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France's ambassador to the UAE has spoken proudly of how the two nations' ties were strengthened during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Ahead of his first Bastille Day in Abu Dhabi, Xavier Chatel said frontline workers and medical institutions would be at the forefront of the celebrations after a tireless 18 months battling the virus.
Speaking to The National, Mr Chatel, who took up his position in October last year, said he wanted to personally thank the UAE doctors that stayed in France during the outbreak to treat patients.
He said the way the UAE's leadership handled the virus made it “even more attractive for French citizens” who want to settle overseas.
We have seven French schools across the Emirates now and we plan to keep opening schools, which shows there is demand here
Xavier Chatel,
French ambassador to the UAE
“The beautiful management of the pandemic by the UAE added to the attractiveness of the country as a proposition for getting settled and doing business,” he said.
“Now more than ever it is a land of opportunity for people. The French community [in the UAE] is the most dynamic in the Gulf region.
“We have seven French schools across the Emirates now and we plan to keep opening schools, which shows there is demand here.”
For Bastille Day, he said the French community would hold “modest but symbolic celebrations" dedicated to the frontline staff and medical establishments, both here and in France.
France-UAE relations are unparalleled
Mr Chatel has a long-standing relationship with the Emirates.
In a previous role as an adviser to France's defence minister, he made regular trips to the UAE.
He said these visits left him with “enough to be fascinated with yet impatient to know more”.
Now, more than six months into his new role, he said his job is to deepen the political relationship between the two countries, which is already “very sound and strong”.
On June 29, Mr Chatel was involved in a strategic dialogue that highlighted the different lines of activity between the UAE and France, from strategic to economic and cultural ties.
With three French military bases in the Emirates, as well as Louvre Abu Dhabi and Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, the ambassador said they were the mark of a great bond between both nations.
“I was reflecting [on the meeting] with the permanent undersecretary of the French Prime Ministry and noted there were very few examples in our foreign relations which has the breadth and depth across all sectors as the UAE and France," he said.
“Leaving aside countries in the EU, the relationship between our two countries is unparalleled.
“Our relationship is a choice of the heart and a choice of the mind. It started right from the beginning, 50 years ago, and has grown spectacularly ever since.
“Today, our two countries see eye to eye on just about every issue. Our strengths are complementary. I believe there is no limit to what we can achieve when we team up together.”
French citizens in the UAE feel a sense of belonging
Today, about 30,000 French people reside in the UAE, most of them living and working in Dubai.
Mr Chatel described the community as “lively, demanding and growing steadily”.
More than 600 French companies operate in the Emirates and French residents tend to work as entrepreneurs, or in the oil and gas or strategic sectors.
As the community continues to grow, the ambassador said there is a big focus on opening more schools in the future.
UN Security Council
Last month, the UN elected five new members to serve on the Security Council, including the UAE.
With France as a permanent member on the council, Mr Chatel said there was a lot it could do with the UAE in terms of transfer of experience.
The tie-up could also increase both countries’ co-operation in the political realm, because the UAE has good experience of Middle East crisis management.
Food security and energy
France exports a lot of food products to the UAE. The two countries are liaising on food safety, security and resilience.
“I have been working closely with the food minister on the issue of food security and we are putting many French firms in contact with UAE counterparts to discuss projects around agri-tech,” Mr Chatel said.
“I think both nations can benefit from what the other has to offer and I think we can add value on training and research and development.
“We have a really cool project in this field so watch this space. Sorry for the teaser.”
Speaking to The National previously, Mr Chatel said French energy companies were in discussions to develop hydrogen projects in the UAE, too, as Opec's third-largest producer moves to decarbonise its economy.
He said they were working with several stakeholders, both corporate and governmental, on developing co-operation in the field of hydrogen.
The French government is dedicating €7 billion ($8.3bn) of its €100bn economic recovery plan announced last year towards hydrogen investments.
