There is a lot going on in the world this week, from John Kerry's first visit to the UAE, India and Bangladesh as US President Joe Biden's climate envoy, to the dramatic turn of events in Jordan, to various stages of lockdown easing and tightening in various countries. So people would be forgiven if they missed a major news development that occurred on Sunday.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al Kadhimi came to Abu Dhabi, and was received by Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, with a 21-gun salute and full official welcome. Mr Al Kadhimi also went to Dubai and met Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai. In his one-day visit, he met the top leadership of the UAE, as well as business leaders, and paid a visit to Sheikh Zayed Mosque.
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed said: “Our relationship is based on trust and a number of positions” upon receiving Mr Al Kadhimi. Importantly, his statement of welcome was aired publicly, giving Mr Al Kadhimi a public boost.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid tweeted about historic relations with Iraq – and the role of its ancient civilisations, saying after their meeting: “Iraq is not like other countries, it is the dawn of human civilisation. In the beginning there was Iraq, then there was civilisation."
These public expressions about the value of Iraq are not only important political messages, they speak directly to Iraqis who are proud of their past but concerned about their present and future. That present and future can be put on a better trajectory with good leadership – and economic growth.
After extensive bilateral talks, the UAE pledged $3 billion in support to Iraq in reconstruction and investment projects. Iraq undoubtedly needs the financial assistance. With a weakened economy, dysfunctional financial systems, corruption, the ramifications of low oil prices and Covid-19, Iraq can use all the financial help it can get. But this package is about more than money. It is a statement of support and confidence.
The UAE would not put money into a country it did not believe will rise. Similarly, Saudi Arabia announced a $3 billion investment in Iraq when Mr Al Kadhimi visited Riyadh last week. These funds will help bolster the Iraqi government's efforts to attract private sector investment but will also signal to the Iraqi people that this government has the confidence of important regional players.
These developments also reflect Mr Al Kadhimi's eagerness to develop relations with Arab partners. From the outset, Mr Al Kadhimi has stressed the importance of ties with the Arab world – and not just a counter-balance to Iran. Relations between Iraq and its Arab neighbours would help to stabilise the country and the region – and open new economic avenues in a region in search of economic growth.
Hours after Mr Al Kadhimi arrived in the UAE, Shiite cleric Moqtada Al Sadr welcomed Iraq’s “openness to other Arab countries”. He echoed Mr Al Kadhimi’s position that Iraq needs to be on the “right path” of better relations with the Arab world. Mr Al Sadr’s statement shows the openness of major political actors to improving Arab relations – but it is Mr Al Kadhimi on whom Arab leaders are increasingly relying for those improvements.
The UAE would not put money in a country it did not believe will rise
This week marks one year since Mr Al Kadhimi was named prime minister-designate by President Barham Salih. He was tasked with the responsibility of transitioning Iraq to stability and enacting the legal changes needed to hold new elections.
Mr Al Kadhimi is slowly working to meet both ends. Iraq is due to hold elections in October, as Mr Al Kadhimi kept his pledge to hold early elections rather than seek to maintain power for a longer period of time. Some of his supporters urged him to further delay elections, after postponing from the initial June 2021 deadline, but he has refused.
Mr Al Kadhimi is adamant that elections must take place to allow for change to happen in Iraq. That change is primarily targeted at sectarian and corrupt forces. Mr Al Kadhimi does not have his own political party, nor a militia group. And while those are weaknesses in the current system, they can be sources of strength to change the system.
Mr Al Kadhimi is ambitious. It is quite clear when you sit with him. However, the ambition is tied in to Iraq’s success, rather than his personal success.
Iraq’s only real hope of success is the emergence of a civic state, based on a functioning economy, the rule of law and weeding out corruption, sectarian politics and militia rule. Mustafa Al Kadhimi believes in these principles. However, he has to confront, and possibly fight, incredibly strong forces who not only exist but thrive in the current conditions in Iraq. A concerted effort to end corruption and create a political dynamic based on public service will be crucial.
The problems in Iraq, from embedded corruption to the proliferation of militias, make it difficult to sound upbeat on the country. But at the same time, with change afoot in the region and a vibrant civil society demanding improvements in Iraq, there is a window of opportunity to elevate the country, which must be seized domestically and internationally. When Iraqi and American officials sit down for their strategic dialogue on Wednesday, that opportunity should be the focus of their discussion.
Mina Al-Oraibi is editor-in-chief of The National
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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.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Essentials
The flights
Emirates, Etihad and Malaysia Airlines all fly direct from the UAE to Kuala Lumpur and on to Penang from about Dh2,300 return, including taxes.
Where to stay
In Kuala Lumpur, Element is a recently opened, futuristic hotel high up in a Norman Foster-designed skyscraper. Rooms cost from Dh400 per night, including taxes. Hotel Stripes, also in KL, is a great value design hotel, with an infinity rooftop pool. Rooms cost from Dh310, including taxes.
In Penang, Ren i Tang is a boutique b&b in what was once an ancient Chinese Medicine Hall in the centre of Little India. Rooms cost from Dh220, including taxes.
23 Love Lane in Penang is a luxury boutique heritage hotel in a converted mansion, with private tropical gardens. Rooms cost from Dh400, including taxes.
In Langkawi, Temple Tree is a unique architectural villa hotel consisting of antique houses from all across Malaysia. Rooms cost from Dh350, including taxes.
A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
Profile of VoucherSkout
Date of launch: November 2016
Founder: David Tobias
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers
Sector: Technology
Size: 18 employees
Stage: Embarking on a Series A round to raise $5 million in the first quarter of 2019 with a 20 per cent stake
Investors: Seed round was self-funded with “millions of dollars”
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Sleep Well Beast
The National
4AD
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, Group B
Barcelona v Inter Milan
Camp Nou, Barcelona
Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
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
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
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TO A LAND UNKNOWN
Director: Mahdi Fleifel
Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa
Rating: 4.5/5
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Saturday's schedule at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
GP3 race, 12:30pm
Formula 1 final practice, 2pm
Formula 1 qualifying, 5pm
Formula 2 race, 6:40pm
Performance: Sam Smith
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
