Syria's leader Ahmad Al Shara and Jordan's King Abdullah agreed on Wednesday to work on improving border security, Jordan's royal palace said, addressing a long-running problem that has affected trade and the movement of people between the two countries.
Mr Al Shara's short visit to Jordan was his first since his supporters appointed him President in late January, and his third visit abroad after trips to Saudi Arabia and Turkey. The countries share a 360km border.
“His majesty affirmed the need to co-ordinate closely in view of the challenges concerning border security and curbing the smuggling of weapons and narcotics,” a Jordanian palace statement said.
Mr Al Shara was received personally by the king at Amman's Marka Airport and driven to Basman Palace, where the pair were joined by Jordan's Crown Prince Hussein for a meeting. He spent several hours in Amman before returning to Damascus.
Mr Al Shara leads Hayat Tahrir Al Sham, the group that led the toppling of former president Bashar Al Assad on December 8. Mr Al Assad's last visit to Jordan was in 2009, before relations between the neighbours broke down over the regime's crackdown on the Syrian upising in 2011.
Jordan re-established limited ties with Mr Al Assad in recent years with the aim of resuming legal flows of goods and people under what officials called a step-for-step approach to solving problems emanating from Syria, and from the ousted regime's Iran-backed militia allies.
But Jordan did not see enough co-operation from the Assad regime on drug smuggling and border security. Jordanian support for Mr Al Assad remained limited, especially in his wider goal of lifting western sanctions and obtaining funding for reconstruction projects in regime-controlled areas.
In December HTS forces were posted along the border with Jordan, a major conduit for the Captagon drug trade, which has diminished since the removal of the Assad regime. Syria's Foreign Minister, Asaad Al Shibani, who accompanied Mr Al Shara on Wednesday's trip, agreed with his counterpart Ayman Safadi in January that the nations would co-operate on tackling drugs and weapons smuggling.
Syrians are mostly banned from crossing into Jordan, while Jordanians need security clearance to visit Syria. Before the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011, millions of Jordanians travelled to Syria each year for shopping, holidays and business.
King Abdullah said co-operation with Syria should be expanded to energy, water and commerce, according to the palace statement. Jordan, which hosted the first international conference on Syria a week after Mr Al Assad was forced to flee to Russia, has said it is willing to help rebuild Syria and contribute to its stability as the nation recovers from its 13-year civil war.
The monarch welcomed the outcome of a landmark national dialogue conference held at the presidential palace in Damascus on Tuesday, saying it was "an important step towards rebuilding Syria to attain the aspirations of the Syrian people".
The kingdom previously tried to sell electricity to the Assad regime but the deal fell through, partly because of sanctions on Syria, which have been eased since Mr Al Assad's removal. Mr Al Shara's government is aiming to consolidate control in outlying areas of the country, but it is facing resistance from several religious and ethnic groups. Among them are the Druze in the southern governorate of Suweida on the border with Jordan, with whom the kingdom maintains historical ties.
The situation in Syria's south has been complicated by an Israeli announcement last week that it would not permit the spread of HTS forces in the area, which borders Israel. Late on Tuesday, Israel struck sites south of Damascus belonging to the Assad regime after HTS personnel moved in. The king condemned the Israeli attacks, and “affirmed support for Syria's unity and sovereignty”.
Mr Safadi said that the Israeli aggression is a blatant violation of international law, and that Israel must stop its "provocative" attacks on Syrian territory. "We absolutely stand with Syria," he said on X.
Jordan was among Arab countries that normalised relations with the Assad regime in the three years before the former dictator was overthrown, partly because it was seen as a counter-force to Islamist militants. HTS was previously linked with Al Qaeda and still has foreign fighters, including Jordanians, among its senior ranks.
How it works
Each player begins with one of the great empires of history, from Julius Caesar's Rome to Ramses of Egypt, spread over Europe and the Middle East.
Round by round, the player expands their empire. The more land they have, the more money they can take from their coffers for each go.
As unruled land and soldiers are acquired, players must feed them. When a player comes up against land held by another army, they can choose to battle for supremacy.
A dice-based battle system is used and players can get the edge on their enemy with by deploying a renowned hero on the battlefield.
Players that lose battles and land will find their coffers dwindle and troops go hungry. The end goal? Global domination of course.
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Ethree%20three%20212.7kWh%20motors%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201%2C000bhp%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E15%2C600Nm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERange%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20530km%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dh500%2C000%2B%20est%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Eearly%202023%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 5.0-litre V8
Power: 480hp at 7,250rpm
Torque: 566Nm at 4,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: L/100km
Price: Dh306,495
On sale: now
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
The five pillars of Islam
What you as a drone operator need to know
A permit and licence is required to fly a drone legally in Dubai.
Sanad Academy is the United Arab Emirate’s first RPA (Remotely Piloted Aircraft) training and certification specialists endorsed by the Dubai Civil Aviation authority.
It is responsible to train, test and certify drone operators and drones in UAE with DCAA Endorsement.
“We are teaching people how to fly in accordance with the laws of the UAE,” said Ahmad Al Hamadi, a trainer at Sanad.
“We can show how the aircraft work and how they are operated. They are relatively easy to use, but they need responsible pilots.
“Pilots have to be mature. They are given a map of where they can and can’t fly in the UAE and we make these points clear in the lectures we give.
“You cannot fly a drone without registration under any circumstances.”
Larger drones are harder to fly, and have a different response to location control. There are no brakes in the air, so the larger drones have more power.
The Sanad Academy has a designated area to fly off the Al Ain Road near Skydive Dubai to show pilots how to fly responsibly.
“As UAS technology becomes mainstream, it is important to build wider awareness on how to integrate it into commerce and our personal lives,” said Major General Abdulla Khalifa Al Marri, Commander-in-Chief, Dubai Police.
“Operators must undergo proper training and certification to ensure safety and compliance.
“Dubai’s airspace will undoubtedly experience increased traffic as UAS innovations become commonplace, the Forum allows commercial users to learn of best practice applications to implement UAS safely and legally, while benefitting a whole range of industries.”
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Indian construction workers stranded in Ajman with unpaid dues
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
A cheaper choice
Vanuatu: $130,000
Why on earth pick Vanuatu? Easy. The South Pacific country has no income tax, wealth tax, capital gains or inheritance tax. And in 2015, when it was hit by Cyclone Pam, it signed an agreement with the EU that gave it some serious passport power.
Cost: A minimum investment of $130,000 for a family of up to four, plus $25,000 in fees.
Criteria: Applicants must have a minimum net worth of $250,000. The process take six to eight weeks, after which the investor must travel to Vanuatu or Hong Kong to take the oath of allegiance. Citizenship and passport are normally provided on the same day.
Benefits: No tax, no restrictions on dual citizenship, no requirement to visit or reside to retain a passport. Visa-free access to 129 countries.
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
More on animal trafficking
