UAE-US relations are going through a 'stress test', says Emirati envoy


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The relationship between the Emirates and the US is going through a "stress test", the UAE's ambassador to America has said.

Yousef Al Otaiba, who is also a Minister of State, said there were days when the relationship was very healthy and days where the relationship is in question.

But speaking on Thursday at the International Defence Industry, Technology and Security Conference in Abu Dhabi, Mr Al Otaiba also underlined that UAE and US ties were built on trust.

The two countries have been partners for decades as talks continue on the sale of F-35 fighter jets to the UAE. In December, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said his country was ready to sell the jets to the UAE, which has threatened to scrap the deal over stringent conditions.

"Today we are going through a stress test but I’m confident that we will get out of it and get to a better place,” Mr Al Otaiba said.

Speaking in a session at the conference, Mr Al Otaiba also said the number one challenge facing the world was drones because they were hard to control but constantly improving. It comes just months after Yemen's Houthi rebels launched an aerial attack on parts of the UAE.

"I think we are behind the curve on drones,” Mr Al Otaiba said. "It is ... very hard to create a proper defence system to prevent drone attacks. We have yet to develop a very ... robust drone defence system. That is going to be our main challenge in the future.”

The envoy additionally described increasing polarisation in the US, predicted how the private sector, rather than government, would drive UAE and US relations, and also outlined how the Emirates protects the technology it gets from America.

Yousef Al Otaiba, UAE ambassador to the US, said it was difficult to create a proper defence system to prevent drone attacks. Photo: IDITSC
Yousef Al Otaiba, UAE ambassador to the US, said it was difficult to create a proper defence system to prevent drone attacks. Photo: IDITSC

“Trust has been earned with the US over decades and not the last few years,” Mr Al Otaiba said. “Trust is when there is an American special operations mission going on somewhere like in Afghanistan that calls in for Emirati Air Force air support. That’s trust.

“We have a very strong and very clean track-record of not only getting the most sensitive American and other western technology, we also have an incredibly strong track record of protecting that technology. We have had zero incidents where anything has fallen into the wrong hands," he said.

“Anything we have gotten, we have protected. We take that very seriously.”

The envoy also said future UAE and US ties would be largely driven by the private sector in terms of creating jobs and technology.

“If we wait for the two governments to figure this out and take the lead, we are going to be behind. We need our private sector and the US private sector to be the cheerleaders for how this partnership develops for the future,” Mr Al Otaiba said.

“Everything I just described requires a very strong political understanding and relationship."

He said what concerned him more was the increasing polarisation and division in the US, where there is more disagreement and less room for compromise between two visions of what America should be.

“That is a danger not so much for the UAE but America. I’ve seen this get worse over the last few years. If we see a more unified America, it is good for everyone and good for the world but I worry that’s not happening.”

The ambassador was speaking at a defence exhibition where home-grown entities such as Edge and Tawazun are displaying their wares, from missiles to drones. Mr Al Otaiba said the UAE had moved on from a position 30 years ago where it was viewed as a “buyer”.

“We are not interested in just buying. We want countries and companies to come in here and help us create the industry we are trying to develop. We want people to transfer their technology here, we want people to develop their technology here [and] we want to create jobs in the industry here.

“We are going to develop an organic home-grown defence industry. The days of just being a buyer are over and we are open for business.”

He said the US private sector understood the UAE but public opinion had not moved on yet.

“Not everyone has adapted their view to the changes the UAE is going through. And where it wants to go. People look at us through the old lens,” he said.

The White Lotus: Season three

Creator: Mike White

Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell

Rating: 4.5/5

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Electoral College Victory

Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate. 

 

Popular Vote Tally

The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.

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Global state-owned investor ranking by size

1.

United States

2.

China

3.

UAE

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Japan

5

Norway

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Canada

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Singapore

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Australia

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Champions League Last 16

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Once the domain of newspaper home deliveries, subscription model retailing has combined with e-commerce to permeate myriad products and services.

The concept has grown tremendously around the world and is forecast to thrive further, according to UnivDatos Market Insights’ report on recent and predicted trends in the sector.

The global subscription e-commerce market was valued at $13.2 billion (Dh48.5bn) in 2018. It is forecast to touch $478.2bn in 2025, and include the entertainment, fitness, food, cosmetics, baby care and fashion sectors.

The report says subscription-based services currently constitute “a small trend within e-commerce”. The US hosts almost 70 per cent of recurring plan firms, including leaders Dollar Shave Club, Hello Fresh and Netflix. Walmart and Sephora are among longer established retailers entering the space.

UnivDatos cites younger and affluent urbanites as prime subscription targets, with women currently the largest share of end-users.

That’s expected to remain unchanged until 2025, when women will represent a $246.6bn market share, owing to increasing numbers of start-ups targeting women.

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England won by 211

Second Test, at Kandy
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Third Test, at Colombo
From Nov 23-27

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Friday (All UAE kick-off times)

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Saturday

Union Berlin v Bayer Leverkusen (6.30pm)

FA Augsburg v SC Freiburg (6.30pm)

RB Leipzig v Werder Bremen (6.30pm)

SC Paderborn v Hertha Berlin (6.30pm)

Hoffenheim v Wolfsburg (6.30pm)

Fortuna Dusseldorf v Borussia Monchengladbach (9.30pm)

Sunday

Cologne v Bayern Munich (6.30pm)

Mainz v FC Schalke (9pm)

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The chief operating officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Andres de Leon, said his company's hyperloop technology is “ready” and safe.

He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.

“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.

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HyperloopTT has begun designing and engineering processes for its Abu Dhabi projects and hopes to break ground soon. 

With no delivery date yet announced, Mr de Leon said timelines had to be considered carefully, as government approval, permits, and regulations could create necessary delays.

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Company: Rent Your Wardrobe 

Date started: May 2021 

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MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League quarter-final, second leg (first-leg score):

Manchester City (0) v Tottenham Hotspur (1), Wednesday, 11pm UAE

Match is on BeIN Sports

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6pm: Hyderabad Nawabs v Pakhtoon Warriors

10pm: Lahore Sikandars v Pakhtoon Blasters

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All teams consist of 15-player squads that include those contracted in the diamond (3), platinum (2) and gold (2) categories, plus eight free to sign team members.

Tournament rules

The matches are of 25 over-a-side with an 8-over power play in which only two fielders allowed outside the 30-yard circle. Teams play in a single round robin league followed by the semi-finals and final. The league toppers will feature in the semi-final eliminator.

Tearful appearance

Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday. 

Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow. 

She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.

A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THE DETAILS

Kaala

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Starring: Rajinikanth, Huma Qureshi, Easwari Rao, Nana Patekar  

Rating: 1.5/5 

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ESSENTIALS

The flights

Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.

The hotels

Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.

The tours

A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages. 

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Updated: March 03, 2022, 5:13 PM`