President Sheikh Mohamed with Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Meshal upon his arrival for a state visit earlier this year. UAE Presidential Court
President Sheikh Mohamed with Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Meshal upon his arrival for a state visit earlier this year. UAE Presidential Court
President Sheikh Mohamed with Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Meshal upon his arrival for a state visit earlier this year. UAE Presidential Court
President Sheikh Mohamed with Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Meshal upon his arrival for a state visit earlier this year. UAE Presidential Court

President Sheikh Mohamed's state visit to Kuwait reflects deep ties


James Langton
  • English
  • Arabic

They may be opposite ends of the Arabian Gulf but the UAE and Kuwait have always maintained a close relationship.

That bond of friendship was clearest in the first Gulf War and Saddam Hussein’s invasion, when the UAE opened its doors to thousands of Kuwaitis fleeing Iraqi forces and then joined the international coalition to liberate Kuwait, sending troops and aircraft to join the fight. The lives of Emirati soldiers lost in the battle to liberate Kuwait are today inscribed on the Wahat Al Karama memorial.

Much of the credit for the strength of this relationship can be traced back to the earliest days of the UAE, when Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, met the late ruler of Kuwait, Sheikh Jaber Al Ahmad Al Sabah, back in 1973. Two years earlier, Kuwait was among the first countries to recognise the new United Arab Emirates on its founding in December 1971.

This friendship has been maintained by successive UAE Presidents from Sheikh Khalifa to Sheikh Mohamed and the Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Meshal Al Ahmad, who is to host Sheikh Mohamed in a state visit starting on Sunday.

Strong ties

In March, President Sheikh Mohamed awarded Sheikh Meshal the Order of Zayed during his state visit to the UAE, as a reflection of the strong ties between the two countries, and Sheikh Meshal’s efforts to build them further. In particular, the citation praised Sheikh Meshal’s work to build solidarity among members of the Gulf Co-operation Council, of which both countries have been members since it was founded in Abu Dhabi in 1981.

In 2006, a Joint Committee for Bilateral Co-operation was established between the UAE and Kuwait, meeting first in Kuwait City and two years later in Abu Dhabi. Subsequent meetings have seen numerous agreements, from diplomatic training and industrial co-operation to culture, arts and libraries, and a Memorandum of Understanding for co-operation in oil, gas and renewable energy in 2014.

Sheikh Abdullah, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Kuwait's Foreign Minister Abdullah Ali Al Yahya at the opening of the new Kuwaiti Embassy in Abu Dhabi in September. Wam
Sheikh Abdullah, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Kuwait's Foreign Minister Abdullah Ali Al Yahya at the opening of the new Kuwaiti Embassy in Abu Dhabi in September. Wam

The following year saw the first session of a Consular Committee to explore joint areas of diplomacy. An international studies programme developed by both countries seeks to encourage students to choose colleges and universities within the GCC countries rather than further overseas. That interest in education can be traced back as far as 1952 and a visit by the late Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Abdullah Al Salem Al Sabah to Sharjah, which led to an educational mission being sent to the emirates. According to Wam, 1,725 Kuwaiti students are enrolled at UAE universities.

This was followed by a medical mission in 1962, at a time when hospitals and medical care were still in their infancy in the seven emirates, while Kuwait TV set up a station in Dubai in 1969.

In numbers

Today, the UAE is the largest Arab exporter to Kuwait, with goods valued at Dh47.75 billion (US$13 billion) in 2022, led by gold and jewellery, and growing by more than 27 per cent since 2017.

In return, Kuwait exports goods worth Dh12.6 billion (US$3.43 billion) to the UAE, including refined petroleum and cars and light lorries. In 2022, state news agency Wam reported that bilateral trade between the nations had risen to Dh43 billion over a 10-year period.

More than 50 Kuwaiti companies now invest in the UAE, while over 381,000 Kuwaiti tourists visited the UAE in 2023, compared to 250,000 the previous year. In the other direction, about 50,000 Emiratis visited Kuwait last year, with the country now hosting over 130 UAE companies. National carriers operated 122 weekly flights to Kuwait during the first half of this year, while the total flights from Kuwait to the UAE reached 53 weekly, according to Wam.

