Live updates: Follow the latest on Syria
Syria's rebel coalition is likely to try to revive a long-stagnant UN-backed political transition process following the end of Bashar Al Assad's government, two long-serving officials opposed to the former president said.
“A transitional governing body, according to Resolution 2254, will take over the administration of the country for a period of up to 18 months," Aymen Al Asmi, a representative of the Syrian opposition at peace talks that have taken place since 2017 in Damascus, told The National from Syria. “In the meantime, work is being done to call for a national assembly to write a new constitution for the country and an electoral law to vote on the constitution.”
The members of the transitional body would be agreed on “through the opposition institutions and the existing opposition platforms,” with the possible participation of non-partisan technocrats, Mr Al Asmi said.
Following Mr Al Assad's departure from Syria on Sunday and the end of more 50 years of his family’s rule, the main challenge for Syria's next rulers will be determining a governance structure and division of powers between military and political factions without collapsing into infighting.
Under huge pressure from Syrians to improve living conditions after decades of one-family rule, new political and military leaders will have to act fast to set up government accepted by a majority of Syrians. While many celebrate Mr Al Assad’s fall, they are also apprehensive about the uncertainty over what is to come, the prospect of new authoritarian governance and factional conflicts. The pressure to act could lead to new institutions that are installed rapidly while more complex issues are left to resolve at a later date.
If rebels can ensure sufficient stability, Syrians plan to implement a new order based on a resolution issued by the UN Security Council in 2015. Resolution 2254 agreed to support a political transition, including drafting a new constitution and UN-supervised free and fair elections, according to a senior Syrian politician opposed to Mr Al Assad. The international community had long been pressing for a return to UN-backed political transition talks, but Mr Al Assad and his government had not engaged in them, opponents to his government and regional officials previously said.
“I think within 10 days the plan will be finalised,” Ahmed Touma, a former president of the Syrian opposition, told The National.
Since Mr Assad's departure, the UN has urged for a return to the long-stagnant political transition based on Resolution 2254. The process has renewed energy following expressions of support from regional neighbours, both those who supported and opposed the former Syrian president.
In a meeting at Doha’s Sheraton hotel on Saturday, the foreign ministers of Turkey, Russia, Iran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt and Iraq agreed to support that process, according to a document viewed by The National. The meeting did not specifically lead to a decision from Mr Al Assad’s supporters to drop their backing, including Moscow and Tehran, according to a regional government official briefed on the talks. But overall, the official said, leaders present at talks in the Qatari capital believed that his days in office were numbered.
“The overall atmosphere in Doha gave me the impression that all states had already accepted that Bashar was a goner,” the official briefed on Saturday’s meeting told The National. “Turkey, Russia, Iran, the Arab countries, even lran seemed to be focusing on the next phase while mourning for a recent loss.”
In a statement on Sunday after Mr Al Assad fled Damascus, Iran’s Foreign Ministry said it backed the “international mechanisms, centring on UN Resolution 2254, for following up on the political process in Syria”, an indication that it is open to political change in Syria.
Russia, Mr Al Assad's other main backer, has given him asylum, although it had become unwilling to step in to defend his rule. Its hand in Syria is now weaker, but pragmatic outreach to the opposition and a robust relationship with opposition-supporting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan may help Moscow to preserve some influence in the country.
A key challenge for the opposition is forming governance structures acceptable to all the factions, and whether they will in practice be dominated by one group or a coalition.
Abu Mohammed Al Jalwani, leader of the former Al Qaeda affiliate Hayat Tahrir Al Shams, led much of the public messaging around the capture of Damascus, and his group has its own civilian affairs arm, the Salvation Government. But there are also other political and military opponents to Mr Al Assad in the Turkey-backed Syrian Interim Government and its affiliated Syrian National Army (SNA), who will also want to play a part in leadership.
Mr Al Jawlani released a message on Telegram on Sunday saying that state institutions needed to be preserved and that they would remain under the auspices of former Prime Minister Mohammad Al Jalali, who worked with Mr Al Assad, until they could be handed over to new authorities.
Mr Al Assad's demise is also having ripple effects across the region. Turkey, a leading player in Syria, has gained significant influence in the country in the past 10 days. Rebels it directly backs were involved in taking Damascus, and are also currently carrying out a separate operation to seize Kurdish-held territory in north-eastern Syria.
