Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza
Arab leaders meeting in Saudi Arabia on Friday are expected to review a Gaza reconstruction plan meant to counter President Donald Trump's controversial scheme for the US to develop the coastal enclave after moving its 2.3 million residents elsewhere, according to sources briefed on preparations for the gathering.
Saudi state media said Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman would hold an "informal brotherly" meeting in Riyadh with leaders of the other five Gulf Co-operation Council states – the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain – as well as Jordan and Egypt.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has also been invited, the sources told The National.
The reconstruction plan was drafted by Egyptian experts but is likely to be amended during the Riyadh meeting, they said.
The sources said the proposed plan provides for creating "safe zones" where Gaza's residents would be housed in tents and caravans while homes and infrastructure destroyed during a 15-month Israeli military offensive are rebuilt.
The plan will be implemented over three to five years and will initially restore essential services such as health care and clean water, and revive the enclave's agricultural sector, they said. The reconstruction workforce would primarily be drawn from Gaza's residents.
The Riyadh meeting will be followed by an emergency Arab summit in Cairo on March 4. Called by Palestine, it is expected to produce a united, pan-Arab position to Mr Trump's plan, which envisages the resettlement of Gaza's residents in Egypt and Jordan and a US takeover of the enclave before turning it into the "Riviera of the Middle East".
The Cairo summit will also state its support for Egypt's plan to host an international Gaza reconstruction conference to bring together bilateral and multinational donors and construction companies.
Mr Trump's proposals have been condemned regionally and globally, with international rights groups saying they amount to ethnic cleansing, a war crime. US allies Egypt and Jordan have strongly objected to his plan, arguing that it would undermine Palestinians' struggle for self-determination and the creation of their own state as the most viable resolution to the decades-old Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
A joint statement by Egypt and Spain, issued at the end of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi's visit to Madrid on Thursday, said: "The two parties emphasise the right of the Palestinians to remain on their land and expressed their rejection of any attempt to evict them to neighbouring nations."
The statement also supported giving the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority the primary role in postwar Gaza, suggesting there was no longer room for a continuation of Hamas's 18-year rule of the territory.
"The two parties are committed to supporting the Palestinian Authority in its efforts to provide basic services in Gaza and restore security ahead of reconstruction, as the only government responsible for the restoration of stability in Gaza and the rest of the Palestinian territories," it said.
The Egyptian plan, which could cost up to $50 billion, envisages the creation of an independent Palestinian agency to co-ordinate and oversee the reconstruction. The Palestinian Authority will have to issue a decree creating the agency but will not be entitled to interfere or influence its work, the sources said.
Members of the agency will be technocrats who enjoy the support of all Palestinian factions, they added.
Separately, Egypt is in the process of selecting a 15-man Palestinian committee to oversee the day-to-day affairs of postwar Gaza, including a limited say in the reconstruction effort, said the sources. The proposed committee will not include representatives of Hamas or the Palestinian Authority and will be aided by local clan chiefs and mayors.
The reconstruction plan can only succeed if sufficient funds are raised and the ceasefire that went into effect on January 19 holds beyond its initial six-week phase. If continuing negotiations on the second phase are successful, Hamas will release all hostages seized during the October 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel, while Israel will withdraw from Gaza and a permanent ceasefire would go into effect.
However, the sources said, there were growing doubts that Israel would be willing to fully withdraw from Gaza or agree to end the war. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government has repeatedly vowed not to stop the fighting until Hamas's military and governance capabilities are dismantled and all the hostages are freed. It has also stated its intention to retain a security role in Gaza.
Hamas has expressed fears that Israel will resume military operations in Gaza after all the hostages are released. On Wednesday, it signalled that it was willing to free all remaining hostages in Gaza in a single swap during the next phase of the ceasefire. The first phase entails the release of 33 hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.
About 250 hostages were seized from Israel during the Hamas-led attack that started the war, and about 1,200 people were killed. Israel's relentless military response has killed more than 48,000 Palestinians in Gaza and wounded more than twice that number, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. It has also reduced large parts of Gaza's built-up areas to rubble.
Egypt, which administered Gaza between 1948 and 1967, has long viewed the territory as part of its national security sphere. Allowing Gaza's Palestinians to resettle on Egyptian territory, Cairo maintains, will weaken the Palestinian cause. It insists that a two-state solution allowing a Palestinian nation to be created and peacefully exist alongside Israel is the only feasible resolution of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
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
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Scoreline
UAE 2-1 Saudi Arabia
UAE Mabkhout 21’, Khalil 59’
Saudi Al Abed (pen) 20’
Man of the match Ahmed Khalil (UAE)
Five healthy carbs and how to eat them
Brown rice: consume an amount that fits in the palm of your hand
Non-starchy vegetables, such as broccoli: consume raw or at low temperatures, and don’t reheat
Oatmeal: look out for pure whole oat grains or kernels, which are locally grown and packaged; avoid those that have travelled from afar
Fruit: a medium bowl a day and no more, and never fruit juices
Lentils and lentil pasta: soak these well and cook them at a low temperature; refrain from eating highly processed pasta variants
Courtesy Roma Megchiani, functional nutritionist at Dubai’s 77 Veggie Boutique
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
Polarised public
31% in UK say BBC is biased to left-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is biased to right-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is not biased at all
Source: YouGov
The specs: 2018 Mercedes-Benz E 300 Cabriolet
Price, base / as tested: Dh275,250 / Dh328,465
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder
Power: 245hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm @ 1,300rpm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.0L / 100km
BULKWHIZ PROFILE
Date started: February 2017
Founders: Amira Rashad (CEO), Yusuf Saber (CTO), Mahmoud Sayedahmed (adviser), Reda Bouraoui (adviser)
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: E-commerce
Size: 50 employees
Funding: approximately $6m
Investors: Beco Capital, Enabling Future and Wain in the UAE; China's MSA Capital; 500 Startups; Faith Capital and Savour Ventures in Kuwait
The Limehouse Golem
Director: Juan Carlos Medina
Cast: Olivia Cooke, Bill Nighy, Douglas Booth
Three stars
Name: Brendalle Belaza
From: Crossing Rubber, Philippines
Arrived in the UAE: 2007
Favourite place in Abu Dhabi: NYUAD campus
Favourite photography style: Street photography
Favourite book: Harry Potter
Match info
Deccan Gladiators 87-8
Asif Khan 25, Dwayne Bravo 2-16
Maratha Arabians 89-2
Chadwick Walton 51 not out
Arabians won the final by eight wickets
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
Emergency phone numbers in the UAE
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
Sanju
Produced: Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Rajkumar Hirani
Director: Rajkumar Hirani
Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Vicky Kaushal, Paresh Rawal, Anushka Sharma, Manish’s Koirala, Dia Mirza, Sonam Kapoor, Jim Sarbh, Boman Irani
Rating: 3.5 stars
FA Cup quarter-final draw
The matches will be played across the weekend of 21 and 22 March
Sheffield United v Arsenal
Newcastle v Manchester City
Norwich v Derby/Manchester United
Leicester City v Chelsea
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
