Aden is the base of the internationally recognised government of Yemen Reuters
Aden is the base of the internationally recognised government of Yemen Reuters

UAE to donate $230 million to Yemen ahead of UN donor conference



The UAE is set to announce a boost of $230 million in the assistance it provides to Yemen ahead of a pledging conference to be hosted by Switzerland and Sweden on Monday.

The United Nations Pledging Conference will hear that the funds will be in addition to ongoing bilateral UAE assistance efforts in the country.

The donation is designed to underwrite international programmes that meet the medical, nutritional, and food security needs of the conflict-torn country. The UAE will work to ensure the funding is directed in support of the UN Humanitarian Response Plan.

“Over the course of the pandemic, the UAE has sent 122 tons of medical supplies to Yemen to boost the efforts of some 122,000 healthcare workers to contain Covid-19, as well as provided health-enhancing food and supplements through the World Food Programme, and support to other sectors such as education, health, and water,” said Reem Al Hashimy, the minister of state for International Cooperation.

UAE officials are conducting an ongoing review of the humanitarian situation in Yemen in co-ordination with international organisations. The review has put a priority on targeting improvements in indicators of health, food security, and malnutrition. This latest commitment will meet the food needs of six million Yemenis, including one million children, in response to the food security risks observed in some areas of Yemen.

“The UAE also acknowledges recent international efforts to ensure that critical aid is not obstructed from reaching the most vulnerable groups in society, specifically women and children,” she said. “We look forward to working with humanitarian actors on the ground, from both the UN as well as the INGO community, to ensure that aid is delivered to those that are in most need.”

The UAE ended its military engagement in Yemen in 2019 but has continued to support a comprehensive political solution and the efforts of the UN Special Envoy to Yemen, Martin Griffiths.

“While this contribution comes at a critical moment for Yemen, it cannot replace broader efforts to achieve a political solution for the benefit of the Yemeni people, who have for too long suffered the impact of the worsening humanitarian situation. The international

community must come together to intensify efforts to bring about a sustainable solution for Yemen.”

The Riyadh agreement between the internationally-recognised government of Yemen and local political forces is a step towards a political solution to the impasse since the Houthi militia carried out a coup in 2014.

Almost all Yemenis depend on food imports, most of which come through one of the country’s main seaports in Hodeidah, which is under Houthi control.

The last available figures for UAE international aid spending showed a Dh28 billion ($7.62bn) budget and Yemen was the nation that received the most support. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation revealed that the amount of aid donated by the UAE was above UN targets for the sixth consecutive year.

The UN has set a target of 0.7 per cent of gross national income (GNI) from donor countries. The Dh28bn figure amounts to 0.93 per cent of the UAE’s GNI of 2018.

In the past six years the UAE has provided more than $6 billion in assistance to Yemen, mainly on supporting efforts to alleviate the humanitarian situation. Donations have gone to the provision of public services to ensure education in schools, medical programs, and vital services such as energy and transportation.

The UAE has also been one of the largest international contributors to Yemen’s Covid-19 response.

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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 

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

NO OTHER LAND

Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal

Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham

Rating: 3.5/5

The bio

Favourite book: Peter Rabbit. I used to read it to my three children and still read it myself. If I am feeling down it brings back good memories.

Best thing about your job: Getting to help people. My mum always told me never to pass up an opportunity to do a good deed.

Best part of life in the UAE: The weather. The constant sunshine is amazing and there is always something to do, you have so many options when it comes to how to spend your day.

Favourite holiday destination: Malaysia. I went there for my honeymoon and ended up volunteering to teach local children for a few hours each day. It is such a special place and I plan to retire there one day.

Honeymoonish
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Fixtures
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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
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Meydan race card

6.30pm: Maiden Dh 165,000 1,600m
7.05pm: Handicap Dh 185,000 2,000m
7.40pm: Maiden Dh 165,000 1,600m
8.15pm: Handicap Dh 190,000 1,400m
8.50pm: Handicap Dh 175,000 1,600m
9.25pm: Handicap Dh 175,000 1,200m
10pm: Handicap Dh 165,000 1,600m

Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
THE SPECS

Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine 

Power: 420kW

Torque: 780Nm

Transmission: 8-speed automatic

Price: From Dh1,350,000

On sale: Available for preorder now

It

Director: Andres Muschietti

Starring: Bill Skarsgard, Jaeden Lieberher, Sophia Lillis, Chosen Jacobs, Jeremy Ray Taylor

Three stars

MATCH INFO

Rugby World Cup (all times UAE)

Final: England v South Africa, Saturday, 1pm

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
RESULT

Bayern Munich 5 Eintrracht Frankfurt 2
Bayern:
 Goretzka (17'), Müller (41'), Lewandowski (46'), Davies (61'), Hinteregger (74' og)    
Frankfurt: Hinteregger (52', 55')

UAE%20Warriors%20fight%20card
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Test

Director: S Sashikanth

Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan

Star rating: 2/5

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
 
Started: 2021
 
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
 
Based: Tunisia 
 
Sector: Water technology 
 
Number of staff: 22 
 
Investment raised: $4 million 
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Skewed figures

In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458. 

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BEACH SOCCER WORLD CUP

Group A

Paraguay
Japan
Switzerland
USA

Group B

Uruguay
Mexico
Italy
Tahiti

Group C

Belarus
UAE
Senegal
Russia

Group D

Brazil
Oman
Portugal
Nigeria

Our legal advisor

Ahmad El Sayed is Senior Associate at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.

Experience: Commercial litigator who has assisted clients with overseas judgments before UAE courts. His specialties are cases related to banking, real estate, shareholder disputes, company liquidations and criminal matters as well as employment related litigation. 

Education: Sagesse University, Beirut, Lebanon, in 2005.

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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.

Specs

Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request

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

Our legal columnist

Name: Yousef Al Bahar

Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994

Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers

A Long Way Home by Peter Carey
Faber & Faber

Brief scores:

Toss: Northern Warriors, elected to field first

Bengal Tigers 130-1 (10 ov)

Roy 60 not out, Rutherford 47 not out

Northern Warriors 94-7 (10 ov)

Simmons 44; Yamin 4-4