The UAE has been selected to host global trade development talks in February 2024.
President Sheikh Mohamed made the announcement on Monday that representatives from 164 countries in the World Trade Organisation will convene in the nation's capital.
In a message posted online, he said that the UAE is honoured to have been selected as the host country for the WTO Ministerial Conference in 2024.
“We look forward to facilitating constructive dialogue between WTO nations and strengthening international co-operation for a sustainable economic future.”
The WTO's 12th Ministerial Conference was held in Geneva, Switzerland, from June 12 to June 17. It was originally meant to be held in Kazakhstan in 2020, but was postponed due to the pandemic.
Scheduled to end on June 15, the ministerial gathering in Geneva was extended by two days to allow more time for negotiations and for agreements to be reached.
Two proposals were received by the WTO to host the 13th Ministerial Conference, one from the UAE and another from Cameroon.
The last time the conference was held in the Gulf was in 2001 in Doha, which resulted in China being approved as the 143rd member.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, also tweeted the news.
“We welcome the participating countries, we welcome the World Trade Organisation, and we support all international moves that guarantee the free flow of goods and services between different countries of the world and protect the future of global trade,” he wrote.
The Ministerial Conference is the topmost decision-making body of the WTO and usually meets every two years.
It brings together all members of the WTO, all of which are countries or customs unions, and takes decisions on all matters under any of the multilateral trade agreements.
“The 13th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organisation reflects the UAE’s status as a key facilitator of trade and investment between all four corners of the world,” said Abdulla Bin Touq, Minister of Economy.
“It is also the culmination of the qualitative leaps that the UAE has achieved in terms of economic growth and diversification over recent decades, which has been central to our bold vision to unleash a new era of sustainable economic development.”
The inaugural Ministerial Conference was held in Singapore in 1996.
Its main purpose was to spark an international effort among global trading nations to restructure the mechanisms of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade while preserving the substantial progress made by the system since its inception in 1948.
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Two-step truce
The UN-brokered ceasefire deal for Hodeidah will be implemented in two stages, with the first to be completed before the New Year begins, according to the Arab Coalition supporting the Yemeni government.
By midnight on December 31, the Houthi rebels will have to withdraw from the ports of Hodeidah, Ras Issa and Al Saqef, coalition officials told The National.
The second stage will be the complete withdrawal of all pro-government forces and rebels from Hodeidah city, to be completed by midnight on January 7.
The process is to be overseen by a Redeployment Co-ordination Committee (RCC) comprising UN monitors and representatives of the government and the rebels.
The agreement also calls the deployment of UN-supervised neutral forces in the city and the establishment of humanitarian corridors to ensure distribution of aid across the country.
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Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
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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.
Fireball
Moscow claimed it hit the largest military fuel storage facility in Ukraine, triggering a huge fireball at the site.
A plume of black smoke rose from a fuel storage facility in the village of Kalynivka outside Kyiv on Friday after Russia said it had destroyed the military site with Kalibr cruise missiles.
"On the evening of March 24, Kalibr high-precision sea-based cruise missiles attacked a fuel base in the village of Kalynivka near Kyiv," the Russian defence ministry said in a statement.
Ukraine confirmed the strike, saying the village some 40 kilometres south-west of Kyiv was targeted.