The long wait for Expo 2020 Dubai is nearly over
Speaking about Expo 2020 Dubai, Mr Chatel said it is one of the biggest milestones in his new position.
"It will be an important moment and it’s going to be spectacular in many ways,” he said.
“I really like the French pavilion and the values it conveys.
“Sustainability is at the core and its contents will be very interesting. It will kick off a season where many French ministers and French representatives will visit the UAE.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Abu Dhabi racecard
5pm: Maiden (Purebred Arabians); Dh80,000; 1,400m.
5.30pm: Maiden (PA); Dh80,00; 1,400m.
6pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan National Day Cup (PA); Group 3; Dh500,000; 1,600m.
6.30pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan National Day Cup (Thoroughbred); Listed; Dh380,000; 1,600m
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup for Private Owners Handicap (PA); Dh70,000; 1,400m.
7.30pm: Handicap (PA); Dh80,000; 1,600m
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
If you go:
The flights: Etihad, Emirates, British Airways and Virgin all fly from the UAE to London from Dh2,700 return, including taxes
The tours: The Tour for Muggles usually runs several times a day, lasts about two-and-a-half hours and costs £14 (Dh67)
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is on now at the Palace Theatre. Tickets need booking significantly in advance
Entrance to the Harry Potter exhibition at the House of MinaLima is free
The hotel: The grand, 1909-built Strand Palace Hotel is in a handy location near the Theatre District and several of the key Harry Potter filming and inspiration sites. The family rooms are spacious, with sofa beds that can accommodate children, and wooden shutters that keep out the light at night. Rooms cost from £170 (Dh808).
Sri Lanka squad
Dinesh Chandimal, Dimuth Karunaratne, Kaushal Silva, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Lahiru Thirimanne, Niroshan Dickwella, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Rangana Herath, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep, Lakshan Sandakan, Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Jeffrey Vandersay, Milinda Siriwardana, Roshen Silva, Akila Dananjaya, Charith Asalanka, Shaminda Eranga and Dhammika Prasad.
More Iraq election coverage:
Crops that could be introduced to the UAE
1: Quinoa
2. Bathua
3. Amaranth
4. Pearl and finger millet
5. Sorghum
Diriyah%20project%20at%20a%20glance
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The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
The specs: 2018 Maxus T60
Price, base / as tested: Dh48,000
Engine: 2.4-litre four-cylinder
Power: 136hp @ 1,600rpm
Torque: 360Nm @ 1,600 rpm
Transmission: Five-speed manual
Fuel consumption, combined: 9.1L / 100km
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The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
Herc's Adventures
Developer: Big Ape Productions
Publisher: LucasArts
Console: PlayStation 1 & 5, Sega Saturn
Rating: 4/5
Gifts exchanged
- King Charles - replica of President Eisenhower Sword
- Queen Camilla - Tiffany & Co vintage 18-carat gold, diamond and ruby flower brooch
- Donald Trump - hand-bound leather book with Declaration of Independence
- Melania Trump - personalised Anya Hindmarch handbag
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
The specs
Engine: 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 380hp at 5,800rpm
Torque: 530Nm at 1,300-4,500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Price: From Dh299,000 ($81,415)
On sale: Now
SPECS
%3Cp%3EEngine%3A%20Supercharged%203.5-litre%20V6%0D%3Cbr%3EPower%3A%20400hp%0D%3Cbr%3ETorque%3A%20430Nm%0D%3Cbr%3EOn%20sale%3A%20Now%0D%3Cbr%3EPrice%3A%20From%20Dh450%2C000%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
'Cheb%20Khaled'
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Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
F1 drivers' standings
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes 281
2. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari 247
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes 222
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull 177
5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari 138
6. Max Verstappen, Red Bull 93
7. Sergio Perez, Force India 86
8. Esteban Ocon, Force India 56
Best Foreign Language Film nominees
Capernaum (Lebanon)
Cold War (Poland)
Never Look Away (Germany)
Roma (Mexico)
Shoplifters (Japan)
