Insight and opinion from The National’s editorial leadership
September 22, 2021
A recently released video by k-pop group BTS performing their song "Permission to Dance" in the UN General Assembly (UNGA) hall has garnered millions of views. It is intended to raise awareness ahead of the 76th annual meeting of UNGA, for which over 100 heads of government and state, in addition to many more officials, are gathered in New York this week. Fears over Covid-19 mean this year’s assembly has been scaled down, but it is the biggest global gathering of officials since the pandemic, as last year's UNGA was mainly virtual. Of course, the issues up for discussion are as big as ever.
Instability in the Middle East and further afield are at the forefront of the agenda and, as is often the case, risk dominating it. There are other, longer-term but nonetheless vital issues on the world’s plate. One is climate change. Keeping the environment at the top of delegates' minds is crucial. In a matter of weeks, the UK will hold the UN Climate Change Conference (Cop26), where countries are set to gather to discuss ways to achieve a zero-carbon future by 2050.
Khalifa Shaheen Al Marar, Minister of State, delivers a speech before the 76th session United Nations General Assembly. Photo: UAE Mission to the UN
Khalifa Shaheen Al Marar, Minister of State, delivers a speech before the 76th session United Nations General Assembly. Photo: UAE Mission to the UN
Yemen's Foreign Minister Ahmad Awad bin Mubarak addresses the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. EPA
Abdullatif bin Rashid Alzayani, minister for Foreign Affairs of Bahrain, addresses the general debate of the General Assembly’s seventy-sixth session. Photo: United Nations
Syria's foreign minister Faisal Mekdad addresses the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly. AP Photo
Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz speaks in a prerecorded video during the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Bloomberg
Luis Abinader, the Dominican Republic's president, also speaks via live stream. Bloomberg
A sign informs United Nations employees of coronavirus protocols. AFP
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy speaks during the scaled-back meeting. Bloomberg
Nicolas Maduro, Venezuela's president, speaks in a prerecorded video. Bloomberg
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses the UN General Assembly. AP Photo
Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El Sisi sent a recorded message. AP Photo
South Korea's President Moon Jae-in and First Lady Kim Jung-sook outside the UN headquarters in New York. Reuters
Peruvian President Pedro Castillo speaks at the assembly. AP Photo
Poland's President Andrzej Duda leaves the stage after delivering his speech. Reuters
US President Joe Biden addresses the session. AP Photo
A member of the New York City Fire Department outside the UN headquarters. AP Photo
Ecuador's President Guillermo Lasso speaks during the meeting. Reuters
Bulgaria's President Rumen Radev addresses world leaders by video. Reuters
Qatari ruler Sheikh Tamim addresses the session. AP Photo
Streets near the UN headquarters in New York were closed ahead of the meeting. AFP
Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih gets ready to address the annual UN General Assembly. AP Photo
Xi Jinping, the Chinese president, addresses the UN General Assembly. Bloomberg
Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro speaks to world leaders. AP Photo
Delegates listen to speeches. AP Photo
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announces Turkey's willingness to ratify the Paris Agreement on climate change. EPA
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi attended the session by video from Tehran. AFP
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres speaks. AFP
US President Joe Biden and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres meet at the UN General Assembly. AFP
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss. AP
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson greets Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his girlfriend, Lauren Sanchez. AP
China's President Xi Jinping addresses the UN General Assembly session in a recorded video. AP
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson arrives to meet Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. AP
Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro, centre, walks outside his hotel while in New York for the UN General Assembly. Reuters
Protesters block 2nd Avenue near the UN's headquarters, calling on US President Joe Biden and the international community to help provide wider access to Covid-19 vaccines. EPA
UN staff remove British flags from a podium after UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson addressed the media at the UN General Assembly. AP
President of South Korea, Moon Jae-in, speaks during the General Debate in the UN General Assembly Hall. EPA
Members of South Korean K-pop band BTS appear at a Sustainable Development Goals meeting during the UN General Assembly. AP
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres speaks at a Sustainable Development Goals event. Reuters
In an interview with The National, President of Cop26 Alok Sharma said that climate change is “the biggest security risk for the world”. And yet, as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson recently expressed, determination to tackle the issue is flagging among countries with the biggest responsibility to do so. "It is the biggest economies in the world that are causing the problem, while the smallest suffer the worst consequences. And while progress is being made all over the world, the gulf between what has been promised, what is actually being delivered remains vast," Mr Johnson said.
Many of the countries with most to lose from international disengagement are smaller ones, unable to forge ahead on climate action without the initiative of larger economies. The Middle East's location already makes it an early flashpoint for many different environmental crises, including decreasing soil quality – a risk to food security – water shortages and rising summer temperatures. Of the 17 most water-stressed countries in the world, 11 are in the Mena region. It is also warming at twice the global average rate.
Similar challenges extend across the developing world. We will have to wait and see if great powers listen –including those that call publicly for dramatic change.
