President Donald Trump is continuing to fill his diplomatic roster, and many ambassador roles in countries around the world are still up for grabs.
Here, The National takes a look at who Mr Trump has chosen for ambassadorships in the Middle East and North Africa, and which roles have yet to be filled.
Israel: Mike Huckabee
Mr Huckabee is a former governor of Arkansas. Since leaving office in 2007, he has hosted political television and radio shows and been a commentator on others. He has frequently expressed great love for Israel and led several tour groups to the country over the years. He has in the past referred to the area as “Judea and Samaria”, the biblical terms settlers use to describe the West Bank, and has said there is no way to negotiate with Hamas.
Turkey: Tom Barrack
Mr Barrack is a billionaire and a long-time friend of Mr Trump. The grandson of Lebanese-Christian immigrants, Mr Barrack founded the private equity firm Colony Capital. He was the chairman of Mr Trump's first inaugural committee in 2017, and two years ago was acquitted of federal charges of unlawful lobbying.
Lebanon: Michel Issa
Mr Issa is a Lebanese-American businessman and philanthropist who is reported to be a golfing buddy of Mr Trump. In his announcement of his nomination on Truth Social, the President called him "an outstanding businessman, financial expert, and leader with a remarkable career in banking, entrepreneurship, and international trade". Mr Issa will take on a complex file at a complicated moment: Lebanon is slowly coming out of a lengthy political vacuum and is continuing to experience the effects of a devastating economic crisis. The country is also in an uneasy ceasefire with Israel.
Tunisia: Bill Bazzi
Mr Bazzi is the mayor of Dearborn Heights, Michigan, which has a large Arab-American community. He endorsed Mr Trump during his 2024 campaign. Mr Trump described Mr Bazzi as a decorated US marine who served the country for 21 years. Before he was elected mayor, he worked at Boeing as a quality manager and at Ford as a product development engineer. If confirmed, he will replace Joey Hood, who took up the role in 2022.
Kuwait: Amer Ghalib
Mr Ghalib is the mayor of Hamtramck, Michigan. The Yemeni-American mayor endorsed Mr Trump during his presidential campaign. The President credited Mr Ghalib with helping him to secure victory in Michigan. If confirmed, he will replace Karen Sasahara, who took up the role in 2023.
Holdovers from Biden administration
Yemen: Steven Fagin
Mr Fagin began his tenure in 2022. A career member of the foreign service, he has held a wide range of positions in embassies and consulates throughout the world, including Iraq and Egypt. As ambassador, Mr Fagin has grappled with the rise in attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels on international shipping that have precipitated US strikes on sites in Yemen.
Egypt: Herro Mustafa
Ms Mustafa acceded to the ambassadorship in 2023. She previously served as ambassador to Bulgaria, and before that held various posts in the foreign service around the world. Ms Mustafa is originally from the Kurdish region of Iraq, and her family fled the country in the 1970s for the US. She has served as ambassador during a complicated time for Egypt, as it navigates the fallout of the Israel-Gaza war.
Oman: Ana Escrogima
Ms Escrogima took up the position in 2023. She previously served as the State Department’s UAE-based Arabic-language spokeswoman, and was office director for Regional and Multilateral Affairs in the Near Eastern Affairs Bureau.
UAE: Martina Strong
Ms Strong has been UAE ambassador since 2023. She previously served as the chargé d’affaires at the US embassy in Saudi Arabia and also held diplomatic positions in Iraq, Bulgaria and Poland. She has won a number of State Department awards and speaks Arabic, Czech and Polish.
Bahrain: Steven Bondy
Mr Bondy has been ambassador to Bahrain since 2021. Before that, he was chargé d’affaires and deputy chief of mission at the embassy in the UAE. His accession to the ambassadorship follows a stint as political/economic counsellor at the embassy in Bahrain.
Algeria: Elizabeth Moore Aubin
Ms Moore Aubin has been her current role since 2021. She previously served in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs and was also deputy chief of mission in Algiers.
Positions to be filled
There are still several Middle Eastern countries that Mr Trump has yet to name ambassadors for. The ambassadors to Jordan (Yael Lempert), Morocco (Puneet Talwar) and Saudi Arabia (Mike Ratney) have left or announced they would leave their posts after Mr Trump entered office.
The ambassador to Iraq, Alina Romanowski, left her role in December. John Godfrey, the ambassador to Sudan, left his post in February last year. The US has not had an ambassador to Syria since 2014.
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
JAPANESE GRAND PRIX INFO
Schedule (All times UAE)
First practice: Friday, 5-6.30am
Second practice: Friday, 9-10.30am
Third practice: Saturday, 7-8am
Qualifying: Saturday, 10-11am
Race: Sunday, 9am-midday
Race venue: Suzuka International Racing Course
Circuit Length: 5.807km
Number of Laps: 53
Watch live: beIN Sports HD
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
About Proto21
Date started: May 2018
Founder: Pir Arkam
Based: Dubai
Sector: Additive manufacturing (aka, 3D printing)
Staff: 18
Funding: Invested, supported and partnered by Joseph Group
Company profile
Name: Fruitful Day
Founders: Marie-Christine Luijckx, Lyla Dalal AlRawi, Lindsey Fournie
Based: Dubai, UAE
Founded: 2015
Number of employees: 30
Sector: F&B
Funding so far: Dh3 million
Future funding plans: None at present
Future markets: Saudi Arabia, potentially Kuwait and other GCC countries
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
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
Banned items
Dubai Police has also issued a list of banned items at the ground on Sunday. These include:
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Political flags or banners
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Bikes, skateboards or scooters
UAE%20Warriors%2045%20Results
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E%0DMain%20Event%0D%3A%20Lightweight%20Title%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EAmru%20Magomedov%20def%20Jakhongir%20Jumaev%20-%20Round%201%20(submission)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECo-Main%20Event%0D%3A%20Bantamweight%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3ERany%20Saadeh%20def%20Genil%20Franciso%20-%20Round%202%20(submission)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECatchweight%20150%20lbs%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EWalter%20Cogliandro%20def%20Ali%20Al%20Qaisi%20-%20Round%201%20(TKO)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBantamweight%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3ERenat%20Khavalov%20def%20Hikaru%20Yoshino%20-%20Round%202%20(TKO)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFlyweight%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EVictor%20Nunes%20def%20Nawras%20Abzakh%20-%20Round%201%20(TKO)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFlyweight%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EYamato%20Fujita%20def%20Sanzhar%20Adilov%20-%20Round%201%20(submission)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ELightweight%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EAbdullo%20Khodzhaev%20def%20Petru%20Buzdugen%20-%20Round%201%20(TKO)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECatchweight%20139%20lbs%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3ERazhabali%20Shaydullaev%20def%20Magomed%20Al-Abdullah%20-%20Round%202%20(submission)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFlyweight%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3ECong%20Wang%20def%20Amena%20Hadaya%20-%20Points%20(unanimous%20decision)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EMiddleweight%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EKhabib%20Nabiev%20def%20Adis%20Taalaybek%20Uulu%20-%20Round%202%20(submission)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ELight%20Heavyweight%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EBartosz%20Szewczyk%20def%20Artem%20Zemlyakov%20-%20Round%202%20(TKO)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
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
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
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
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
