A Syrian businessman who has worked for more than a decade to bolster civil society in his war-torn country has called on the international community – and the US in particular – to “stay with Syria” after the fall of Bashar Al Assad.
“It's not going to be a western type of democracy from day one. But it’s moving towards a democratic system, and a stable Syria is going to be very helpful to everyone, because it will curb Iran's influence in the region,” Ayman Asfari told The National in an exclusive interview.
Mr Asfari, the former chief executive of Petrofac, is the founder of Madaniya, an initiative led and funded by Syrians that aims to support the civic space in Syria and engage civil society in the political process.
A vocal critic of former president Mr Al Assad, he lobbied hard for years for international intervention in Syria. In 2013, the Syrian regime issued an arrest warrant for Mr Asfari, accusing him of funding the regime's opponents and “supporting terrorism”.
He described Syria's current state as fragile, akin to a critically ill patient, vulnerable to minor ailments.
“The situation in the country is very, very fragile, and any negative influence or interference could set us back quite a bit,” he said. “If we learnt anything from the last 50 years, is we do not want a system that we rely on an individual. We want an inclusive system where there are checks and balances for the power and authority of any individual, including [Syria’s de facto leader] Ahmad Al Shara.”
Mr Asfari added: “Power corrupts absolutely.”
As Donald Trump prepares to retake the White House, Mr Asfari called on the president-elect to re-evaluate Washington's engagement strategy with Damascus.
“We need engagement. I think the Trump administration has to engage positively in helping us manage this transition,” he said. “The worry that I have is that the US is looking at Syria only from the point of view of counter-terrorism, and they're only concerned about the issue of the re-emergence of ISIS.”
Last month, while Mr Trump met global leaders in Paris, armed fighters from Hayat Tahrir Al Sham entered Damascus, completing their overthrow of the Assad regime. But Mr Trump has shown little interest in deepening US involvement in Syria, stating on his Truth Social network: “Syria is a mess but is not our friend.”
Currently, about 2,000 US troops are stationed in Syria, their mission focusing on countering ISIS and supporting the Syrian Democratic Forces, a Kurdish-led coalition of militias.
Regardless of which way Washington turns, Mr Asfari hopes for a new and inclusive transitional government and the drafting of the constitution that prevents any rise of dictatorship akin to the Assad regime.
“What we don't want is a is a new government led by him [Mr Al Shara] and HTS, where you have members that are there … with no effective power. I'm hoping it will be genuinely representative and truly inclusive in order for it to be able to manage this very, critical and very difficult transition the next few years,” he said.
He believes Mr Al Shara, once an extremist who now advocates for pluralism and tolerance, will moderate his views even more, because Syrians are “pretty moderate, and many of them are conservative Muslims, but they don't want an Islamist regime”.
Mr Al Shara said in a recent interview with Al Arabiya that elections in Syria could take four years.
Mr Asfari also voiced concerns about the potential pitfalls of rushing into early elections in a nation lacking strong institutions or civil society.
“You would have possibly some of the wealthy people who have stolen money from the country, some of the Assad cronies. They could put money in a system which is fragile like this, and they could legitimise a candidate who's not acceptable,” he said.
During the roughly 13 years of civil war in the country, Mr Asfari expressed his support and contributed financially to the Syrian civil defence organisation known as the White Helmets, which lobbied for no-bombing zones to create safe areas for civilians under threat from Mr Al Assad and Russian aerial attacks.
With Mr Al Assad now gone, Mr Asfari said the White Helmets should integrate into the State Civil Defence Force and provide support for people across the country.
“The work that they are doing the last few years has been demining, taking out mines and providing humanitarian relief support. They've built an organisation that has been very effective in providing the Civil Defence support the areas where the regime didn't exist,” he explained.
As to his own future, Mr Asfari said he plans “to be part of the new Syria”, highlighting his readiness to leverage his expertise in business to attract foreign direct investment to aid in the country's reconstruction.
