In the ongoing arm-wrestle between the United States and Iran over the latter's nuclear programme, something fell through the cracks of the media: senior US officials have been using the phrase "Arabian Gulf" to refer to what Washington officially calls the "Persian Gulf", wrote Abdullah Khalifa al Shaiji, the head of the political science department at Kuwait University in the UAE newspaper Al Ittihad.
The nomenclature used to designate the Gulf is still a highly sensitive issue in the region. Arabs started using the term "Arabian Gulf" since the 1960s with the rise of pan-Arab nationalism; it is the name all Arab nations use officially to refer to the Gulf. Then, after the 1979 revolution in Iran, the new leaders in Tehran proposed the appellation "Islamic Gulf", but the suggestion was quickly forgotten.
In a news conference two weeks ago, Andrew Shapiro, the US Assistant Secretary of State, used the phrase "Arabian Gulf and Greater Middle East", even though the Greater Middle East does include the Arabian Gulf region. So there seems to be an over-emphasis there. A few days later, Kurt M Campbell, the US Assistant Secretary of State for East-Asian and Pacific Affairs, talked about "piracy in the Arabian Gulf", which irked the American Iranian Council, Tehran's lobby in Washington.
So is the US abandoning the "Persian Gulf", an appellation it has officially adopted since 1917?
Yemeni bombs will fuel fear
The sophisticated design of the mail explosives believed to have been air-shipped by al Qa'eda to hit targets in the West three days ago has raised suspicions about the actual level of al Qa'eda's bomb engineering abilities, according to the London-based newspaper Al Quds al Arabi.
"Such doubts may be on point, but it is hard to deny the probability that explosives experts with the network have acquired highly advanced skills. Indeed, the second generation of active members in al Qa'eda are young graduates of western universities. It is not unlikely, then, that they have put their expertise at the service of the organisation," the newspaper noted in its editorial.
This said, these mail bomb attempts must not be blown out of proportion. They must not be used to nurture fear of Islam among western societies, something that will increase the pressure on Muslim communities in a progressively right-leaning West.
Al Qa'eda, if it indeed turns out to be behind those booby-trapped parcels, is proving that it is still alive and kicking, and capable of spreading terror.
This also goes to show that the multi-trillion dollar war the United States has waged on terrorism - which cost it its good reputation in the Muslim world - looks like it is still at its beginning, although a decade has passed since the first missile was fired in Afghanistan.
Boycotting the tribunal may divide Lebanon
The latest declaration by Hassan Nasrallah to boycott the Special Tribunal signifies the unchanging nature of his party's attitude towards the investigation, wrote Abdullah Iskanadar in a commentary for the London-based newspaper Al Hayat.
Mr Nasrallah has always expressed a strong opposition against the establishment of the Tribunal since its inception, when he withdrew his ministers from the government. Since then, rounds of national dialogue have been held on key issues related to the national army and the resistance military. This agreement was conducive to achieving internal security and making progress towards national reconciliation.
But the recent statements by the party are likely to breach the minimum consensus achieved in the recent past between political actors. Moreover, it might put an end to the ambitious national plan aimed at reintegrating Hizbollah's weaponry into the national defence system.
Although Hizbollah was an active player in Lebanon in accordance with outcomes of internal political talks and also of those mediated by third parties, Hizbollah has made it clear this time that it has repositioned itself in the Lebanese political scene by threatening to break all the previous accords. The party may see its future from a different perspective and on a different path than that of its Lebanese counterparts.
Syria-America detente turns cold in Beirut
In an opinion piece for the UAE newspaper Al Khaleej, Saad Mehio wrote that the US administration suddenly changed its diplomatic policy towards Syria after it warned Damascus to stop interfering in Lebanon's internal affairs.
The visit of the Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to Lebanon instigated this change because it undermined the American-French roadmap to isolate Lebanon from the direct influence of Iran and Syria.
Although busy with Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Arab-Israeli conflict, Washington reiterated its support for the International Tribunal for Lebanon, and put Lebanon at the top of its foreign policy agenda.
Washington has mobilised the UN Security Council to back the tribunal by virtue of the UN resolution 1559, which calls for the end of Syrian hegemony over Lebanon, and allows the international community to help the country overcome its political crisis.
This change is likely to push Syria to ponder the US's possible reactions in the near future regarding issues of the Middle East, and whether it is serious in its pursuit. Damascus might also resort to new strategies to maintain its influence in Lebanon by way of its inside allies and Iran.
* Digest compiled by Achraf el Bahi
aelbahi@thenational.ae
The%20specs
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Takreem Awards winners 2021
Corporate Leadership: Carl Bistany (Lebanon)
Cultural Excellence: Hoor Al Qasimi (UAE)
Environmental Development and Sustainability: Bkerzay (Lebanon)
Environmental Development and Sustainability: Raya Ani (Iraq)
Humanitarian and Civic Services: Women’s Programs Association (Lebanon)
Humanitarian and Civic Services: Osamah Al Thini (Libya)
Excellence in Education: World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) (Qatar)
Outstanding Arab Woman: Balghis Badri (Sudan)
Scientific and Technological Achievement: Mohamed Slim Alouini (KSA)
Young Entrepreneur: Omar Itani (Lebanon)
Lifetime Achievement: Suad Al Amiry (Palestine)
Maestro
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBradley%20Cooper%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBradley%20Cooper%2C%20Carey%20Mulligan%2C%20Maya%20Hawke%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Sam Smith
Where: du Arena, Abu Dhabi
When: Saturday November 24
Rating: 4/5
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Generation Start-up: Awok company profile
Started: 2013
Founder: Ulugbek Yuldashev
Sector: e-commerce
Size: 600 plus
Stage: still in talks with VCs
Principal Investors: self-financed by founder
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Marathon results
Men:
1. Titus Ekiru(KEN) 2:06:13
2. Alphonce Simbu(TAN) 2:07:50
3. Reuben Kipyego(KEN) 2:08:25
4. Abel Kirui(KEN) 2:08:46
5. Felix Kemutai(KEN) 2:10:48
Women:
1. Judith Korir(KEN) 2:22:30
2. Eunice Chumba(BHR) 2:26:01
3. Immaculate Chemutai(UGA) 2:28:30
4. Abebech Bekele(ETH) 2:29:43
5. Aleksandra Morozova(RUS) 2:33:01
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
Ticket prices
- Golden circle - Dh995
- Floor Standing - Dh495
- Lower Bowl Platinum - Dh95
- Lower Bowl premium - Dh795
- Lower Bowl Plus - Dh695
- Lower Bowl Standard- Dh595
- Upper Bowl Premium - Dh395
- Upper Bowl standard - Dh295
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
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
Veere di Wedding
Dir: Shashanka Ghosh
Starring: Kareena Kapoo-Khan, Sonam Kapoor, Swara Bhaskar and Shikha Talsania
Verdict: 4 Stars
Ronaldo's record at Man Utd
Seasons 2003/04 - 2008/09
Appearances 230
Goals 115