The new reality taking shape in Syria may be in its infancy but one thing is clear – this is a moment of extreme uncertainty for the country’s people and the wider Middle East. The collapse of six decades of Baath Party rule injects further volatility into a part of the region already destabilised by continuing conflicts.
Syrians are processing this historic moment while some are considering the many questions thrown up by this turning point. The end of the government led by president Bashar Al Assad has been met by a great wave of emotion that is sweeping families in Syria itself and refugee and migrant communities around the world. This is understandable; too many Syrians were treated unjustly by the security apparatus of that government, with thousands forced into exile or imprisoned amid myriad reports of inhumane treatment.
Many others in Syria are apprehensive about the future, and they are right to be so. From Lebanon to Iraq and Yemen to Libya, time and again armed militias have proven that they can secure military victories. They have also proven that they often govern poorly. Speaking about Syria at the IISS Manama Dialogue earlier today Dr Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the UAE President, was right when he said: "When problems get left unresolved, they get worse ... past events have shown us how important it is to support the national state."
The national state in Syria is changing rapidly and there are new centres of power in this fractured country. The main rebel group that forced Mr Al Assad’s departure – Hayat Tahrir Al Sham – now faces an acid test. It claims to be fighting for a just Syria but its roots in political and religious extremism will reassure few people, especially civilians already wary of the fearsome reputation attached to certain armed factions in the opposition coalition.
The National has argued that the Syrian state must be humane, unitary and robust. The nation cannot continue as a collection of cantons under the sway of various militias and their foreign backers. Given that reality, it is incumbent upon those now on the cusp of power to be the change they claim to be – that means going beyond a mere “rebranding” and proving that they can be responsible administrators. There are signs that this may be possible.
Video has emerged of Syrian Prime Minister Mohammad Al Jalali leaving his home in Damascus with rebel fighters for what could be the first meeting between the insurgency’s leaders and what remains of the government. The rebels have said that Mr Al Jalali, who is regarded as a technocrat, could play a temporary supervisory role.
If the rebels can work constructively with the country’s remaining institutions, thereby avoiding the mistakes seen after the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq – when the entire state and military were dismantled, leaving behind a dangerous political vacuum – then a better Syria is, perhaps, possible. But there is a formidable list of problems and potential threats to be addressed.
Decades-old wounds in Syrian society need healing. Syria’s economy is broken, its currency devalued and unemployment is rife. The trade in illegal drugs has flourished for many years. Many Syrians rely on aid to survive and thousands are fleeing across the border into Lebanon, a country that has been attacked and invaded by neighbouring Israel. Potential Israeli moves into Syria would be disastrous. In addition, the UN Security Council heard three days ago that Syria’s reported destruction or conversion of chemical warfare agents remains unverified.
Sudden change in Syria is here and must be reckoned with. A renewed war between opposition factions and the Kurdish-led forces in north-eastern Syria, an extremist quasi-administration in Damascus or indiscriminate revenge carried out against government loyalists would all be catastrophic for Syria. Although it is Syria’s people who must decide their future, the international community must rethink its policy of disengagement and be ready to support peace and reconstruction efforts.
There must be hope that Syrians are able to take their fate into their own hands again. Now may be a moment of uncertainty, but very quickly the time will come for the serious business of restoring Syria to its rightful place as a peaceful, stable and indispensable part of the Arab world.
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MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
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THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Constant Variable (CVT)
Power: 141bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh64,500
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Jebel Ali Dragons 26 Bahrain 23
Dragons
Tries: Hayes, Richards, Cooper
Cons: Love
Pens: Love 3
Bahrain
Tries: Kenny, Crombie, Tantoh
Cons: Phillips
Pens: Phillips 2
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Saudi National Day
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
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
Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
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Profile box
Company name: baraka
Started: July 2020
Founders: Feras Jalbout and Kunal Taneja
Based: Dubai and Bahrain
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $150,000
Current staff: 12
Stage: Pre-seed capital raising of $1 million
Investors: Class 5 Global, FJ Labs, IMO Ventures, The Community Fund, VentureSouq, Fox Ventures, Dr Abdulla Elyas (private investment)
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The Bio
Favourite vegetable: “I really like the taste of the beetroot, the potatoes and the eggplant we are producing.”
Holiday destination: “I like Paris very much, it’s a city very close to my heart.”
Book: “Das Kapital, by Karl Marx. I am not a communist, but there are a lot of lessons for the capitalist system, if you let it get out of control, and humanity.”
Musician: “I like very much Fairuz, the Lebanese singer, and the other is Umm Kulthum. Fairuz is for listening to in the morning, Umm Kulthum for the night.”
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UAE tour of the Netherlands
UAE squad: Rohan Mustafa (captain), Shaiman Anwar, Ghulam Shabber, Mohammed Qasim, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Chirag Suri, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Mohammed Naveed, Amjad Javed, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed
Fixtures: Monday, first 50-over match; Wednesday, second 50-over match; Thursday, third 50-over match
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Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
AWARDS
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War on waste
Profile of MoneyFellows
Founder: Ahmed Wadi
Launched: 2016
Employees: 76
Financing stage: Series A ($4 million)
Investors: Partech, Sawari Ventures, 500 Startups, Dubai Angel Investors, Phoenician Fund
Sheer grandeur
The Owo building is 14 storeys high, seven of which are below ground, with the 30,000 square feet of amenities located subterranean, including a 16-seat private cinema, seven lounges, a gym, games room, treatment suites and bicycle storage.
A clear distinction between the residences and the Raffles hotel with the amenities operated separately.
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Company profile
Name: Dukkantek
Started: January 2021
Founders: Sanad Yaghi, Ali Al Sayegh and Shadi Joulani
Based: UAE
Number of employees: 140
Sector: B2B Vertical SaaS(software as a service)
Investment: $5.2 million
Funding stage: Seed round
Investors: Global Founders Capital, Colle Capital Partners, Wamda Capital, Plug and Play, Comma Capital, Nowais Capital, Annex Investments and AMK Investment Office
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If you go...
Fly from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Chiang Mai in Thailand, via Bangkok, before taking a five-hour bus ride across the Laos border to Huay Xai. The land border crossing at Huay Xai is a well-trodden route, meaning entry is swift, though travellers should be aware of visa requirements for both countries.
Flights from Dubai start at Dh4,000 return with Emirates, while Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi start at Dh2,000. Local buses can be booked in Chiang Mai from around Dh50
MATCH INFO
Delhi Daredevils 174-4 (20 ovs)
Mumbai Indians 163 (19.3 ovs)
Delhi won the match by 11 runs
Analysis
Maros Sefcovic is juggling multiple international trade agreement files, but his message was clear when he spoke to The National on Wednesday.
The EU-UAE bilateral trade deal will be finalised soon, he said. It is in everyone’s interests to do so. Both sides want to move quickly and are in alignment. He said the UAE is a very important partner for the EU. It’s full speed ahead - and with some lofty ambitions - on the road to a free trade agreement.
We also talked about US-EU tariffs. He answered that both sides need to talk more and more often, but he is prepared to defend Europe's position and said diplomacy should be a guiding principle through the current moment.
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NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
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Director: Jafar Panahi
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Brahmastra%3A%20Part%20One%20-%20Shiva
ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA
Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi
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Rating: 4.5/5
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BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
