MUSCAT // The Speaker of the Federal National Council appealed to Arab parliamentarians yesterday to get serious about regional economic integration, urging them to draft specific proposals that could be considered by next year.
Abdul Aziz al Ghurair, the FNC Speaker, said in a speech to the 15th Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union conference in Muscat: "We are in dire need of turning the slogan of Arab solidarity into practical programmes and policies. For two decades our Inter-Parliamentary Union has put solidarity on its agenda, but this never leads to any real development or tangible steps."
He called on participants to prepare suggestions for moving ahead with economic integration that could be presented at their next conference, in 2010.
Politicians from across the Arab world used the Muscat forum to call for solidarity on issues ranging from the political and humanitarian situation in Gaza to the indictment of President Omar al Bashir of Sudan by the International Criminal Court (ICC). They also discussed the regional impact of the global economic downturn and of ongoing conflicts.
Mr Ghurair said the "absence of solidarity made our Arab world an easy prey for regional and international ambitions". Alluding to the political and strategic differences among Arabs in respect to the Israeli attacks in Gaza, he said: "It's important to separate politics from economics, so that political differences will not obstruct Arab solidarity."
An Arab Common Market was founded in August 1964 with a long-term goal of integrating the economies of Arab states similar to the way the European Union has developed, with the abolishment of trade restrictions and the unobstructed movement of labour among member nations. A pan-Arab market never materialised, mainly because of political differences and recurrent security issues.
But in 2005, a number of Arab countries reached bilateral free-trade agreements in an attempt to create free-trade zone.
There are a number of examples of successful regional economic integration, including the European Union, the North American Free Trade Agreement and the Association of South-east Asian Nations.
Mr al Ghurair urged Arabs to stop repeating slogans and start drawing up plans for action.
Inter-Arab trade represents less than 12 per cent of the region's total trade, clear evidence of a poorly integrated region. In the Arab world, which includes 22 states, only the six-member Gulf Co-operation Council succeeded in reaching a degree of economic integration with a customs union formed in 2003. In December, the head of the GCC approved a blueprint that would pave the way for a establishing a monetary union.
However, Oman announced in 2006 that it would not join a common monetary regime. And a year later, Kuwait dropped the dollar peg and linked its dinar to basket of currencies, further complicating any process of establishing a unified Gulf currency.
Against this backdrop, analysts say, the chances for establishing an EU-style integration in the Arab world seem remote.
Still, Mr al Ghurair pointed to initiatives raised in January at the Arab Economic Summit in Kuwait as a way to get things going. Calling them "a pioneering step in bringing Arab solidarity", he said: "The approved projects and economic and social co-operation programmes only speak of real Arab interest in bringing about this solidarity."
During the summit, the Lebanese prime minister Fouad Siniora said governments must eliminate the legal obstacles to integration, build energy networks and hold Arab summits twice a year.
Amr Musa, the Arab League's secretary general, said that integration was needed to combat the poverty and illiteracy that plagues most of the Arab countries. He said that 100 million people in the Arab world suffered from illiteracy and that one third lived on less than US$2 (Dh7.30) a day.
Mr al Ghurair suggested that a committee be named to advance the decisions reached at the Kuwait summit.
The FNC Speaker also touched on a number of other national and regional issues:
On the Palestinian question, he said Israeli activities designed to turn Jerusalem into a fully Jewish city by demolishing Palestinians' homes were in clear violation of international laws. He called on the pan-Arab union to send a letter to parliaments worldwide condemning these practices and urging them to work on stopping the Israeli activities.
On the civil war in Sudan, he reiterated the UAE's "deep concern" over the warrant for the arrest of Mr al Bashir by the International Criminal Court (ICC), saying it would affect the security and stability of Sudan and the future of peace talks aimed at ending the conflict in Darfur.
On Iran's occupation of three UAE islands ? Abu Musa and Greater and Lesser Tubs ? he urged the Arab deputies to include "a strong and unequivocal" condemnation of statements by Iranian officials that appear to undermine the UAE's sovereignty. "If Iran wants to prove its good will towards Arab countries, it can do that by ending its occupation the three islands," he said.
mhabboush@thenational.ae
Cinco in numbers
Dh3.7 million
The estimated cost of Victoria Swarovski’s gem-encrusted Michael Cinco wedding gown
46
The number, in kilograms, that Swarovski’s wedding gown weighed.
1,000
The hours it took to create Cinco’s vermillion petal gown, as seen in his atelier [note, is the one he’s playing with in the corner of a room]
50
How many looks Cinco has created in a new collection to celebrate Ballet Philippines’ 50th birthday
3,000
The hours needed to create the butterfly gown worn by Aishwarya Rai to the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.
1.1 million
The number of followers that Michael Cinco’s Instagram account has garnered.
Company%C2%A0profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Eamana%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2010%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Karim%20Farra%20and%20Ziad%20Aboujeb%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EUAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERegulator%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDFSA%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinancial%20services%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E85%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESelf-funded%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
Getting%20there
%3Cp%3EGiven%20its%20remote%20location%2C%20getting%20to%20Borneo%20can%20feel%20daunting%20even%20for%20the%20most%20seasoned%20traveller.%20But%20you%20can%20fly%20directly%20from%20Kuala%20Lumpur%20to%20Sandakan%20and%20Sepilok%20is%20only%20half%20an%20hour%20away%20by%20taxi.%20Sandakan%20has%20plenty%20of%20accommodation%20options%2C%20while%20Sepilok%20has%20a%20few%20nature%20lodges%20close%20to%20the%20main%20attractions.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
THE BIO
Occupation: Specialised chief medical laboratory technologist
Age: 78
Favourite destination: Always Al Ain “Dar Al Zain”
Hobbies: his work - “ the thing which I am most passionate for and which occupied all my time in the morning and evening from 1963 to 2019”
Other hobbies: football
Favorite football club: Al Ain Sports Club
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
PROFILE
Name: Enhance Fitness
Year started: 2018
Based: UAE
Employees: 200
Amount raised: $3m
Investors: Global Ventures and angel investors
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Scoreline
Man Utd 2 Pogba 27', Martial 49'
Everton 1 Sigurdsson 77'
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Akeed
Based: Muscat
Launch year: 2018
Number of employees: 40
Sector: Online food delivery
Funding: Raised $3.2m since inception
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Saturday, May 16 (kick-offs UAE time)
Borussia Dortmund v Schalke (4.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Freiburg (4.30pm)
Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin (4.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Paderborn (4.30pm)
Augsburg v Wolfsburg (4.30pm)
Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Monchengladbach (7.30pm)
Sunday, May 17
Cologne v Mainz (4.30pm),
Union Berlin v Bayern Munich (7pm)
Monday, May 18
Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen (9.30pm)
The specs
Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 400hp
Torque: 475Nm
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
Price: From Dh215,900
On sale: Now
Why your domicile status is important
Your UK residence status is assessed using the statutory residence test. While your residence status – ie where you live - is assessed every year, your domicile status is assessed over your lifetime.
Your domicile of origin generally comes from your parents and if your parents were not married, then it is decided by your father. Your domicile is generally the country your father considered his permanent home when you were born.
UK residents who have their permanent home ("domicile") outside the UK may not have to pay UK tax on foreign income. For example, they do not pay tax on foreign income or gains if they are less than £2,000 in the tax year and do not transfer that gain to a UK bank account.
A UK-domiciled person, however, is liable for UK tax on their worldwide income and gains when they are resident in the UK.
Spider-Man%202
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Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
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
