The leader of the Houthis Mohammed Ali Al Houthi after his meeting with UN special envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths in Sanaa on November 24. Yahya Arhab / EPA
The leader of the Houthis Mohammed Ali Al Houthi after his meeting with UN special envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths in Sanaa on November 24. Yahya Arhab / EPA

Yemen breakthrough looks closer than ever



As opposing sides prepare to sit down together for talks for the first time in Yemen’s three-year war, a breakthrough in the conflict feels closer than ever before.

The past few weeks have been filled with frantic preparations, negotiations and compromise.

Numerous concessions have been made; in the latest gesture, legitimate president Abdrabu Mansur Hadi and the Houthis promised to swap thousands of prisoners, 50 injured Houthi rebels were being flown to Oman for medical treatment and a delegation of Houthis were yesterday on their way to Sweden for long-awaited talks.

Such measures have built confidence in the peace process and show a commitment to a political rather than a military solution.

They are cause for optimism ahead of negotiations that, according to UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Dr Anwar Gargash, could provide "a sustainable, Yemeni-led political solution" to the crisis.

Other obstacles to peace are being systematically dismantled too. On Monday, Iranian state TV reported that Tehran had agreed to back the talks, a significant development, given that the support, backing and arms handed to the Houthis by Iran has exacerbated the war.

The Saudi-led coalition and the US have repeatedly pledged their commitment to the UN process. With willingness on all sides to secure a non-violent settlement, the foundations for peace have been laid.

The parties must now build on that with constructive dialogue in Sweden.

Naturally, an end to fighting is far from guaranteed in a war that has reportedly killed more than 80,000 children through starvation and now threatens 8.4 million Yemenis – half the population – with the same fate.

The port city of Hodeidah, a vital lifeline for food and medicine, remains under tight Houthi control. And at the previous round of talks, painstakingly arranged in Geneva in September by UN special envoy Martin Griffiths, the Houthis failed to attend at all, instead retreating to their Sanaa stronghold.

But in recent weeks, fighting has abated amid renewed peace efforts and with new confidence-building measures in place, there is fresh hope for a resolution.

Mr Griffiths nevertheless faces an uphill battle to usher in a lasting political solution.

The future of Sanaa, formerly the seat of Yemen’s legitimate government and now occupied by the Houthis, remains unclear.

But on the table in Sweden is the opening of Sanaa airport, a ceasefire in Hodeidah, ending coalition airstrikes and halting Houthi missile attacks on Saudi cities.

Each of these conditions presents its own complications but after these positive developments, there is fresh momentum propelling all sides to the negotiating table.

The people of Yemen need an enduring solution to end their suffering. Much rests on what happens in Sweden to set the country on the road to peace.

Company Profile

Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million

Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
 
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
About Krews

Founder: Ahmed Al Qubaisi

Based: Abu Dhabi

Founded: January 2019

Number of employees: 10

Sector: Technology/Social media 

Funding to date: Estimated $300,000 from Hub71 in-kind support

 

Scoreline

Syria 1-1 Australia

Syria Al Somah 85'

Australia Kruse 40'

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 
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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A MINECRAFT MOVIE

Director: Jared Hess

Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa

Rating: 3/5

TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:

- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools

- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say

- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance

- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs

- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills

- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month

- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues

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
RACE CARD

5pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (Turf) 2,200m
5.30pm: Khor Al Baghal – Conditions (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m
6pm: Khor Faridah – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m
6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Fillies Classic – Prestige (PA) Dh110,000 (T) 1,400m
7pm: Abu Dhabi Colts Classic – Prestige (PA) Dh110,000 (T) 1,400m
7.30pm: Khor Laffam – Handicap (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 2,200m