Christian evangelicals describe UAE as a 'fantastic friend' to the West

The leader of the first ever mission of Christian evangelicals to the UAE has described the Emirates as a “fantastic friend” to the West.

Joel Rosenberg, an American author and high-profile commentator on the Middle East, met with Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, on Monday.

Mr Rosenberg said a productive discussion on issues such as religious tolerance and the Arab-Israeli conflict had initially been due to take 30 minutes but actually lasted two hours.

The meeting was part of a four-day programme in which the 12 evangelicals met with UAE political leaders and influential Christians and Muslims in the country.

Mr Rosenberg, who writes novels, said he had presented the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi with a copy of his new book, in which Iran acquires nuclear weapons and the US, UAE, Saudi Arabia and Israeli intelligence services unite against the threat.

He said he also thanked Sheikh Mohamed for allowing Christians to practice their faith freely in the UAE.

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In pictures: Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed and the UAE's key role in bringing peace between Ethiopia and Eritrea

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“I think [the meeting took two hours] because we enjoyed the conversation we were having with each other,” he said.

“I think most Muslims and Christians don’t realise how much in common we have with each other in terms of our values, priorities and strategic objectives.

“I brought Christian leaders with me - who have enormous influence back in America - who go and report back to their world.

“We are coming away more convinced than ever that the UAE is a fantastic friend and ally to the United States – more Americans definitely need to know that.”

Mr Rosenberg said he had told Sheikh Mohamed that he was surprised to have been invited to the UAE, not least because he is a holder of an Israeli passport.

But he said he believed there was currently “a moment” in the Arab-Israeli conflict that could see relations improve.

Wam, the UAE’s state news agency, said Sheikh Mohammed discussed promoting tolerance, inclusion, respect and the peaceful co-existence between cultural and religious sects during the meeting.

He emphasised “the importance of inculcating the values of cultural and religious pluralism and forgiveness between followers of different religions as an essential tool to uproot the scourge of terrorism, extremism, fanaticism, and hatred,” according to Wam.

Also attending the meeting were Khaldoun Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Executive Affairs Authority, Dr Ali Al Nuaimi, Chairman of Education and Knowledge Department, and Mohamed Al Mazrouei, the Undersecretary of the Crown Prince Court of Abu Dhabi.

The specs

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Key facilities

Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
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400m Olympic running track
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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

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Singham Again

Director: Rohit Shetty

Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone

Rating: 3/5

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)

Report to local authorities

Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme

Priority access to new homes from participating developers
Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
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

'Morbius'

Director: Daniel Espinosa

Stars: Jared Leto, Matt Smith, Adria Arjona

Rating: 2/5

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative

How to invest in gold

Investors can tap into the gold price by purchasing physical jewellery, coins and even gold bars, but these need to be stored safely and possibly insured.

A cheaper and more straightforward way to benefit from gold price growth is to buy an exchange-traded fund (ETF).

Most advisers suggest sticking to “physical” ETFs. These hold actual gold bullion, bars and coins in a vault on investors’ behalf. Others do not hold gold but use derivatives to track the price instead, adding an extra layer of risk. The two biggest physical gold ETFs are SPDR Gold Trust and iShares Gold Trust.

Another way to invest in gold’s success is to buy gold mining stocks, but Mr Gravier says this brings added risks and can be more volatile. “They have a serious downside potential should the price consolidate.”

Mr Kyprianou says gold and gold miners are two different asset classes. “One is a commodity and the other is a company stock, which means they behave differently.”

Mining companies are a business, susceptible to other market forces, such as worker availability, health and safety, strikes, debt levels, and so on. “These have nothing to do with gold at all. It means that some companies will survive, others won’t.”

By contrast, when gold is mined, it just sits in a vault. “It doesn’t even rust, which means it retains its value,” Mr Kyprianou says.

You may already have exposure to gold miners in your portfolio, say, through an international ETF or actively managed mutual fund.

You could spread this risk with an actively managed fund that invests in a spread of gold miners, with the best known being BlackRock Gold & General. It is up an incredible 55 per cent over the past year, and 240 per cent over five years. As always, past performance is no guide to the future.