The foreign ministers of Jordan and Syria agreed to step up joint action against drug smuggling at a meeting in Damascus on Thursday, as ties between the two countries improve despite Amman's displeasure at continued cross-border narcotics flows into the kingdom.
Jordan and Syria are main outlets for each other in trade with the rest of the world, and both have an interest in curbing Lebanese group Hezbollah and other Iran-backed militias, especially after Jordan revealed a plot against its security that involved the training of militants in Lebanon.
The kingdom has been a conduit for gas shipments that Qatar began supplying to Syria last month, according to Qatari state media. Amman is also eager to sell Syria, which has a severe power shortage, some of its surplus electricity.
Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi of Jordan and his counterpart Asaad Al Shibani said in a joint statement that they had agreed to "increase cooperation in the security field", mainly "combatting the smuggling of drugs and weapons", and countering ISIS, which has pockets in eastern Syria.
Mr Safadi, who also met Syrian leader Ahmad Al Shara, noted counter-narcotics "efforts the Syrian government is making", the statement said, adding that Jordan also condemns Israeli attacks on Syria.
Jordan is an important ally of the US and has a peace treaty with Israel, while the new government in Syria is tightly controlled by Hayat Tahrir Al Sham (HTS). The armed group, headed by Mr Al Shara, was formerly linked with Al Qaeda and has several Jordanian fighters in its command structure.
Three years before HTS and other rebel groups toppled the dictator Bashar Al Assad in December, Jordan, along with most Arab countries, started a process of accommodation with Damascus. The move was linked to Syria agreeing to curb the smuggling of drugs from its territory and Lebanon, which did not materialise as pro-Iranian militias remained in control of large parts of the border with Jordan.
Joint efforts
In February King Abdullah and Mr Al Shara agreed to work together to secure their common border against arms smuggling and drug trafficking, as the kingdom and other Arab countries made gestures to support the new order in Syria. But in March, the Jordanian army said it had killed four drug smugglers who tried to infiltrate the kingdom from Syria – the first such deaths on the border since the Assad regime was toppled and replaced with the HTS government.
Days later, at a security meeting in Amman, senior officials from Syria, Lebanon, Turkey and Iraq agreed to form a joint operations room to exchange information on smuggling. A senior Western official whose country has helped Jordan fortify its border with Syria, said the kingdom has been supportive of Mr Al Shara's efforts to strengthen the central authorities and create a unified new military, steps that should help curb the smuggling.
The official said Amman did not object to recent moves by HTS to extend its control over southern areas bordering Jordan. On Sunday, a Syrian militia in Deraa province called the Eighth Brigade, which had received support from Jordan and other Arab countries during the civil war, disbanded under pressure from HTS.
He said that Jordan and HTS had "agreed to open a new page", and that smuggling activity had reduced, even though the volume remained sizeable. "The Jordanians are not happy about that," the official said, and pointed out that it would be difficult for the new Syrian government to stop smuggling given its lack of funds and high levels of poverty.
Last month, The National reported that Imad Abu Zureiq, a smuggler in southern Syria who is under Western sanctions for dealing in Captagon, a methamphetamine-type narcotic, had met members of the new administration, including Mr Al Shara, on at least two occasions. Mr Abu Zureiq was part of Mr Al Shara's strategy to undermine the Eighth Brigade, Syrian sources in Jordan told The National.
In the last six years of the former regime, Syria's border with Jordan became a main conduit for trade in Captagon, which is sold in pill form and has one of the highest profit margins of any illicit drug.
RESULTS
Catchweight 82kg
Piotr Kuberski (POL) beat Ahmed Saeb (IRQ) by decision.
Women’s bantamweight
Corinne Laframboise (CAN) beat Cornelia Holm (SWE) by unanimous decision.
Welterweight
Omar Hussein (PAL) beat Vitalii Stoian (UKR) by unanimous decision.
Welterweight
Josh Togo (LEB) beat Ali Dyusenov (UZB) by unanimous decision.
Flyweight
Isaac Pimentel (BRA) beat Delfin Nawen (PHI) TKO round-3.
Catchweight 80kg
Seb Eubank (GBR) beat Emad Hanbali (SYR) KO round 1.
Lightweight
Mohammad Yahya (UAE) beat Ramadan Noaman (EGY) TKO round 2.
Lightweight
Alan Omer (GER) beat Reydon Romero (PHI) submission 1.
Welterweight
Juho Valamaa (FIN) beat Ahmed Labban (LEB) by unanimous decision.
Featherweight
Elias Boudegzdame (ALG) beat Austin Arnett (USA) by unanimous decision.
Super heavyweight
Maciej Sosnowski (POL) beat Ibrahim El Sawi (EGY) by submission round 1.
Other ways to buy used products in the UAE
UAE insurance firm Al Wathba National Insurance Company (AWNIC) last year launched an e-commerce website with a facility enabling users to buy car wrecks.
Bidders and potential buyers register on the online salvage car auction portal to view vehicles, review condition reports, or arrange physical surveys, and then start bidding for motors they plan to restore or harvest for parts.
Physical salvage car auctions are a common method for insurers around the world to move on heavily damaged vehicles, but AWNIC is one of the few UAE insurers to offer such services online.
For cars and less sizeable items such as bicycles and furniture, Dubizzle is arguably the best-known marketplace for pre-loved.
Founded in 2005, in recent years it has been joined by a plethora of Facebook community pages for shifting used goods, including Abu Dhabi Marketplace, Flea Market UAE and Arabian Ranches Souq Market while sites such as The Luxury Closet and Riot deal largely in second-hand fashion.
At the high-end of the pre-used spectrum, resellers such as Timepiece360.ae, WatchBox Middle East and Watches Market Dubai deal in authenticated second-hand luxury timepieces from brands such as Rolex, Hublot and Tag Heuer, with a warranty.
Uefa Nations League
League A:
Germany, Portugal, Belgium, Spain, France, England, Switzerland, Italy, Poland, Iceland, Croatia, Netherlands
League B:
Austria, Wales, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, Ukraine, Republic of Ireland, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Northern Ireland, Denmark, Czech Republic, Turkey
League C:
Hungary, Romania, Scotland, Slovenia, Greece, Serbia, Albania, Norway, Montenegro, Israel, Bulgaria, Finland, Cyprus, Estonia, Lithuania
League D:
Azerbaijan, Macedonia, Belarus, Georgia, Armenia, Latvia, Faroe Islands, Luxembourg, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Liechtenstein, Malta, Andorra, Kosovo, San Marino, Gibraltar
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Eco%20Way%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20December%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ivan%20Kroshnyi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Electric%20vehicles%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Bootstrapped%20with%20undisclosed%20funding.%20Looking%20to%20raise%20funds%20from%20outside%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