If and how fighting that between Turkey-backed rebels and the US-backed SDF can be resolved is another large unanswered question. Ankara would be very likely to oppose any sort of self-governance by Kurdish groups in north-eastern Syria, whom it views as terrorist organisations posing an immediate threat to its national security.
The Kurdish militias rule the approximately one-third of Syria still outside of rebel control. Ayham Al Ghazzi, a member of the Syrian Council for International Relations, a group of Syrian diplomats who defected during Mr Al Assad’s rule, said that the Kurdish militia, previously told The National that they should be invited to a national conference to prepare a new constitution followed by a general election and a government.
Ankara is welcoming the idea that more than three million Syrians who sought refuge on Turkish soil may now be prepared to go home. Anti-refugee sentiment has grown in Turkey in recent years and efforts by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to reach out to Mr Al Assad earlier this year were in part to find a way to return migrants. That is now more likely to happen because the majority of Syrians in Turkey said they would not go home while Mr Al Assad remained in power.
“Our Syrian brothers and sisters should live freely and securely in their own lands,” Turkish Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc wrote in a post on X on Sunday.
Turkish construction companies, who have for decades carried out work in post-conflict zones, may also seek to benefit from contracts in Syria as the country rebuilds. Whoever Syria’s new rulers will be, they face the enormous challenge of governing a country whose infrastructure is in ruins and whose people are psychologically drained by nearly 14 years of conflict.
Mr Al Asmi, the opposition politician, said he saw a need to rebuild basic services in Hama, which opposition fighters took from pro-Assad forces last Thursday. “Hama is lacking necessary services for civilians,” he told The National, blaming the inadequacies on negligence by Mr Al Assad’s government over the past 14 years.
“There is no destruction of buildings inside the city, but there is destruction in the countryside, and a failure in the basic services system such as electricity, cleaning, and the like.”
ACL Elite (West) - fixtures
Monday, Sept 30
Al Sadd v Esteghlal (8pm)
Persepolis v Pakhtakor (8pm)
Al Wasl v Al Ahli (8pm)
Al Nassr v Al Rayyan (10pm)
Tuesday, Oct 1
Al Hilal v Al Shorta (10pm)
Al Gharafa v Al Ain (10pm)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Explainer: Tanween Design Programme
Non-profit arts studio Tashkeel launched this annual initiative with the intention of supporting budding designers in the UAE. This year, three talents were chosen from hundreds of applicants to be a part of the sixth creative development programme. These are architect Abdulla Al Mulla, interior designer Lana El Samman and graphic designer Yara Habib.
The trio have been guided by experts from the industry over the course of nine months, as they developed their own products that merge their unique styles with traditional elements of Emirati design. This includes laboratory sessions, experimental and collaborative practice, investigation of new business models and evaluation.
It is led by British contemporary design project specialist Helen Voce and mentor Kevin Badni, and offers participants access to experts from across the world, including the likes of UK designer Gareth Neal and multidisciplinary designer and entrepreneur, Sheikh Salem Al Qassimi.
The final pieces are being revealed in a worldwide limited-edition release on the first day of Downtown Designs at Dubai Design Week 2019. Tashkeel will be at stand E31 at the exhibition.
Lisa Ball-Lechgar, deputy director of Tashkeel, said: “The diversity and calibre of the applicants this year … is reflective of the dynamic change that the UAE art and design industry is witnessing, with young creators resolute in making their bold design ideas a reality.”
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
The five types of long-term residential visas
Obed Suhail of ServiceMarket, an online home services marketplace, outlines the five types of long-term residential visas:
Investors:
A 10-year residency visa can be obtained by investors who invest Dh10 million, out of which 60 per cent should not be in real estate. It can be a public investment through a deposit or in a business. Those who invest Dh5 million or more in property are eligible for a five-year residency visa. The invested amount should be completely owned by the investors, not loaned, and retained for at least three years.
Entrepreneurs:
A five-year multiple entry visa is available to entrepreneurs with a previous project worth Dh0.5m or those with the approval of an accredited business incubator in the UAE.
Specialists
Expats with specialised talents, including doctors, specialists, scientists, inventors, and creative individuals working in the field of culture and art are eligible for a 10-year visa, given that they have a valid employment contract in one of these fields in the country.
Outstanding students:
A five-year visa will be granted to outstanding students who have a grade of 95 per cent or higher in a secondary school, or those who graduate with a GPA of 3.75 from a university.
