Britain’s Foreign Secretary is to make a diplomatic push in the Middle East as London seeks the views of Arab states on the international efforts to help bring peace to Syria after the collapse of the Assad regime.
David Lammy will arrive in Riyadh on Sunday, joining a contact group of Arab nations where the issue of stopping the fighting in Syria between Turkish-backed forces and Kurds in the north-east will be one of the central discussions, The National understands.
Britain will also be looking to co-ordinate with the Saudis and others on the approach to a peace deal in Gaza, as the prospect looms of a delay until after US president-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20.
The Riyadh meeting will take the same format as the “Aqaba Summit” on Syria last month in Amman, which was joined by Saudi Arabia, the UAE and several other Arab states.
The Aqaba format was for interested parties “to keep the drum beat up” for peace, a western official heading to Riyadh told The National.
After a meeting in Rome with foreign ministers from the US, Germany, France, Italy and the EU on Thursday, Mr Lammy posted on X that the participants “discussed the need for an inclusive, Syrian-led political transition to create a stable, prosperous and safe country for all Syrians”.
He added that “this is what Syrians deserve and what the UK will support them to achieve”. Western officials indicated that Britain and others would not immediately lift sanctions on Syria until it is clear the de facto government led by Hayat Tahrir Al Sham (HTS) will not mistreat the country’s religious minorities.
It is understood if a period of stability is achieved by HTS, Mr Lammy will make an official visit to Damascus, meeting leaders of the organisation that was formerly linked to Al Qaeda. His overnight host, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, met Syria's new ruler Ahmed Al Shara in Damascus on Friday and French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot held a "long chat" with the Syrian leader earlier this month.
Western officials say there is “no rush” on lifting sanctions, as they are “playing the longer game”, having learnt the lessons of lifting them too quickly in the past, particularly in Libya in 2011.
HTS had to prove it was “inclusive” and that there would be no “suppression, persecution or mistreatment of minorities”, the official added. “Those are the basics that we would expect to see.”
Shayan Talabany of the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change think tank said: “It's important to reassess ways that sanctions can be lifted or maintained while still delivering benefits to the general population. You don't just lift sanctions overnight and expect things to progress.”
With fighting still raging in the north-east between the Syrian National Army (SNA), backed by Turkey, and the US-supported largely Kurdish Syrian Defence Forces (SDF), analysts believe that bringing in a rapid peace deal will be important.
The UK could press for all parties to agree to an “inclusive” short-term agreement before a formal Syrian constitution is drafted, said Ms Talabany.
“If we start off on that good note, things could continue in a positive trajectory, but if we start off on the wrong footing, then it's going to make it much more complicated,” she said.
“This is a real chance for Turkey to do something that would both benefit Turkey hugely and also the rest of the region, with an amazing opportunity for them to win friends, that would give Turkey a massive upper hand in the Middle East.”
Britain’s key interest was to stabilise Syria following concerns that the SNA and SDF fighting could foment unrest and rejuvenate ISIS extremists.
“Given the number of groups active in Syria that have the capacity to re-engage in armed conflict, keeping it stable is the primary interest now,” said Megan Sutcliffe, lead Middle East analyst at the Sibylline geopolitical intelligence company. The clashes could generate conditions that might push more refugees into Turkey and through Europe, rather than getting them to return.
“The conflict of interest between Turkey and the SDF is not necessarily irreconcilable,” she added. “But Turkey's concern is that the SDF is actually just a cover for Kurdish secessionists, something the Kurds deny.”
She added that Mr Lammy would likely be prioritising dialogue to “avoid an additional Turkish military operation within Syria”.
“Mr Lammy will be attempting to achieve as part of this visit in broader co-ordination with Saudi Arabia, without necessarily having to directly engage with Syrian authorities,” she added.
The potential ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas in Gaza will also feature in the Riyadh discussions, with expectations now slipping to a deal not being done until after Mr Trump’s inauguration.
“It's more likely that we're going to see a peace deal in the immediate aftermath of the inauguration in Gaza than we are in Ukraine,” a diplomatic source told The National. “It will be a moment that Trump can say, ‘well, I got peace in the Middle East’.”
