Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim on Tuesday reshuffled his cabinet, appointing Qatar Investment Authority chief executive Mansour Al Mahmoud as Minister of Health and naming Saud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, head of the Emiri Diwan since 2020, as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Affairs.
The reshuffle involved several current cabinet members being assigned new roles, with only a few newcomers. Sheikh Faisal bin Thani Al Thani, chief of Asia-Pacific and Africa investments at the QIA and chairman of Qatari telecoms group Ooredo, was appointed as Minister of Commerce and Industry. Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Thani was appointed Minister of Transport.
Maryam Al Misnad has been moved from her role as Minister of Social Development and Family, which she held since 2021, to Minister of State for International Co-operation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Her post has been filled by former teacher and Minister of Education Buthaina Al Nuaimi.
Lolwah Al Khater, the first Qatari woman to hold the position of spokesperson at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and later the Minister of State for International Co-operation, will take over the education portfolio.
Mansour Al Mahmoud is a newcomer to the cabinet, taking on the role of Minister of Health after serving as chief executive of QIA since 2018. He has worked in finance for most of his career, including positions at the Qatar National Bank, the Qatar Development Bank and the Qatar Islamic Bank, as well as serving on the boards of a variety of cultural organisations.
The reshuffle comes a week after Qataris voted in a referendum to end elections for the advisory Shura Council. The election also showed support for all Qatari citizens to be able to hold ministerial positions, not only those born in the country.
The last cabinet reshuffle to place in January, when new ministers of environment, sports and justice were named, among other roles. These ministers retained their roles in the latest reshuffle.
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If you go
The flights
There are direct flights from Dubai to Sofia with FlyDubai (www.flydubai.com) and Wizz Air (www.wizzair.com), from Dh1,164 and Dh822 return including taxes, respectively.
The trip
Plovdiv is 150km from Sofia, with an hourly bus service taking around 2 hours and costing $16 (Dh58). The Rhodopes can be reached from Sofia in between 2-4hours.
The trip was organised by Bulguides (www.bulguides.com), which organises guided trips throughout Bulgaria. Guiding, accommodation, food and transfers from Plovdiv to the mountains and back costs around 170 USD for a four-day, three-night trip.
More from Aya Iskandarani
MATCH INFO
Barcelona 4 (Messi 23' pen, 45 1', 48', Busquets 85')
Celta Vigo 1 (Olaza 42')
Visit Abu Dhabi culinary team's top Emirati restaurants in Abu Dhabi
Yadoo’s House Restaurant & Cafe
For the karak and Yoodo's house platter with includes eggs, balaleet, khamir and chebab bread.
Golden Dallah
For the cappuccino, luqaimat and aseeda.
Al Mrzab Restaurant
For the shrimp murabian and Kuwaiti options including Kuwaiti machboos with kebab and spicy sauce.
Al Derwaza
For the fish hubul, regag bread, biryani and special seafood soup.
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh122,745
On sale: now
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if you go
The flights
Etihad, Emirates and Singapore Airlines fly direct from the UAE to Singapore from Dh2,265 return including taxes. The flight takes about 7 hours.
The hotel
Rooms at the M Social Singapore cost from SG $179 (Dh488) per night including taxes.
The tour
Makan Makan Walking group tours costs from SG $90 (Dh245) per person for about three hours. Tailor-made tours can be arranged. For details go to www.woknstroll.com.sg
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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
What are NFTs?
Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.
You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”
However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.
This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”
This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.