Retirees:
Expats who are at least 55 years old can obtain a five-year retirement visa if they invest Dh2m in property, have savings of Dh1m or more, or have a monthly income of at least Dh20,000.
A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
Abu Dhabi GP Saturday schedule
12.30pm GP3 race (18 laps)
2pm Formula One final practice
5pm Formula One qualifying
6.40pm Formula 2 race (31 laps)
The biog
Hometown: Cairo
Age: 37
Favourite TV series: The Handmaid’s Tale, Black Mirror
Favourite anime series: Death Note, One Piece and Hellsing
Favourite book: Designing Brand Identity, Fifth Edition
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LILO & STITCH
Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders
Director: Dean Fleischer Camp
Rating: 4.5/5
Guide to intelligent investing
Investing success often hinges on discipline and perspective. As markets fluctuate, remember these guiding principles:
- Stay invested: Time in the market, not timing the market, is critical to long-term gains.
- Rational thinking: Breathe and avoid emotional decision-making; let logic and planning guide your actions.
- Strategic patience: Understand why you’re investing and allow time for your strategies to unfold.
The Africa Institute 101
Housed on the same site as the original Africa Hall, which first hosted an Arab-African Symposium in 1976, the newly renovated building will be home to a think tank and postgraduate studies hub (it will offer master’s and PhD programmes). The centre will focus on both the historical and contemporary links between Africa and the Gulf, and will serve as a meeting place for conferences, symposia, lectures, film screenings, plays, musical performances and more. In fact, today it is hosting a symposium – 5-plus-1: Rethinking Abstraction that will look at the six decades of Frank Bowling’s career, as well as those of his contemporaries that invested social, cultural and personal meaning into abstraction.
What is cyberbullying?
Cyberbullying or online bullying could take many forms such as sending unkind or rude messages to someone, socially isolating people from groups, sharing embarrassing pictures of them, or spreading rumors about them.
Cyberbullying can take place on various platforms such as messages, on social media, on group chats, or games.
Parents should watch out for behavioural changes in their children.
When children are being bullied they they may be feel embarrassed and isolated, so parents should watch out for signs of signs of depression and anxiety
The Year Earth Changed
Directed by:Tom Beard
Narrated by: Sir David Attenborough
Stars: 4
The Bio
Name: Lynn Davison
Profession: History teacher at Al Yasmina Academy, Abu Dhabi
Children: She has one son, Casey, 28
Hometown: Pontefract, West Yorkshire in the UK
Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite Author: CJ Sansom
Favourite holiday destination: Bali
Favourite food: A Sunday roast
FIXTURES
Nov 04-05: v Western Australia XI, Perth
Nov 08-11: v Cricket Australia XI, Adelaide
Nov 15-18 v Cricket Australia XI, Townsville (d/n)
Nov 23-27: 1ST TEST v AUSTRALIA, Brisbane
Dec 02-06: 2ND TEST v AUSTRALIA, Adelaide (d/n)
Dec 09-10: v Cricket Australia XI, Perth
Dec 14-18: 3RD TEST v AUSTRALIA, Perth
Dec 26-30 4TH TEST v AUSTRALIA, Melbourne
Jan 04-08: 5TH TEST v AUSTRALIA, Sydney
Note: d/n = day/night
Anxiety and work stress major factors
Anxiety, work stress and social isolation are all factors in the recogised rise in mental health problems.
A study UAE Ministry of Health researchers published in the summer also cited struggles with weight and illnesses as major contributors.
Its authors analysed a dozen separate UAE studies between 2007 and 2017. Prevalence was often higher in university students, women and in people on low incomes.
One showed 28 per cent of female students at a Dubai university reported symptoms linked to depression. Another in Al Ain found 22.2 per cent of students had depressive symptoms - five times the global average.
It said the country has made strides to address mental health problems but said: “Our review highlights the overall prevalence of depressive symptoms and depression, which may long have been overlooked."
Prof Samir Al Adawi, of the department of behavioural medicine at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman, who was not involved in the study but is a recognised expert in the Gulf, said how mental health is discussed varies significantly between cultures and nationalities.
“The problem we have in the Gulf is the cross-cultural differences and how people articulate emotional distress," said Prof Al Adawi.
“Someone will say that I have physical complaints rather than emotional complaints. This is the major problem with any discussion around depression."
Daniel Bardsley
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
