UAE President Sheikh Mohamed’s visit to the US next week is expected to elevate UAE-US relations even further, with a focus on economic and technological ties.
While regional affairs are of major concern for Abu Dhabi and Washington, Dr Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the UAE President, has stressed that the visit will focus on bilateral ties and “how do we want to realign our relationship with America for the next 10 years”. In a briefing in Dubai on Thursday, Dr Gargash noted that “sometimes people like to talk about some tensions in the relationship, but the big story is that this is our most important strategic relationship, regardless of fair or foul weather”, adding that the “relationship is growing”.
Sheikh Mohamed has met US President Joe Biden and US Vice President Kamala Harris previously and has visited the US several times, but this will be his first official visit to the White House as president – and the first by any sitting UAE president.
Sheikh Mohamed and Mr Biden speak frequently by phone and met in Jeddah in 2022, and again at the G20 summit in New Delhi last year. While Dr Gargash expects Sheikh Mohamed and Mr Biden to discuss the war in Gaza and regional developments, he said “the main purpose of the visit, from an Emirati perspective, is investing in our future, and that's through an economic lens and through a real realignment with what's happening in AI and in technology”.
However, the “traditional issues remain: peace, security, stability, extremism, terrorism. These are areas that have become an important part of the relationship at all the years … and the US also feels they have a dependable partner, but that's not the purpose of the visit”.
The visit to the US and the focus on economic and technological issues while there is part of a wider UAE focus on “geoeconomics”, Dr Gargash explained. “We are in less of a geostrategic phase, we are more in a geoeconomic phase. So a lot of the things that the UAE is doing today is with perspective that economy first, prosperity first”.
Dr Gargash acknowledged that “doesn't mean you can ignore things happening in Gaza or happening in other areas, but as you try to manage your role you should never lose sight that the UAE is trying to move along an economic and technological view”. The motivation of this shift is driven in part by the realisation that the “hydrocarbon age” is transitioning. As the UAE is planning for the future “we feel that co-operation with the United States is essential for this success” in future-related issues.
Dr Gargash said US-UAE relations are no longer about “oil and defence”, where that may have been the case several decades ago. Today, it is a “360 degree relationship”, according to Dr Gargash, who gave examples like the presence of 60,000 Americans living in the UAE, $50 billion of trade and 142 flights a week from the UAE to the US. Investments in technology, such as the deal between G42 and Microsoft, show tangible advances behind these ties. Dr Gargash explained “these are not hypothetical areas of co-operation”.
In addition to economic and technological opportunities, issues such as climate, space and education are primary considerations for the UAE when it comes to next week’s visit and wider ties to the UAE, including personal relationships.
The UAE embassy in Washington said Sheikh Mohamed will meet Ms Harris next week, as well as other senior US officials, members of Congress and business leaders. The UAE President has met Ms Harris twice previously, at Cop28 and at Sheikh Khalifa's funeral.
Dr Gargash stressed the importance of climate action, particularly after the UAE hosted Cop28. He said “if we did not have the partnership with the United States between [Cop28 President] Sultan Al Jaber and [then US climate envoy] John Kerry, it would have been very difficult to come out with the outcome that Cop28 did … you need that sort of partnership”.
ENGLAND SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Jack Butland, Jordan Pickford, Nick Pope
Defenders: John Stones, Harry Maguire, Phil Jones, Kyle Walker, Kieran Trippier, Gary Cahill, Ashley Young, Danny Rose, Trent Alexander-Arnold
Midfielders: Eric Dier, Jordan Henderson, Dele Alli, Jesse Lingard, Raheem Sterling, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Fabian Delph
Forwards: Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy, Marcus Rashford, Danny Welbeck
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How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
'Avengers: Infinity War'
Dir: The Russo Brothers
Starring: Chris Evans, Chris Pratt, Tom Holland, Robert Downey Junior, Scarlett Johansson, Elizabeth Olsen
Four stars
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Results
2.30pm Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 1,200m
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Winner Skygazer, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
4.30pm The Ruler of Sharjah Cup Prestige (PA) Dh250,000 1,700m
Winner AF Kal Noor, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel.
5pm Sharjah Marathon (PA) Dh70,000 2,700m
Winner RB Grynade, Bernardo Pinheiro, Eric Lemartinel.
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
What are the main cyber security threats?
Cyber crime - This includes fraud, impersonation, scams and deepfake technology, tactics that are increasingly targeting infrastructure and exploiting human vulnerabilities.
Cyber terrorism - Social media platforms are used to spread radical ideologies, misinformation and disinformation, often with the aim of disrupting critical infrastructure such as power grids.
Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.
Three tips from La Perle's performers
1 The kind of water athletes drink is important. Gwilym Hooson, a 28-year-old British performer who is currently recovering from knee surgery, found that out when the company was still in Studio City, training for 12 hours a day. “The physio team was like: ‘Why is everyone getting cramps?’ And then they realised we had to add salt and sugar to the water,” he says.
2 A little chocolate is a good thing. “It’s emergency energy,” says Craig Paul Smith, La Perle’s head coach and former Cirque du Soleil performer, gesturing to an almost-empty open box of mini chocolate bars on his desk backstage.
3 Take chances, says Young, who has worked all over the world, including most recently at Dragone’s show in China. “Every time we go out of our comfort zone, we learn a lot about ourselves,” she says.
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Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203.0-litre%20twin-turbo%20V6%20and%20electric%20motor%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EMax%20power%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20700hp%20at%207%2C500rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EMax%20torque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20720Nm%20at%202%2C250rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Eight-speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E0-100km%2Fh%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203.0sec%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETop%20speed%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E330kph%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh1.14%20million%20(%24311%2C000)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
box
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Letstango.com
Started: June 2013
Founder: Alex Tchablakian
Based: Dubai
Industry: e-commerce
Initial investment: Dh10 million
Investors: Self-funded
Total customers: 300,000 unique customers every month
MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City, Tuesday, 11pm (UAE)
Matches can be watched on BeIN Sports
RESULT
Bayern Munich 3 Chelsea 2
Bayern: Rafinha (6'), Muller (12', 27')
Chelsea: Alonso (45' 3), Batshuayi (85')
Indian construction workers stranded in Ajman with unpaid dues
Veil (Object Lessons)
Rafia Zakaria
Bloomsbury Academic
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Dates for the diary
To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:
- September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
- October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
- October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
- November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
- December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
- February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.