'THE WORST THING YOU CAN EAT'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
Bio
Age: 25
Town: Al Diqdaqah – Ras Al Khaimah
Education: Bachelors degree in mechanical engineering
Favourite colour: White
Favourite place in the UAE: Downtown Dubai
Favourite book: A Life in Administration by Ghazi Al Gosaibi.
First owned baking book: How to Be a Domestic Goddess by Nigella Lawson.
Don't get fined
The UAE FTA requires following to be kept:
- Records of all supplies and imports of goods and services
- All tax invoices and tax credit notes
- Alternative documents related to receiving goods or services
- All tax invoices and tax credit notes
- Alternative documents issued
- Records of goods and services that have been disposed of or used for matters not related to business
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League last-16, second leg:
Real Madrid 1 (Asensio 70'), Ajax 4 (Ziyech 7', Neres 18', Tadic 62', Schone 72')
Ajax win 5-3 on aggregate
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.0-litre, twin-turbocharged W12
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 626bhp
Torque: 900Nm
Price: Dh1,050,000
On sale: now
The lowdown
Badla
Rating: 2.5/5
Produced by: Red Chillies, Azure Entertainment
Director: Sujoy Ghosh
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Taapsee Pannu, Amrita Singh, Tony Luke
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
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Final scores
18 under: Tyrrell Hatton (ENG)
- 14: Jason Scrivener (AUS)
-13: Rory McIlroy (NIR)
-12: Rafa Cabrera Bello (ESP)
-11: David Lipsky (USA), Marc Warren (SCO)
-10: Tommy Fleetwood (ENG), Chris Paisley (ENG), Matt Wallace (ENG), Fabrizio Zanotti (PAR)
match info
Union Berlin 0
Bayern Munich 1 (Lewandowski 40' pen, Pavard 80')
Man of the Match: Benjamin Pavard (Bayern Munich)
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Expert input
If you had all the money in the world, what’s the one sneaker you would buy or create?
“There are a few shoes that have ‘grail’ status for me. But the one I have always wanted is the Nike x Patta x Parra Air Max 1 - Cherrywood. To get a pair in my size brand new is would cost me between Dh8,000 and Dh 10,000.” Jack Brett
“If I had all the money, I would approach Nike and ask them to do my own Air Force 1, that’s one of my dreams.” Yaseen Benchouche
“There’s nothing out there yet that I’d pay an insane amount for, but I’d love to create my own shoe with Tinker Hatfield and Jordan.” Joshua Cox
“I think I’d buy a defunct footwear brand; I’d like the challenge of reinterpreting a brand’s history and changing options.” Kris Balerite
“I’d stir up a creative collaboration with designers Martin Margiela of the mixed patchwork sneakers, and Yohji Yamamoto.” Hussain Moloobhoy
“If I had all the money in the world, I’d live somewhere where I’d never have to wear shoes again.” Raj Malhotra
The specs
Engine: 2.5-litre, turbocharged 5-cylinder
Transmission: seven-speed auto
Power: 400hp
Torque: 500Nm
Price: Dh300,000 (estimate)
On sale: 2022
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
Seven tips from Emirates NBD
1. Never respond to e-mails, calls or messages asking for account, card or internet banking details
2. Never store a card PIN (personal identification number) in your mobile or in your wallet
3. Ensure online shopping websites are secure and verified before providing card details
4. Change passwords periodically as a precautionary measure
5. Never share authentication data such as passwords, card PINs and OTPs (one-time passwords) with third parties
6. Track bank notifications regarding transaction discrepancies
7. Report lost or stolen debit and credit cards immediately
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECreator%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESteven%20Knight%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%C2%A0%3C%2Fstrong%3EMark%20Ruffalo%2C%20Hugh%20Laurie%2C%20Aria%20Mia%20Loberti%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E1%2F5%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE squad
Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Udeni Kuruppuarachchige, Vaishnave Mahesh.
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
