DUBAI // The UAE has taken great strides towards protecting victims of human trafficking, says Dr Anwar Gargash.
The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and head of the National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking said a ranking of the country in a recent US report on the subject was "not a bad place" to be.
The Trafficking in Persons 2013 report said the UAE was "making significant efforts" but added, "the UAE does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking".
Dr Gargash said "cultural bias" played a significant role in the report's findings.
"I think there is a certain cultural bias in terms of who gets the tier one, unfortunately, because the UAE has done a lot and from my understanding, for many countries in this region it would be very difficult for them to be in tier one," he said.
"But I don't think that is the reality to be honest, because I think many of the government reports in many ways are not current in their follow up."
He also said the report had not relied on statistics and current facts and gave an example of the report stating the UAE had no shelter for male victims of trafficking, despite recent announcements that one would soon be built soon in the capital.
The report also failed to account for updates passed by the Federal National Council to the 2006 human trafficking law that provides unprecedented legal rights for victims.
"Our targets are not the US government's reports," Dr Gargash said.
He said he was more concerned with how the UAE was viewed by international organisations, which "are more expert in this subject".
"Whether human rights councils or other more specific organisations, they are very appreciative of the UAE's efforts," said Dr Gargash.
"Of course they have some comments and I think what you see with the opening of the male shelter is basically a response to some of the comments."
Cases involving male victims of trafficking are quite rare in the UAE, he said.
The US report noted the UAE worked to battle sex trafficking but failed to recognise labour trafficking cases, which it believed to be the "largest group of trafficking victims within the country".
"Instead, authorities recognised potential forced labour cases as labour violations, particularly if potential victims were over the age of 18 and had entered the country voluntarily," the report read.
Dr Gargash said the report did not take into account that labour cases were rare and sexual exploitation cases were the most prevalent.
The report conceded the most recent annual report from the committee included data on labour cases reported by the Ministry of Labour, but said they lacked detail.
It recommended that the UAE reform the sponsorship system, stop employers from holding passports, and increase efforts to investigate, prosecute and punish labour-trafficking offences, and convict and punish offenders, including recruitment agents.
Similar recommendations were made in the UN International Labour Organisation's report, Tricked and Trapped.
"We do not ignore comments, we learn from them," said Dr Gargash. "And I think we always have to keep an open mind.
"But I have to say in our national effort our aim is not to score high points in this report or that report, but to make it clear to everybody that the UAE will not tolerate this heinous crime, will be tough on it, and will protect its society and protect its reputation in being an attractive society for all."
Last year, the Government referred for prosecution 47 cases involving 149 sex-trafficking suspects. Ninety-one were convicted. Sentences ranged from a year to life imprisonment.
The US report praised the heavy penalties and the Government's progress in providing protection to sex-trafficking victims.
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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The specs: 2018 Nissan Altima
Price, base / as tested: Dh78,000 / Dh97,650
Engine: 2.5-litre in-line four-cylinder
Power: 182hp @ 6,000rpm
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At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
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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- 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
Surianah's top five jazz artists
Billie Holliday: for the burn and also the way she told stories.
Thelonius Monk: for his earnestness.
Duke Ellington: for his edge and spirituality.
Louis Armstrong: his legacy is undeniable. He is considered as one of the most revolutionary and influential musicians.
Terence Blanchard: very political - a lot of jazz musicians are making protest music right now.
Guide to intelligent investing
Investing success often hinges on discipline and perspective. As markets fluctuate, remember these guiding principles:
- Stay invested: Time in the market, not timing the market, is critical to long-term gains.
- Rational thinking: Breathe and avoid emotional decision-making; let logic and planning guide your actions.
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The specs
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2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
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Favourite car: Koenigsegg Agera RS or Renault Trezor concept car.
Favourite book: I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes or Red Notice by Bill Browder.
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How to improve Arabic reading in early years
One 45-minute class per week in Standard Arabic is not sufficient
The goal should be for grade 1 and 2 students to become fluent readers
Subjects like technology, social studies, science can be taught in later grades
Grade 1 curricula should include oral instruction in Standard Arabic
First graders must regularly practice individual letters and combinations
Time should be slotted in class to read longer passages in early grades
Improve the appearance of textbooks
Revision of curriculum should be undertaken as per research findings
Conjugations of most common verb forms should be taught
Systematic learning of Standard Arabic grammar
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
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