Geopolitical tensions among powerful countries will not help to create the necessary atmosphere of collaboration. An ongoing dispute over Australia's plans to acquire nuclear submarine technology with the help of the US and UK has destabilised further the West's relations with China. It is even driving a significant wedge between France and its old anglophone allies. It is, however, too early to be sure that this year's climate progress is well and truly scuppered. Countries should remember, as Mr Sharma stressed, that climate change, with its huge ramifications, ultimately trumps all strategic interests, even military ones.
1980 Ruwais Housing Complex built, located 10 kilometres away from industrial plants
1982 120,000 bpd capacity Ruwais refinery complex officially inaugurated by the founder of the UAE Sheikh Zayed
1984 Second phase of Ruwais Housing Complex built. Today the 7,000-unit complex houses some 24,000 people.
1985 The refinery is expanded with the commissioning of a 27,000 b/d hydro cracker complex
2009 Plans announced to build $1.2 billion fertilizer plant in Ruwais, producing urea
2010 Adnoc awards $10bn contracts for expansion of Ruwais refinery, to double capacity from 415,000 bpd
2014 Ruwais 261-outlet shopping mall opens
2014 Production starts at newly expanded Ruwais refinery, providing jet fuel and diesel and allowing the UAE to be self-sufficient for petrol supplies
2014 Etihad Rail begins transportation of sulphur from Shah and Habshan to Ruwais for export
2017 Aldar Academies to operate Adnoc’s schools including in Ruwais from September. Eight schools operate in total within the housing complex.
2018 Adnoc announces plans to invest $3.1 billion on upgrading its Ruwais refinery
2018 NMC Healthcare selected to manage operations of Ruwais Hospital
2018 Adnoc announces new downstream strategy at event in Abu Dhabi on May 13
Source: The National
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.
Wealth managers recommend late investors to have a balanced portfolio that typically includes traditional assets such as cash, government and corporate bonds, equities, commodities and commercial property.
They do not usually recommend investing in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies due to the risk and volatility associated with them.
“It has produced eye-watering returns for some, whereas others have lost substantially as this has all depended purely on timing and when the buy-in was. If someone still has about 20 to 25 years until retirement, there isn’t any need to take such risks,” Rupert Connor of Abacus Financial Consultant says.
He adds that if a person is interested in owning a business or growing a property portfolio to increase their retirement income, this can be encouraged provided they keep in mind the overall risk profile of these assets.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic Started: October 2023 Founder: Namrata Raina Based: Dubai Sector: E-commerce Current number of staff: 10 Investment stage: Pre-seed Initial investment: Undisclosed
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
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
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 480hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 570Nm from 2,300-5,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 10.4L/100km
Price: from Dh547,600
On sale: now
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
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
MATCH INFO
Jersey 147 (20 overs)
UAE 112 (19.2 overs)
Jersey win by 35 runs
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), EsekaiaDranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), JaenBotes (Exiles), KristianStinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), EmosiVacanau (Harlequins), NikoVolavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), ThinusSteyn (Exiles)
RESULTS
5pm: Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Racing Festival Purebred Arabian Cup Conditions (PA) Dh 200,000 (Turf) 1,600m
Winner: Hameem, Adrie de Vries (jockey), Abdallah Al Hammadi (trainer) 5.30pm: Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Cup Conditions (PA) Dh 200,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner: Winked, Connor Beasley, Abdallah Al Hammadi 6pm: Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan National Day Cup Listed (TB) Dh 380,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner: Boerhan, Ryan Curatolo, Nicholas Bachalard 6.30pm: Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan National Day Group 3 (PA) Dh 500,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner: AF Alwajel, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel 7pm: Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan National Day Jewel Crown Group 1 (PA) Dh 5,000,000 (T) 2,200m
Winner: Messi, Pat Dobbs, Timo Keersmaekers 7.30pm: Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Racing Festival Handicap (PA) Dh 150,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: Harrab, Ryan Curatolo, Jean de Roualle 8pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh 100,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: AF Alareeq, Connor Beasley, Ahmed Al Mehairbi
For decades the UAE has granted two and three year visas to foreign workers, tied to their current employer. Now that's changing.
Last year, the UAE cabinet also approved providing 10-year visas to foreigners with investments in the UAE of at least Dh10 million, if non-real estate assets account for at least 60 per cent of the total. Investors can bring their spouses and children into the country.
It also approved five-year residency to owners of UAE real estate worth at least 5 million dirhams.
The government also said that leading academics, medical doctors, scientists, engineers and star students would be eligible for similar long-term visas, without the need for financial investments in the country.
What is Financial Fair Play?
Introduced in 2011 by Uefa, European football’s governing body, it demands that clubs live within their means. Chiefly, spend within their income and not make substantial losses.
What the rules dictate?
The second phase of its implementation limits losses to €30 million (Dh136m) over three seasons. Extra expenditure is permitted for investment in sustainable areas (youth academies, stadium development, etc). Money provided by owners is not viewed as income. Revenue from “related parties” to those owners is assessed by Uefa's “financial control body” to be sure it is a fair value, or in line with market prices.
What are the penalties?
There are a number of punishments, including fines, a loss of prize money or having to reduce squad size for European competition – as happened to PSG in 2014. There is even the threat of a competition ban, which could in theory lead to PSG’s suspension from the Uefa Champions League.
