Economic interdependence will breed regional security between Iran and its neighbours, an adviser to Iran's Foreign Ministry said at foreign policy forum in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.
“Very significant steps are being seen in the region” towards improving ties between Iran and Arab states, Seyyed Mohammad-Kazem Sajjadpour said, a day after Saudi Arabia condemned Israel's recent attacks on Iran at an Arab-Islamic summit in Riyadh.
Speaking at the 11th Abu Dhabi Strategic Debate, Mr Sajjadpour pointed to Iran's relations with Iraq, with which it signed several trade agreements following President Masoud Pezeshkian's visit to Baghdad in September.
“One of the major themes of his trip was economic co-operation and it’s not just Iraq, with other neighbours too – and it’s working because it’s mutually beneficial for bilateral ties,” he said. “When you create economic interdependence the byproduct will be security and stability.”
Regional stability has become a major concern since Israel launched a devastating military offensive in Gaza last year following the deadly October 7 attack on southern Israel led by Palestinian militant group Hamas. The war spread to Lebanon in September after a year of cross-border fire between the Israeli military and Lebanese armed group Hezbollah.
Israel and Iran have exchanged two rounds of tit-for-tat attacks in April and October this year, triggered by Israel's assassinations of top figures from Hamas and Hezbollah, both of which are backed by Iran, and of senior Iranian military figures in Syria.
Mohammad Reza Dehshiri, dean of the School of International Relations run by Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said Saudi Arabia's condemnation of Israel's attacks on Iran “demonstrates the will and determination of a peaceful co-existence in the region”.
Speaking to The National on the sidelines of the two-day conference, Mr Sajjadpour said the visit by Saudi Arabia's army chief of staff to Tehran on Sunday, where he met his counterpart to discuss defence ties, was an “important step” not only for better bilateral ties but for regional peace and security as a whole.
“Neighbourhood policy is the motto of Iran’s foreign policy,” Mr Dehshiri said. Iran “would like to co-operate with all the countries in the region”, he added. This requires “confidence-building measures, co-operation and communication”.
Iran recently invited Saudi Arabia to be part of joint naval exercises in the Red Sea. “These joint manoeuvres can be extended to other countries of the region and we can work together for a better and prosperous region where peace, security and stability would be a major factor,” Mr Dehshiri said.
He said Mr Pezeshkian's predecessors had paved the way for the closer ties being seen between Iran and its neighbours following decades of isolation. “Now, the countries of the region have understood that Iran is sincere in its confidence-building measures.”
Non-state actors
On the opening day of the conference, Dr Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to President Sheikh Mohamed, said that national institutions in the region must be supported and that non-state actors “must not be tolerated”.
Iran supports Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, but Mr Dehshiri maintained that Iran does not “give orders” to these groups, which act of “their own will” against Israel.
“I think rather than focusing this issue on the axis of resistance, we should rather say that the era of Israeli genocide, or occupation is over,” he said, referring to the informal alliance of Iran-linked forces in the region.
“It is a subsidiary issue,” he added, identifying Israel as an occupying force as the main source of instability in the region.
Mr Dehshiri also said that Arab states should put pressure on Israel, rather than non-state actors, through reducing their diplomatic ties, cutting off trade with the country and pressing the US administration to stop sending arms to Israel.
Results
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The specs: 2019 Infiniti QX50
Price, base: Dh138,000 (estimate)
Engine: 2.0L, turbocharged, in-line four-cylinder
Transmission: Continuously variable transmission
Power: 268hp @ 5,600rpm
Torque: 380Nm @ 4,400rpm
Fuel economy: 6.7L / 100km (estimate)
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Yahya Al Ghassani's bio
Date of birth: April 18, 1998
Playing position: Winger
Clubs: 2015-2017 – Al Ahli Dubai; March-June 2018 – Paris FC; August – Al Wahda
57%20Seconds
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Votes
Total votes: 1.8 million
Ashraf Ghani: 923,592 votes
Abdullah Abdullah: 720,841 votes
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
WHAT IS GRAPHENE?
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were experimenting with sticky tape and graphite, the material used as lead in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But when they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
ICC Women's T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier 2025, Thailand
UAE fixtures
May 9, v Malaysia
May 10, v Qatar
May 13, v Malaysia
May 15, v Qatar
May 18 and 19, semi-finals
May 20, final
Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill
Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
SRI LANKA SQUAD
Upul Tharanga (captain), Dinesh Chandimal, Niroshan Dickwella
Lahiru Thirimanne, Kusal Mendis, Milinda Siriwardana
Chamara Kapugedara, Thisara Perera, Seekuge Prasanna
Nuwan Pradeep, Suranga Lakmal, Dushmantha Chameera
Vishwa Fernando, Akila Dananjaya, Jeffrey Vandersay
Company info
Company name: Entrupy
Co-founders: Vidyuth Srinivasan, co-founder/chief executive, Ashlesh Sharma, co-founder/chief technology officer, Lakshmi Subramanian, co-founder/chief scientist
Based: New York, New York
Sector/About: Entrupy is a hardware-enabled SaaS company whose mission is to protect businesses, borders and consumers from transactions involving counterfeit goods.
Initial investment/Investors: Entrupy secured a $2.6m Series A funding round in 2017. The round was led by Tokyo-based Digital Garage and Daiwa Securities Group's jointly established venture arm, DG Lab Fund I Investment Limited Partnership, along with Zach Coelius.
Total customers: Entrupy’s customers include hundreds of secondary resellers, marketplaces and other retail organisations around the world. They are also testing with shipping companies as well as customs agencies to stop fake items from reaching the market in the first place.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Don't get fined
The UAE FTA requires following to be kept:
- Records of all supplies and imports of goods and services
- All tax invoices and tax credit notes
- Alternative documents related to receiving goods or services
- All tax invoices and tax credit notes
- Alternative documents issued
- Records of goods and services that have been disposed of or used for matters not related to business
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
When Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi
Known as The Lady of Arabic Song, Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi on November 28, 1971, as part of celebrations for the fifth anniversary of the accession of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan as Ruler of Abu Dhabi. A concert hall was constructed for the event on land that is now Al Nahyan Stadium, behind Al Wahda Mall. The audience were treated to many of Kulthum's most well-known songs as part of the sold-out show, including Aghadan Alqak and Enta Omri.
ICC Intercontinental Cup
UAE squad Rohan Mustafa (captain), Chirag Suri, Shaiman Anwar, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Saqlain Haider, Ahmed Raza, Mohammed Naveed, Imran Haider, Qadeer Ahmed, Mohammed Boota, Amir Hayat, Ashfaq Ahmed
Fixtures Nov 29-Dec 2
UAE v Afghanistan, Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Hong Kong v Papua New Guinea, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Ireland v Scotland, Dubai International Stadium
Namibia v Netherlands, ICC Academy, Dubai
THE%20SWIMMERS
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Destroyer
Director: Karyn Kusama
Cast: Nicole Kidman, Toby Kebbell, Sebastian Stan
Rating: 3/5
UAE release: January 31
MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Manchester United v Barcelona, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Match on BeIN Sports
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Profile
Company: Justmop.com
Date started: December 2015
Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan
Sector: Technology and home services
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai
Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month
Funding: The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups.
