Live updates: Follow the latest on Trump's Gulf trip
US President Donald Trump joined an elite band of world leaders when he was granted the UAE's Order of Zayed on Thursday.
The elaborate gold medal is the UAE's highest civilian award and is conferred on heads of state and leading dignitaries, typically during visits to the Emirates, in recognition of their contributions on the global stage.
It serves as an enduring symbol of the friendship between the UAE and nations around the world and is an award that stretches back decades.
It is named after the UAE’s Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, helping to further his legacy of international co-operation and humanitarianism.
Mr Trump is the second US President to receive the accolade, with George W Bush also granted the Order of Zayed during his state visit in 2008.
Building Japanese ties
Japan's Emperor Naruhito was awarded the Order of Zayed during a visit to the UAE in January 1995, when he was his country's Crown Prince.
The ceremony took place at Mushrif Palace in the capital. An eventful tour of the Emirates also included a trip to the summit of Jebel Hafeet and a chance to indulge in local passions at a camel race and a football match, as well as a cruise down Dubai Creek.
French connection
Former French president Jacques Chirac received the Order of Zayed from the UAE Founder, Sheikh Zayed, during a visit to the Emirates in 1997.
The UAE paid homage to the distinguished politician following his death in 2019 by naming a street after him.
Jacques Chirac Street, which leads to Louvre Abu Dhabi on Saadiyat Island, was unveiled at a ceremony attended by dignitaries.
Marking China visit
China's President Xi Jinping was bestowed the Order of Zayed by President Sheikh Khalifa as part of his key visit to the UAE in 2018.
He received the award in recognition of his efforts to develop and strengthen the friendship and co-operation between the UAE and China.
Other global leaders and heads of state to be granted the award include Russian President Vladimir Putin, as part of the first visit to the Emirates by a Russian leader in 2007; Saudi Arabia's King Salman; Britain's Queen Elizabeth II; King Mohammed VI of Morocco; Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi; and Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Celebrating Cop28
In somewhat of a break from tradition, the UAE highlighted the achievements of its own leaders following the success of the Cop28 climate talks, held in Dubai in 2023.
President Sheikh Mohamed awarded the Order of Zayed to Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai; and Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, at a ceremony in February 2024.
Trump's Abu Dhabi visit - in pictures
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Real Madrid 2 (Benzema 13', Kroos 28')
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Red card: Casemiro (Real Madrid)
Structural%20weaknesses%20facing%20Israel%20economy
%3Cp%3E1.%20Labour%20productivity%20is%20lower%20than%20the%20average%20of%20the%20developed%20economies%2C%20particularly%20in%20the%20non-tradable%20industries.%3Cbr%3E2.%20The%20low%20level%20of%20basic%20skills%20among%20workers%20and%20the%20high%20level%20of%20inequality%20between%20those%20with%20various%20skills.%3Cbr%3E3.%20Low%20employment%20rates%2C%20particularly%20among%20Arab%20women%20and%20Ultra-Othodox%20Jewish%20men.%3Cbr%3E4.%20A%20lack%20of%20basic%20knowledge%20required%20for%20integration%20into%20the%20labour%20force%2C%20due%20to%20the%20lack%20of%20core%20curriculum%20studies%20in%20schools%20for%20Ultra-Othodox%20Jews.%3Cbr%3E5.%20A%20need%20to%20upgrade%20and%20expand%20physical%20infrastructure%2C%20particularly%20mass%20transit%20infrastructure.%3Cbr%3E6.%20The%20poverty%20rate%20at%20more%20than%20double%20the%20OECD%20average.%3Cbr%3E7.%20Population%20growth%20of%20about%202%20per%20cent%20per%20year%2C%20compared%20to%200.6%20per%20cent%20OECD%20average%20posing%20challenge%20for%20fiscal%20policy%20and%20underpinning%20pressure%20on%20education%2C%20health%20care%2C%20welfare%20housing%20and%20physical%20infrastructure%2C%20which%20will%20increase%20in%20the%20coming%20years.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
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Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
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
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