Leaders lead; that might seem like a redundant truism, but it is one lent a new depth of meaning in an open letter from Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, to ministers, officials and the general public, that sets standards of candour, transparency and, indeed, leadership.
Twitter is the new public square and on Saturday, Sheikh Mohammed gathered about him in that place his "brothers and sisters", not only those charged with delivering the policies of the government but also the citizens whose prosperity and happiness is their ultimate objective. This was an address made on the eve of the "new season", when all turn their backs on the well-earned distractions of summer and return to the fray with renewed vigour. But Sheikh Mohammed's words evoked the sense of another kind of season – the opening of a new chapter in the development of the UAE.
To the government’s ministers and officials his message was plain – this must be a government of achievements, not conferences. Their place was in the field, “between students and teachers, with widows and mothers, among the elderly, with the sick”. Sheikh Mohammed also made clear that Emiratisation, a vital component of preparation for the looming realities of national life as a post-oil economy, is not proceeding as quickly as the government believes it should. This programme is linked inextricably with the continued economic growth of the country and it is clear that this coming season will see Emiratisation given a necessary new impetus.
Complaints from the public, said the Prime Minister, were to be met with respect and resolved – any institution afraid to face people was one that had lost its confidence. This point acknowledged an invaluable wisdom. A nation’s success cannot be measured by balance sheets alone; people’s happiness must be weighed in the scales.
Yet with rights come responsibilities. There were words of warning for those who would traduce the image and reputation of the UAE on social media for the sake of gaining a few followers, undermining the work of thousands. But perhaps the most revealing aspect of Sheikh Mohammed’s address is what it tells us about the government of that nation – one still inspired by the legacy of Sheikh Zayed to act always in the best interests of its people.
Within a day, the Cabinet had adopted the six main points in his letter and appointed a committee of ministers to prepare a 100-day plan to address them. It is headed by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Presidential Affairs and, in the words of Sheikh Mohammed, a "graduate of the school of Zayed".
This is a government willing and eager to continually review how it works, unafraid publicly to call out the shortcomings of the engines of state and, above all, determined not to succumb to complacency, the enemy of momentum.
The UAE’s successes to date are as evident as they are legion. Few could doubt Sheikh Mohammed’s confident assertion that the future promises to be even better and brighter. But it is the very fact that the government refuses to take such a future for granted that ensures it will come to pass.
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Results
Stage 5:
1. Jonas Vingegaard (DEN) Team Jumbo-Visma 04:19:08
2. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates 00:00:03
3. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers
4. Sergio Higuita (COL) EF Education-Nippo 00:00:05
5. Joao Almeida (POR) Deceuninck-QuickStep 00:00:06
General Classification:
1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates 17:09:26
2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers 00:00:45
3. Joao Almeida (POR) Deceuninck-QuickStep 00:01:12
4. Chris Harper (AUS) Team Jumbo-Visma 00:01:54
5. Neilson Powless (USA) EF Education-Nippo 00:01:56
Film: Raid
Dir: Rajkumar Gupta
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Ileana D'cruz and Saurabh Shukla
Verdict: Three stars
Abandon
Sangeeta Bandyopadhyay
Translated by Arunava Sinha
Tilted Axis Press
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
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
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
