Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid leads the Cabinet meeting at Al Watan Palace in Abu Dhabi.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid leads the Cabinet meeting at Al Watan Palace in Abu Dhabi.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid leads the Cabinet meeting at Al Watan Palace in Abu Dhabi.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid leads the Cabinet meeting at Al Watan Palace in Abu Dhabi.

UAE to enter 25 new markets for foreign trade in bid to boost exports by 50 per cent


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The UAE will enter 25 new international markets for foreign trade under plans set out by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai.

The goal is to boost exports by 50 per cent in the next few years.

Sheikh Mohammed spoke after a meeting of the Cabinet on Sunday.

"Today, I chaired a Cabinet meeting at Al Watan Palace in Abu Dhabi," Sheikh Mohammed said.

"We adopted the state's agenda to enter 25 new international markets in our foreign trade.

"Our non-oil trade annually exceeds Dh1.5 trillion and our logistics network is in 400 international cities.

"Our country ranks among the top 20 in foreign trade competitiveness indicators.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid leads a Cabinet meeting at Al Watan Palace in Abu Dhabi.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid leads a Cabinet meeting at Al Watan Palace in Abu Dhabi.

"Our non-oil economy represents more than 70 per cent of our GDP. Our goal is to increase our national exports by 50 per cent in the coming years.

"We work as one team, federally and locally, to bring our national economy to new heights [levels]. God willing, the UAE will remain an international hub for the economy in the coming decades."

He said new measures were adopted to fund the growing research and development sector.

"We also adopted in the Cabinet a national scale for research and development funds," he said.

"The UAE spends 1.3 per cent of its GDP on research and development. It is the first Arab country in this field.

"Our goal is to compete globally in the future. It is the research and development which lead the economy of the knowledge we seek to consolidate."

The Cabinet also approved a decision regarding nurseries and creches in government buildings. This is to ensure that on-site nurseries support women in the workplace.

The Ministry of Education and local educational authorities will license and monitor these nurseries.

Further decisions related to "legislative amendments in the field of emergency and disaster response, and in the health, educational and economic sectors".

Sheikh Mohammed said: "The goal is a quality of life that is the best in the world based on an economy that is the most diversified and established."

On Saturday, he approved the restructuring of Dubai's chamber of commerce into three separate entities and approved the board of directors of the overarching Dubai Chambers, which will oversee and co-ordinate the work of the chambers.

Stuck in a job without a pay rise? Here's what to do

Chris Greaves, the managing director of Hays Gulf Region, says those without a pay rise for an extended period must start asking questions – both of themselves and their employer.

“First, are they happy with that or do they want more?” he says. “Job-seeking is a time-consuming, frustrating and long-winded affair so are they prepared to put themselves through that rigmarole? Before they consider that, they must ask their employer what is happening.”

Most employees bring up pay rise queries at their annual performance appraisal and find out what the company has in store for them from a career perspective.

Those with no formal appraisal system, Mr Greaves says, should ask HR or their line manager for an assessment.

“You want to find out how they value your contribution and where your job could go,” he says. “You’ve got to be brave enough to ask some questions and if you don’t like the answers then you have to develop a strategy or change jobs if you are prepared to go through the job-seeking process.”

For those that do reach the salary negotiation with their current employer, Mr Greaves says there is no point in asking for less than 5 per cent.

“However, this can only really have any chance of success if you can identify where you add value to the business (preferably you can put a monetary value on it), or you can point to a sustained contribution above the call of duty or to other achievements you think your employer will value.”

 

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How much sugar is in chocolate Easter eggs?
  • The 169g Crunchie egg has 15.9g of sugar per 25g serving, working out at around 107g of sugar per egg
  • The 190g Maltesers Teasers egg contains 58g of sugar per 100g for the egg and 19.6g of sugar in each of the two Teasers bars that come with it
  • The 188g Smarties egg has 113g of sugar per egg and 22.8g in the tube of Smarties it contains
  • The Milky Bar white chocolate Egg Hunt Pack contains eight eggs at 7.7g of sugar per egg
  • The Cadbury Creme Egg contains 26g of sugar per 40g egg
ELIO

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Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina

Rating: 4/5

MATCH INFO

Day 2 at Mount Maunganui

England 353

Stokes 91, Denly 74, Southee 4-88

New Zealand 144-4

Williamson 51, S Curran 2-28

Gothia Cup 2025

4,872 matches 

1,942 teams

116 pitches

76 nations

26 UAE teams

15 Lebanese teams

2 Kuwaiti teams

MO
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While you're here
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
 
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
BABYLON
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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. 

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
Company%20Profile
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Company%20profile
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