The restoration of diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran on Friday has been widely seen as a significant and positive development for the Middle East, and rightly so. Peace and co-operation between two regional powers is vital, as viewed from the lens of stability.
The UAE welcomed the newly brokered ties as an important step towards development and prosperity in the region, with Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, and Dr Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the President, endorsing the proverbial handshake. It follows the UAE’s re-establishment of diplomatic relations with Iran last year, in the mutual interest of peace and stability, which resulted in both countries reopening their embassies after six years.
For Saudi Arabia, this is an important chapter, after the cooling of ties with Tehran following attacks on its diplomatic missions inside Iran in 2016. This is not least of all in light of the waning influence of the US in the Middle East. Washington, which was not involved in the talks brokered by Beijing, has had its decades-long reliability as a security guarantor to its allies in the region, including Saudi Arabia, increasingly questioned. In recent years, when Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have targeted Riyadh and other cities close to the Saudi border with missiles and drones, the US has done little more than condemn these attacks.
For Iran, rapprochement could offer much-needed respite, as its government deals with economic turmoil but also social upheaval due to nationwide protests following the death of a young Iranian woman in police custody. Its international reputation, that of a pariah, is due in no small measure to its regional activities and consistent uranium enrichment that are a part of its nuclear weapons programme, both of which pose security threats to its neighbourhood. The renewing of ties with the kingdom, with which the Iranian regime has long been at odds, could provide an opportunity for it to begin mending relations with other members of the international community.
Beijing deserves some of the credit for this diplomatic breakthrough. However, it is important to remember that the talks themselves have been years in the making, with several rounds of diplomatic discussions having been held in the region, notably in Baghdad.
Most importantly though, and at the crux of these renewed ties, lies a hope that with Saudi Arabia and Iran in dialogue, an eventual peace in Yemen is closer to being achieved after nine years of conflict between the internationally recognised Yemeni government and the Houthis. The Houthi coup and the war that followed have left hundreds of thousands dead, with about 24 million people, including almost 13 million children, in need of humanitarian assistance. Indeed, the most tangible result from these renewed relations could be a return to normality for the long-suffering people of Yemen.
But even as last week's development brings with it cautious optimism, Iran will need to prove that it can play the role of a responsible actor. For the breakthrough to have real meaning, actionable steps must be taken by stakeholders on both sides, in the pursuit of peace and stability in the region.
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Women's Prize for Fiction shortlist
The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker
My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
Milkman by Anna Burns
Ordinary People by Diana Evans
An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
Circe by Madeline Miller
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
Results
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 80,000 (Turf) 1,400m. Winner: Al Ajeeb W’Rsan, Pat Dobbs (jockey), Jaci Wickham (trainer).
5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 80,000 (T) 1,400m racing. Winner: Mujeeb, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel.
6pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 90,000 (T) 2,200m. Winner: Onward, Connor Beasley, Abdallah Al Hammadi.
6.30pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Jewel Crown Prep Rated Conditions (PA) Dh 125,000 (T) 2,200m. Winner: Somoud, Richard Mullen, Jean de Roualle.
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh 70,000 (T) 1,600m. Winner: AF Arrab, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel.
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 90,000 (T) 1,400m. Winner: Irish Freedom, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
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- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
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- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
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The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
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.
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
The biog
Name: Samar Frost
Born: Abu Dhabi
Hobbies: Singing, music and socialising with friends
Favourite singer: Adele
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
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
Our legal advisor
Ahmad El Sayed is Senior Associate at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.
Experience: Commercial litigator who has assisted clients with overseas judgments before UAE courts. His specialties are cases related to banking, real estate, shareholder disputes, company liquidations and criminal matters as well as employment related litigation.
Education: Sagesse University, Beirut, Lebanon, in 2005.
ON%20TRACK
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
MATCH INFO
Crawley Town 3 (Tsaroulla 50', Nadesan 53', Tunnicliffe 70')
Leeds United 0
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
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5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
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