Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, hosted a high-level delegation from the UK on a visit to the Emirates in support of the Abraham Accords.
Sheikh Abdullah held positive talks with the UK Abraham Accords Group, led by former defence secretary Liam Fox, in Abu Dhabi before the conclusion of the delegation's five-day tour on Thursday.
The Abraham Accords were signed in 2020, with the UAE and Bahrain being the first Gulf states to enter into formal diplomatic relations with Israel. The US brokered the deal.
The two sides discussed the group's efforts to support the agreement and promote tolerance and coexistence.
Those attending the meeting reviewed ways to further enhance strategic ties between the UAE and the UK with the goal of bolstering security and stability in the region.
Sheikh Abdullah welcomed the delegation and praised their contributions to supporting the peace accords.
Capitalising on the Abraham Accords will help improve security in the region, establish stable communities and ensure a brighter future, Sheikh Abdullah added.
During the meeting, Sheikh Abdullah highlighted the importance of the long-standing relations between the UAE and the UK.
Mansoor Abulhoul, UAE ambassador to the UK, also attended the meeting with the UK delegation, which included Mark Garnier, vice chairman of the International Trade Select Committee; Stephen Crabb, parliamentary chairman of the Conservative Friends of Israel; and Dr Lisa Cameron, vice chairwoman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Foreign Affairs.
The UK group earlier signed an agreement to support, promote and expand the accords with Sharaka, a group founded by young leaders from Israel and the Gulf who are dedicated to ensuring “the vision of people-to-people peace” becomes a reality.
“Both of our organisations are committed to furthering the goals of the Abraham Accords, and promoting peace and prosperity in the Middle East,” Dr Fox told The National.
“We hope that through this new partnership, we will make an impact beyond borders and spread the message of peace to all.”
What it means to be a conservationist
Who is Enric Sala?
Enric Sala is an expert on marine conservation and is currently the National Geographic Society's Explorer-in-Residence. His love of the sea started with his childhood in Spain, inspired by the example of the legendary diver Jacques Cousteau. He has been a university professor of Oceanography in the US, as well as working at the Spanish National Council for Scientific Research and is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Biodiversity and the Bio-Economy. He has dedicated his life to protecting life in the oceans. Enric describes himself as a flexitarian who only eats meat occasionally.
What is biodiversity?
According to the United Nations Environment Programme, all life on earth – including in its forests and oceans – forms a “rich tapestry of interconnecting and interdependent forces”. Biodiversity on earth today is the product of four billion years of evolution and consists of many millions of distinct biological species. The term ‘biodiversity’ is relatively new, popularised since the 1980s and coinciding with an understanding of the growing threats to the natural world including habitat loss, pollution and climate change. The loss of biodiversity itself is dangerous because it contributes to clean, consistent water flows, food security, protection from floods and storms and a stable climate. The natural world can be an ally in combating global climate change but to do so it must be protected. Nations are working to achieve this, including setting targets to be reached by 2020 for the protection of the natural state of 17 per cent of the land and 10 per cent of the oceans. However, these are well short of what is needed, according to experts, with half the land needed to be in a natural state to help avert disaster.
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Punchy appearance
Roars of support buoyed Mr Johnson in an extremely confident and combative appearance
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Barcelona v Liverpool, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE).
Second leg
Liverpool v Barcelona, Tuesday, May 7, 11pm
Games on BeIN Sports
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The biog
Hometown: Cairo
Age: 37
Favourite TV series: The Handmaid’s Tale, Black Mirror
Favourite anime series: Death Note, One Piece and Hellsing
Favourite book: Designing Brand Identity, Fifth Edition
Ain Dubai in numbers
126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure
1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch
16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.
9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.
5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place
192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
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Director: Laila Abbas
Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum
Rating: 4/5
Brief scoreline:
Crystal Palace 2
Milivojevic 76' (pen), Van Aanholt 88'
Huddersfield Town 0
