A Libyan princess who grew up in exile has spoken of her horror, deep sadness and anger at the humanitarian catastrophe that has unfolded in the flood-stricken city of Derna.
Princess Alia Al Senussi, part of the royal family ousted by Muammar Qaddafi in 1969, said the irresponsibility of governments and the “anarchic situation of greed and obsession for power” represented an absolute disregard for the dignity of human life in Libya.
The royal said the causes for what unfolded in the eastern Libyan city, where devastating floods killed thousands, dated back to the neglect of the Qaddafi era and had been compounded by the chaos of the current system. She said sadness had now turned to anger at not just the officials but also climate-change deniers. Experts believe climate change made the floods much more likely to happen.
“A friend of mine said that Libya is outside the imagination of the world because the world has left it,” Ms Al Senussi told The National on Tuesday.
People that don’t deserve to suffer are suffering the most
Princess Alia Al Senussi
“There is no empathy. People that don’t deserve to suffer are suffering the most. And we can say that about a lot of places.”
Her comments came more than a week after floods inundated Derna when two dams broke during a powerful storm. The World Health Organisation said about 4,000 people were killed but organisations on the ground believe the death toll is far higher. Experts have suggested the lack of an evacuation order or warning about Storm Daniel made the outcome far worse, while long-term neglect of the dams has also been blamed.
Ms Al Senussi’s family ruled Libya until the military takeover of the country. She was born in the US, grew up in Egypt and now lives in the UK. Ms Al Senussi, 40, previously spoke of her emotional trips to Libya after Qaddafi was removed from power in 2011 and how the hopes of a young generation desperate for change weighed heavily on her.
“It was a hopeful time,” she said. “But it has deteriorated dramatically since then.”
However, Ms Al Senussi, now a senior figure in the global art world, said she had observed an increasing number of Libyans trying to make their voice heard.
“In the Qaddafi era, people didn’t have freedom to enter the civil service and, despite the anarchy now, there is slightly more space for people to be involved and to volunteer and work. There are also more student initiatives. So there is hope.
“We need more Libyans out there doing things and making their voices heard, from the smallest to the largest thing. Having that interaction is important because Libya is so far from the global mentality. We have to wait for this generation to get an education, become involved, grow and mature and become the leaders that we need now."
Ms Al Senussi said she was in Seoul when she heard about the disaster and immediately knew it would be "a horror story”. But another moment of hope took place there in South Korea as she listened to personal stories of people who told of how they came through severe challenges in the past to build a new country. “They were able, somehow, to move forward, so there is hope that places can reverse course.”
Libya has been hit by years of turmoil since Qaddafi was ousted, with rival administrations governing in the east and west of the country.
Protesters in Derna, meanwhile, have called for a swift inquiry into the floods, accountability from leaders, compensation and a quick rebuilding of the city.
Rescuers from the UAE, Egypt, Turkey, Algeria, France, Italy and Spain are all assisting in the recovery effort.
"It is an incredibly dark moment for Libya,” said Ms Al Senussi. “But I’m reminded of a quote from a Lebanese friend after the devastating 2020 blast, who said: ‘We are so tired of being resilient but that’s who we are. We will pick ourselves up and be resilient and hope for a day we can live and thrive and not have to be resilient.’”
Roll of honour 2019-2020
Dubai Rugby Sevens
Winners: Dubai Hurricanes
Runners up: Bahrain
West Asia Premiership
Winners: Bahrain
Runners up: UAE Premiership
UAE Premiership
}Winners: Dubai Exiles
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes
UAE Division One
Winners: Abu Dhabi Saracens
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes II
UAE Division Two
Winners: Barrelhouse
Runners up: RAK Rugby
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
When Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi
Known as The Lady of Arabic Song, Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi on November 28, 1971, as part of celebrations for the fifth anniversary of the accession of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan as Ruler of Abu Dhabi. A concert hall was constructed for the event on land that is now Al Nahyan Stadium, behind Al Wahda Mall. The audience were treated to many of Kulthum's most well-known songs as part of the sold-out show, including Aghadan Alqak and Enta Omri.
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
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Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
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Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sept 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
The five pillars of Islam
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
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- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
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Uefa Champions League Group H
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GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
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Karwaan
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Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
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The%20specs
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The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
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11 cabbie-recommended restaurants and dishes to try in Abu Dhabi
Iqbal Restaurant behind Wendy’s on Hamdan Street for the chicken karahi (Dh14)
Pathemari in Navy Gate for prawn biryani (from Dh12 to Dh35)
Abu Al Nasar near Abu Dhabi Mall, for biryani (from Dh12 to Dh20)
Bonna Annee at Navy Gate for Ethiopian food (the Bonna Annee special costs Dh42 and comes with a mix of six house stews – key wet, minchet abesh, kekel, meser be sega, tibs fir fir and shiro).
Al Habasha in Tanker Mai for Ethiopian food (tibs, a hearty stew with meat, is a popular dish; here it costs Dh36.75 for lamb and beef versions)
Himalayan Restaurant in Mussaffa for Nepalese (the momos and chowmein noodles are best-selling items, and go for between Dh14 and Dh20)
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Al Shaheen Cafeteria near Guardian Towers for a quick morning bite, especially the egg sandwich in paratha (Dh3.50)
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Tasty Zone for Nepalese-style noodles (Dh15)
Ibrahimi for Pakistani food (a quarter chicken tikka with roti costs Dh16)
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