Kagame, reaffirmed Egypt’s “unwavering support for Somali sovereignty and the unity and security of its lands”.
A round of indirect talks held between Ethiopia and Somali officials on Tuesday ended with no final resolution and with both sides largely fixed in their positions.
The talks, held in Ankara and mediated by Turkey, did not include any face-to-face meetings with representatives of both sides but involved messages being sent through Turkish intermediaries, diplomatic sources told the Anadolu Agency.
The Somali Foreign Ministry thanked Turkey for hosting the talks and said that it intended to participate in a future round of talks. However, a ministry statement said that it remained “steadfast in safeguarding its sovereignty and territorial integrity”.
Earlier this week, Mr Ahmed called Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and emphasised Addis Ababa's commitment to gaining sea access.
In April, Somalia recalled its ambassador to Ethiopia. Mogadishu then announced a defence pact with Cairo which was ratified by the Somali parliament in July.
The pact came months after remarks from Mr El Sisi made during a joint press conference in January with Mr Sheikh Mohamud who was in Cairo at the time, ostensibly aimed at Ethiopia.
“Egypt will not allow anyone to threaten Somalia or affect its security,” Mr El Sisi said. “Do not try Egypt, or try to threaten its brothers especially if they ask it to intervene.”
Somaliland, a region in the north-west of Somalia, declared its independence in 1991 after the collapse of the Somali central government. Formerly known as British Somaliland during the colonial era, the region briefly gained independence in 1960 before uniting with Italian Somaliland to form the Somali Republic.
However, Somalilanders felt marginalised by the central government in Mogadishu, leading to a rebellion in the 1980s. After a civil war in which the central government collapsed, Somaliland unilaterally declared its independence, citing the right to self-determination and the desire to establish a stable, democratic state.
What is Folia?
Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal's new plant-based menu will launch at Four Seasons hotels in Dubai this November. A desire to cater to people looking for clean, healthy meals beyond green salad is what inspired Prince Khaled and American celebrity chef Matthew Kenney to create Folia. The word means "from the leaves" in Latin, and the exclusive menu offers fine plant-based cuisine across Four Seasons properties in Los Angeles, Bahrain and, soon, Dubai.
Kenney specialises in vegan cuisine and is the founder of Plant Food Wine and 20 other restaurants worldwide. "I’ve always appreciated Matthew’s work," says the Saudi royal. "He has a singular culinary talent and his approach to plant-based dining is prescient and unrivalled. I was a fan of his long before we established our professional relationship."
Folia first launched at The Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills in July 2018. It is available at the poolside Cabana Restaurant and for in-room dining across the property, as well as in its private event space. The food is vibrant and colourful, full of fresh dishes such as the hearts of palm ceviche with California fruit, vegetables and edible flowers; green hearb tacos filled with roasted squash and king oyster barbacoa; and a savoury coconut cream pie with macadamia crust.
In March 2019, the Folia menu reached Gulf shores, as it was introduced at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, where it is served at the Bay View Lounge. Next, on Tuesday, November 1 – also known as World Vegan Day – it will come to the UAE, to the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach and the Four Seasons DIFC, both properties Prince Khaled has spent "considerable time at and love".
There are also plans to take Folia to several more locations throughout the Middle East and Europe.
While health-conscious diners will be attracted to the concept, Prince Khaled is careful to stress Folia is "not meant for a specific subset of customers. It is meant for everyone who wants a culinary experience without the negative impact that eating out so often comes with."
The distance learning plan
Spring break will be from March 8 - 19
Public school pupils will undergo distance learning from March 22 - April 2. School hours will be 8.30am to 1.30pm
Staff will be trained in distance learning programmes from March 15 - 19
Teaching hours will be 8am to 2pm during distance learning
Pupils will return to school for normal lessons from April 5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Read more about the coronavirus
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Evacuations to France hit by controversy
- Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
- Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
- The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
- Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
- It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
- Since the start of the Gaza war, it has also included 45 Gazan beneficiaries
- Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The years Ramadan fell in May
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Al Jazira's foreign quartet for 2017/18
Romarinho, Brazil
Lassana Diarra, France
Sardor Rashidov, Uzbekistan
Mbark Boussoufa, Morocco
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The five pillars of Islam
Brief scores:
England: 290 & 346
Sri Lanka: 336 & 243
Zayed Sustainability Prize
List of alleged parties
May 12, 2020: PM and his wife Carrie attend 'work meeting' with at least 17 staff
May 20, 2020: They attend 'bring your own booze party'
Nov 27, 2020: PM gives speech at leaving party for his staff
Dec 10, 2020: Staff party held by then-education secretary Gavin Williamson
Dec 13, 2020: PM and his wife throw a party
Dec 14, 2020: London mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey holds staff event at Conservative Party headquarters
Dec 15, 2020: PM takes part in a staff quiz
Dec 18, 2020: Downing Street Christmas party
Things Heard & Seen
Directed by: Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini
Starring: Amanda Seyfried, James Norton
2/5
Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
Match info
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Liverpool v Porto, Tuesday, 11pm (UAE)
Matches can be watched on BeIN Sports
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
THE DETAILS
Solo: A Star Wars Story
Director: Ron Howard
2/5
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LIVING IN...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
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How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
2019 ASIA CUP POTS
Pot 1
UAE, Iran, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia
Pot 2
China, Syria, Uzbekistan, Iraq, Qatar, Thailand
Pot 3
Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Palestine, Oman, India, Vietnam
Pot 4
North Korea, Philippines, Bahrain, Jordan, Yemen, Turkmenistan
The biog
Hobby: Playing piano and drawing patterns
Best book: Awaken the Giant Within by Tony Robbins
Food of choice: Sushi
Favourite colour: Orange
UAE%20FIXTURES
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What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
Biography
Her family: She has four sons, aged 29, 27, 25 and 24 and is a grandmother-of-nine
Favourite book: Flashes of Thought by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid
Favourite drink: Water
Her hobbies: Reading and volunteer work
Favourite music: Classical music
Her motto: I don't wait, I initiate
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More on Quran memorisation:
Fifa%20World%20Cup%20Qatar%202022%20
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
88 Video's most popular rentals
Avengers 3: Infinity War: an American superhero film released in 2018 and based on the Marvel Comics story.
Sholay: a 1975 Indian action-adventure film. It follows the adventures of two criminals hired by police to catch a vagabond. The film was panned on release but is now considered a classic.
Lucifer: is a 2019 Malayalam-language action film. It dives into the gritty world of Kerala’s politics and has become one of the highest-grossing Malayalam films of all time.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Changing visa rules
For decades the UAE has granted two and three year visas to foreign workers, tied to their current employer. Now that's changing.
Last year, the UAE cabinet also approved providing 10-year visas to foreigners with investments in the UAE of at least Dh10 million, if non-real estate assets account for at least 60 per cent of the total. Investors can bring their spouses and children into the country.
It also approved five-year residency to owners of UAE real estate worth at least 5 million dirhams.
The government also said that leading academics, medical doctors, scientists, engineers and star students would be eligible for similar long-term visas, without the need for financial investments in the country.
The first batch - 20 finalists for the Mohammed bin Rashid Medal for Scientific Distinction.- were awarded in January and more are expected to follow.
ENGLAND SQUAD
Eoin Morgan (captain), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Tom Curran, Alex Hales, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3.0%20twin-turbo%20inline%20six-cylinder%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Eeight-speed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E503hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E600Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Efrom%20Dh450%2C000%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Enow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
