DUBAI // Britain’s Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, visited the logistics hub Dubai International Humanitarian City accompanied by Princess Haya bint Al Hussein on the final day of their state visit to the UAE.
The prince met aid workers and viewed innovative projects delivering emergency support to where it is needed most as well as having talks with Princess Haya, the wife of Vice President and Dubai Ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid and chairwoman of International Humanitarian City (IHC).
In a speech, Prince Charles said the UAE was well placed to become the world’s foremost humanitarian logistical power.
“The UAE and broad spectrum of support it offers could not be more needed in these complicated times,” he said.
“It is part of the nation’s long track record of helping those who have been affected by natural disasters, not to mention the 65 million people who have become displaced by conflict.
“The UAE is second to none in its generosity. This is one facet of Sheikh Zayed’s remarkable legacy.
“I’m delighted with the collaboration between the UK and UAE for a range of projects, such as delivering water and sanitation to humanitarian causes; it has become an important part of our bilateral relationship.”
One innovative project the prince seen was Shelterbox, which has delivered more than 1,500 emergency packages to Haiti from Dubai, helping those made homeless by the recent disaster when Hurricane Matthew pounded the Caribbean. Camilla is patron of the UK-based charity, which is distributing emergency tents and life kits.
Each box contains a tent, groundsheet, water purification equipment and solar-powered light that charges during the day so children can do their homework at night.
“The tent helps bring the family unit back together as there are separate areas inside, so they are very important,” said Sarah Jane-More, a logistics co-ordinator at Shelterbox.
“In Dubai we are well-positioned to distribute aid in the wake of any conflict or humanitarian disaster.
“I’ve met the Duchess before in the UK but it was great to see her here in Dubai and show her our operation here.”
Welshman Wayne Ffoulkes works for Fittest training services, in association with the World Food Programme. He is delivering communications equipment to aid workers and unstable governments in war-torn areas, and spoke with the royal couple.
“Our mandate is to provide communications in any of these areas where there has been a humanitarian disaster,” he said.
“We’ve been out to Yemen, Iraq and Haiti. Dubai is geographically central to many of those areas, and Jebel Ali Port is crucial.
“If you go to a country where the government is not as stable as it could be, such as Yemen, we can help deliver a crucial communications network to help coordinate where food and other aid is most required.”
Other projects on show for the royal visit were a solar-powered water pump, temporary shelters and bridge-building equipment to help deliver aid on the ground.
IHC was founded in 2003 and is among the 28 entities that make up the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, the largest development foundation in the Middle East.
As well as delivering humanitarian supplies, it has helped protect more than 600 United Nations staff from conflict in Afghanistan, Yemen and Egypt through evacuation operations.
“In the UAE we are standing by humanity, and this has always been championed by Prince Charles,” said IHC board member Hilal Al Marri.
“His charities provide critical support to a wide range of global causes.
“He has installed an ethic of giving at the core of British society, one which is emulated the world over. The sun never sets on British generosity.
“In the UAE, our record is only decades old but we have become the world’s most generous donor.”
In the afternoon, Prince Charles met Sheikh Mohammed and Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed at Zabeel Palace. They discussed the promotion of cultural, tourism and sports ties between their two countries.
nwebster@thenational.ae
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
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THE BIO
Favourite car: Koenigsegg Agera RS or Renault Trezor concept car.
Favourite book: I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes or Red Notice by Bill Browder.
Biggest inspiration: My husband Nik. He really got me through a lot with his positivity.
Favourite holiday destination: Being at home in Australia, as I travel all over the world for work. It’s great to just hang out with my husband and family.
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
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: seven-speed
Power: 620bhp
Torque: 760Nm
Price: Dh898,000
On sale: now
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
As it stands in Pool A
1. Japan - Played 3, Won 3, Points 14
2. Ireland - Played 3, Won 2, Lost 1, Points 11
3. Scotland - Played 2, Won 1, Lost 1, Points 5
Remaining fixtures
Scotland v Russia – Wednesday, 11.15am
Ireland v Samoa – Saturday, 2.45pm
Japan v Scotland – Sunday, 2.45pm
Schedule:
Pakistan v Sri Lanka:
28 Sep-2 Oct, 1st Test, Abu Dhabi
6-10 Oct, 2nd Test (day-night), Dubai
13 Oct, 1st ODI, Dubai
16 Oct, 2nd ODI, Abu Dhabi
18 Oct, 3rd ODI, Abu Dhabi
20 Oct, 4th ODI, Sharjah
23 Oct, 5th ODI, Sharjah
26 Oct, 1st T20I, Abu Dhabi
27 Oct, 2nd T20I, Abu Dhabi
29 Oct, 3rd T20I, Lahore
Infobox
Western Region Asia Cup Qualifier, Al Amerat, Oman
The two finalists advance to the next stage of qualifying, in Malaysia in August
Results
UAE beat Iran by 10 wickets
Kuwait beat Saudi Arabia by eight wickets
Oman beat Bahrain by nine wickets
Qatar beat Maldives by 106 runs
Monday fixtures
UAE v Kuwait, Iran v Saudi Arabia, Oman v Qatar, Maldives v Bahrain
