Live updates: Follow the latest on Trump's Gulf trip
Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, on Wednesday headed the UAE delegation to the GCC-US Summit in Riyadh, on behalf of President Sheikh Mohamed.
The meeting, which brought Gulf leaders together with US President Donald Trump, discussed ways to enhance security and stability in the region, state news agency Wam reported.
Sheikh Khaled thanked Saudi Arabia’s King Salman for hosting the summit, describing it as an opportunity to build on the strategic partnership between the GCC and the US. He also said he is confident that progress made in the talks will serve the future of both societies.
Enhancing regional and international security remains a priority, Sheikh Khaled said, and he emphasised the important role played by the US in this regard.
“The ties between the GCC countries and the United States go beyond the framework of traditional relations, exceeding the usual horizons, and the shared desire to co-operate has contributed to achieving major partnerships and achievements in new fields, including artificial intelligence, modern technology, space exploration and the development of civil nuclear energy programmes, among others,” he said.
He expressed his optimism over diplomatic talks between the US and Iran, noting that the UAE continues to support the success of these negotiations. He also highlighted the UAE’s support of dialogue and diplomacy, as embodied in the Abraham Accords of 2020. Sheikh Khaled called on all sides to find a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and reach a settlement that guarantees the rights of Palestinians through the establishment of an independent state.
UAE-Saudi ties
Sheikh Khaled also met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on the sidelines of the summit.
The meeting focused on the long-standing bonds between the two countries, Abu Dhabi Media Office reported, and explored ways to strengthen bilateral co-operation across various fields.
The Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Saudi Crown Prince also underscored the importance of consolidating Gulf efforts to enhance regional stability and support continued development.
Historic visit
Sheikh Khaled was earlier greeted in the Saudi capital by Prince Mohammed bin Abdulrahman, the deputy governor of Riyadh.
He was joined by an Emirati delegation, which included Sheikh Khalifa bin Tahnoon, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Court; Ali Al Shamsi, Secretary General of the Supreme Council for National Security; Khaldoon Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Executive Affairs Authority; Yousef Al Otaiba, UAE ambassador to the US; Lana Nusseibeh, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Political Affairs; Saif Ghobash, Secretary General of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council; and Maryam AlMheiri, Chairwoman of the Abu Dhabi Media Office.
The Abu Dhabi Crown Prince is representing President Sheikh Mohamed and took part in the “family photo” of Gulf leaders and dignitaries with the US President on Wednesday.
The summit is part of Mr Trump's high-profile tour of the region, which seeks to bolster ties between the Gulf and the US. He is visiting Qatar on Wednesday and will then travel to the UAE.
The US President arrived in Riyadh on Tuesday, where he was received by the Saudi Crown Prince.
Mr Trump marked the first day of what he has described as a “historic” visit by lifting sanctions on Syria, offering to mend fences with Iran and encouraging Saudi Arabia to forge ties with Israel.
He lauded the region's leaders for having “achieved a modern miracle, the Arabian way” by bringing prosperity and growing diplomatic clout to the Middle East. He described Riyadh as an emerging “business, cultural and high-tech capital of the entire world”.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Ads on social media can 'normalise' drugs
A UK report on youth social media habits commissioned by advocacy group Volteface found a quarter of young people were exposed to illegal drug dealers on social media.
The poll of 2,006 people aged 16-24 assessed their exposure to drug dealers online in a nationally representative survey.
Of those admitting to seeing drugs for sale online, 56 per cent saw them advertised on Snapchat, 55 per cent on Instagram and 47 per cent on Facebook.
Cannabis was the drug most pushed by online dealers, with 63 per cent of survey respondents claiming to have seen adverts on social media for the drug, followed by cocaine (26 per cent) and MDMA/ecstasy, with 24 per cent of people.
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Company profile
Date started: January, 2014
Founders: Mike Dawson, Varuna Singh, and Benita Rowe
Based: Dubai
Sector: Education technology
Size: Five employees
Investment: $100,000 from the ExpoLive Innovation Grant programme in 2018 and an initial $30,000 pre-seed investment from the Turn8 Accelerator in 2014. Most of the projects are government funded.
Partners/incubators: Turn8 Accelerator; In5 Innovation Centre; Expo Live Innovation Impact Grant Programme; Dubai Future Accelerators; FHI 360; VSO and Consult and Coach for a Cause (C3)
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Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
Evacuations to France hit by controversy
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- The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
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- It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
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THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
Washmen Profile
Date Started: May 2015
Founders: Rami Shaar and Jad Halaoui
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Laundry
Employees: 170
Funding: about $8m
Funders: Addventure, B&Y Partners, Clara Ventures, Cedar Mundi Partners, Henkel Ventures
Company Fact Box
Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019
Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO
Based: Amman, Jordan
Sector: Education Technology
Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed
Stage: early-stage startup
Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.
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The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
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Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
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- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
The stats
Ship name: MSC Bellissima
Ship class: Meraviglia Class
Delivery date: February 27, 2019
Gross tonnage: 171,598 GT
Passenger capacity: 5,686
Crew members: 1,536
Number of cabins: 2,217
Length: 315.3 metres
Maximum speed: 22.7 knots (42kph)
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It
Director: Andres Muschietti
Starring: Bill Skarsgard, Jaeden Lieberher, Sophia Lillis, Chosen Jacobs, Jeremy Ray Taylor
Three stars
MATCH INFO
Newcastle United 2 (Willems 25', Shelvey 88')
Manchester City 2 (Sterling 22', De Bruyne 82')
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Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
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The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
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Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now