Ms Talabany agreed that January 20, inauguration day, would be a “very significant deadline for the whole region”.
UAE SQUAD
Khalid Essa, Ali Khaseif, Fahad Al Dhanhani, Adel Al Hosani, Bandar Al Ahbabi, Mohammad Barghash, Salem Rashid, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Shaheen Abdulrahman, Hassan Al Mahrami, Walid Abbas, Mahmoud Khamis, Yousef Jaber, Majed Sorour, Majed Hassan, Ali Salmeen, Abdullah Ramadan, Abdullah Al Naqbi, Khalil Al Hammadi, Fabio De Lima, Khalfan Mubarak, Tahnoon Al Zaabi, Ali Saleh, Caio Canedo, Ali Mabkhout, Sebastian Tagliabue, Zayed Al Ameri
Dubai World Cup Carnival card
6.30pm: UAE 1000 Guineas Trial Conditions (TB) US$100,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
7.05pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (Turf) 1,000m
7.40pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (D) 1,900m
8.15pm: Meydan Challenge Listed Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 1,400m
8.50pm: Dubai Stakes Group 3 (TB) $200,000 (D) 1,200m
9.25pm: Dubai Racing Club Classic Listed Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 2,410m
The National selections
6.30pm: Final Song
7.05pm: Pocket Dynamo
7.40pm: Dubai Icon
8.15pm: Dubai Legacy
8.50pm: Drafted
9.25pm: Lucius Tiberius
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 4 liquid-cooled permanent magnet synchronous electric motors placed at each wheel
Battery: Rimac 120kWh Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (LiNiMnCoO2) chemistry
Power: 1877bhp
Torque: 2300Nm
Price: Dh7,500,00
On sale: Now
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Nepotism is the name of the game
Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
ANATOMY%20OF%20A%20FALL
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What is a robo-adviser?
Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.
These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.
Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.
Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.
Brief scoreline:
Crystal Palace 2
Milivojevic 76' (pen), Van Aanholt 88'
Huddersfield Town 0
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
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Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
Surianah's top five jazz artists
Billie Holliday: for the burn and also the way she told stories.
Thelonius Monk: for his earnestness.
Duke Ellington: for his edge and spirituality.
Louis Armstrong: his legacy is undeniable. He is considered as one of the most revolutionary and influential musicians.
Terence Blanchard: very political - a lot of jazz musicians are making protest music right now.
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
World record transfers
1. Kylian Mbappe - to Real Madrid in 2017/18 - €180 million (Dh770.4m - if a deal goes through)
2. Paul Pogba - to Manchester United in 2016/17 - €105m
3. Gareth Bale - to Real Madrid in 2013/14 - €101m
4. Cristiano Ronaldo - to Real Madrid in 2009/10 - €94m
5. Gonzalo Higuain - to Juventus in 2016/17 - €90m
6. Neymar - to Barcelona in 2013/14 - €88.2m
7. Romelu Lukaku - to Manchester United in 2017/18 - €84.7m
8. Luis Suarez - to Barcelona in 2014/15 - €81.72m
9. Angel di Maria - to Manchester United in 2014/15 - €75m
10. James Rodriguez - to Real Madrid in 2014/15 - €75m
FA Cup semi-finals
Saturday: Manchester United v Tottenham Hotspur, 8.15pm (UAE)
Sunday: Chelsea v Southampton, 6pm (UAE)
Matches on Bein Sports
War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
The specs: 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor
Price, base / as tested Dh220,000 / Dh320,000
Engine 3.5L V6
Transmission 10-speed automatic
Power 421hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 678Nm @ 3,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 14.1L / 100km
Turkish Ladies
Various artists, Sony Music Turkey
If you go...
Etihad Airways flies from Abu Dhabi to Kuala Lumpur, from about Dh3,600. Air Asia currently flies from Kuala Lumpur to Terengganu, with Berjaya Hotels & Resorts planning to launch direct chartered flights to Redang Island in the near future. Rooms at The Taaras Beach and Spa Resort start from 680RM (Dh597).
Banned items
Dubai Police has also issued a list of banned items at the ground on Sunday. These include:
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Political flags or banners
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Bikes, skateboards or scooters