“Our bilateral non-oil trade has seen significant growth in recent years, reaching its highest levels in history in 2023, with a total value exceeding $12 billion,” said Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, in September at the opening of the new Kuwaiti Embassy in Abu Dhabi.

That emphasis on building trade saw a number of key agreements in 2024. At the fifth UAE-Kuwait Joint Higher Committee meeting in Abu Dhabi last September, no less than eight MoUs were signed, covering areas including telecoms and information technology, education, sports, cyber security, defence and culture.

The agreements were described by Sheikh Abdullah as embodying “the depth of the fraternal relations between the two countries”.

He added: “What most distinguishes the UAE-Kuwait relations, and their continuous development, are the social and cultural bonds that unite the two brotherly peoples, including the ties of brotherhood and friendship, shared heritage, history and common values.”

Countries recognising Palestine

France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra

 

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MATCH INFO

Uefa Nations League

League A, Group 4
Spain v England, 10.45pm (UAE)

The%20specs
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Director: Laxman Utekar

Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna

Rating: 1/5

Company name: Farmin

Date started: March 2019

Founder: Dr Ali Al Hammadi 

Based: Abu Dhabi

Sector: AgriTech

Initial investment: None to date

Partners/Incubators: UAE Space Agency/Krypto Labs 

MATCH DETAILS

Juventus 2 (Bonucci 36, Ronaldo 90 6)

Genoa 1 (Kouame 40)

Ruwais timeline

1971 Abu Dhabi National Oil Company established

1980 Ruwais Housing Complex built, located 10 kilometres away from industrial plants

1982 120,000 bpd capacity Ruwais refinery complex officially inaugurated by the founder of the UAE Sheikh Zayed

1984 Second phase of Ruwais Housing Complex built. Today the 7,000-unit complex houses some 24,000 people.  

1985 The refinery is expanded with the commissioning of a 27,000 b/d hydro cracker complex

2009 Plans announced to build $1.2 billion fertilizer plant in Ruwais, producing urea

2010 Adnoc awards $10bn contracts for expansion of Ruwais refinery, to double capacity from 415,000 bpd

2014 Ruwais 261-outlet shopping mall opens

2014 Production starts at newly expanded Ruwais refinery, providing jet fuel and diesel and allowing the UAE to be self-sufficient for petrol supplies

2014 Etihad Rail begins transportation of sulphur from Shah and Habshan to Ruwais for export

2017 Aldar Academies to operate Adnoc’s schools including in Ruwais from September. Eight schools operate in total within the housing complex.

2018 Adnoc announces plans to invest $3.1 billion on upgrading its Ruwais refinery 

2018 NMC Healthcare selected to manage operations of Ruwais Hospital

2018 Adnoc announces new downstream strategy at event in Abu Dhabi on May 13

Source: The National

Results

6.30pm Madjani Stakes Rated Conditions (PA) I Dh160,000 1,900m I Winner: Mawahib, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer)

7.05pm Maiden Dh150,000 1,400m I Winner One Season, Antonio Fresu, Satish Seemar

7.40pm: Maiden Dh150,000 2,000m I Winner Street Of Dreams, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson

8.15pm Dubai Creek Listed Dh250,000 1,600m I Winner Heavy Metal, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer

8.50pm The Entisar Listed Dh250,000 2,000m I Winner Etijaah, Dane O’Neill, Doug Watson

9.25pm The Garhoud Listed Dh250,000 1,200m Winner Muarrab, Dane O’Neill, Ali Rashid Al Raihe

10pm Handicap Dh160,000 1,600m Winner Sea Skimmer, Patrick Cosgrave, Helal Al Alawi

Second ODI

England 322-7 (50 ovs)
India 236 (50 ovs)

England win by 86 runs

Next match: Tuesday, July 17, Headingley 

From Zero

Artist: Linkin Park

Label: Warner Records

Number of tracks: 11

Rating: 4/5

The specs

Price, base / as tested Dh1,100,000 (est)

Engine 5.2-litre V10

Gearbox seven-speed dual clutch

Power 630bhp @ 8,000rpm

Torque 600Nm @ 6,500rpm

Fuel economy, combined 15.7L / 100km (est) 

