UAE President Sheikh Mohamed has spoken of his commitment to helping Syria rebuild, as the country's president visited Abu Dhabi for the first time since taking office.
The head of state welcomed President Ahmad Al Shara and spoke of his support for the new government in Damascus.
Sheikh Mohamed told of the need to confront “the challenges of the transitional phase and rebuild Syria in a way that meets the aspirations of its people for a future of security, stability and prosperity”, state news agency Wam reported.
The security and stability of Syria are important to the entire Middle East, Sheikh Mohamed said, stressing that the UAE would “spare no effort in providing all possible support to Syria”. He spoke as rival groups contest parts of the country outside the grasp of Damascus, although Mr Al Shara's self-declared government has recently managed to bring key parties to the negotiating table.
Mr Al Shara was welcomed at Al Bateen Airport by Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs. He travelled to Al Shati Palace, where a full honour guard was present. The new Syrian flag, designed to show the break made with the regime of Bashar Al Assad, was displayed alongside the Emirati flag.
Among the senior UAE leaders at the meeting were Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Presidential Court, Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah and Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohamed bin Zayed, Deputy Chief of the Presidential Court for Special Affairs.
Thanking Sheikh Mohamed
The Office of the Syrian President issued a public letter of thanks to Sheikh Mohamed for the “warm welcome and generous hospitality”, said Wam.
“I express my deep appreciation for his keenness to strengthen and develop our relations in various fields,” the letter read. “I pray to God to bestow upon the UAE, its leadership and people, the blessings of security, safety, and success, and to continue its journey towards further prosperity and progress.”
Mr Al Shara, who led the Hayat Tahrir Al Sham rebel group that ousted President Bashar Al Assad, is looking to improve relations with Arab neighbours and the Gulf states following a 13-year civil war is Syria. The UAE is the first country Mr Al Shara has visited since forming a government that largely comprises HTS allies and technocrat ministers. The government does not expect to hold democratic elections for four or five years.
Syria remains under strict western sanctions that make a restart of the economy difficult. Mr Al Shara and Syria's Foreign Minister Asaad Al Shibani have campaigned to have them lifted. The US administration of President Donald Trump said it approved of Mr Al Shara's government reshuffle last month but was not ready to lift sanctions.
The EU has lifted some restrictions, allowing local banks to move money around. Broad US restrictions under the US Caesar Act prevent many companies from involvement in both oil and gas and reconstruction.
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Short-term let permits explained
Homeowners and tenants are allowed to list their properties for rental by registering through the Dubai Tourism website to obtain a permit.
Tenants also require a letter of no objection from their landlord before being allowed to list the property.
There is a cost of Dh1,590 before starting the process, with an additional licence fee of Dh300 per bedroom being rented in your home for the duration of the rental, which ranges from three months to a year.
Anyone hoping to list a property for rental must also provide a copy of their title deeds and Ejari, as well as their Emirates ID.
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Lexus LX700h specs
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TOUCH RULES
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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Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