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League, last-16, second leg (first-leg scores in brackets):

PSG (2) v Manchester United (0)

Midnight (Thursday), BeIN Sports

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Bangladesh tour of Pakistan

January 24 – First T20, Lahore

January 25 – Second T20, Lahore

January 27 – Third T20, Lahore

February 7-11 – First Test, Rawalpindi

April 3 – One-off ODI, Karachi

April 5-9 – Second Test, Karachi

MATCH INFO

Manchester United 1 (Rashford 36')

Liverpool 1 (Lallana 84')

Man of the match: Marcus Rashford (Manchester United)

About Proto21

Date started: May 2018
Founder: Pir Arkam
Based: Dubai
Sector: Additive manufacturing (aka, 3D printing)
Staff: 18
Funding: Invested, supported and partnered by Joseph Group

2020 Oscars winners: in numbers
  • Parasite – 4
  • 1917– 3
  • Ford v Ferrari – 2
  • Joker – 2
  • Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood – 2
  • American Factory – 1
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  • Hair Love – 1
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  • Judy – 1
  • Little Women – 1
  • Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You're a Girl) – 1
  • Marriage Story – 1
  • Rocketman – 1
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  • Toy Story 4 – 1
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Touch is derived from rugby league. Teams consist of up to 14 players with a maximum of six on the field at any time.

Teams can make as many substitutions as they want during the 40 minute matches.

Similar to rugby league, the attacking team has six attempts - or touches - before possession changes over.

A touch is any contact between the player with the ball and a defender, and must be with minimum force.

After a touch the player performs a “roll-ball” - similar to the play-the-ball in league - stepping over or rolling the ball between the feet.

At the roll-ball, the defenders have to retreat a minimum of five metres.

A touchdown is scored when an attacking player places the ball on or over the score-line.

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Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh149,900

Coffee: black death or elixir of life?

It is among the greatest health debates of our time; splashed across newspapers with contradicting headlines - is coffee good for you or not?

Depending on what you read, it is either a cancer-causing, sleep-depriving, stomach ulcer-inducing black death or the secret to long life, cutting the chance of stroke, diabetes and cancer.

The latest research - a study of 8,412 people across the UK who each underwent an MRI heart scan - is intended to put to bed (caffeine allowing) conflicting reports of the pros and cons of consumption.

The study, funded by the British Heart Foundation, contradicted previous findings that it stiffens arteries, putting pressure on the heart and increasing the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke, leading to warnings to cut down.

Numerous studies have recognised the benefits of coffee in cutting oral and esophageal cancer, the risk of a stroke and cirrhosis of the liver. 

The benefits are often linked to biologically active compounds including caffeine, flavonoids, lignans, and other polyphenols, which benefit the body. These and othetr coffee compounds regulate genes involved in DNA repair, have anti-inflammatory properties and are associated with lower risk of insulin resistance, which is linked to type-2 diabetes.

But as doctors warn, too much of anything is inadvisable. The British Heart Foundation found the heaviest coffee drinkers in the study were most likely to be men who smoked and drank alcohol regularly.

Excessive amounts of coffee also unsettle the stomach causing or contributing to stomach ulcers. It also stains the teeth over time, hampers absorption of minerals and vitamins like zinc and iron.

It also raises blood pressure, which is largely problematic for people with existing conditions.

So the heaviest drinkers of the black stuff - some in the study had up to 25 cups per day - may want to rein it in.

Rory Reynolds

Need to know

When: October 17 until November 10

Cost: Entry is free but some events require prior registration

Where: Various locations including National Theatre (Abu Dhabi), Abu Dhabi Cultural Center, Zayed University Promenade, Beach Rotana (Abu Dhabi), Vox Cinemas at Yas Mall, Sharjah Youth Center

What: The Korea Festival will feature art exhibitions, a B-boy dance show, a mini K-pop concert, traditional dance and music performances, food tastings, a beauty seminar, and more.

For more information: www.koreafestivaluae.com

Director: Paul Weitz
Stars: Kevin Hart
3/5 stars

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Paatal Lok season two

Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy 

Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong

Rating: 4.5/5

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How to avoid crypto fraud
  • Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
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Updated: November 09, 2024, 4:30 PM`