ISLAM QALA, AFGHANISTAN // For a windswept, ramshackle border town surrounded by miles of desert, Islam Qala has a suspicious number of big houses springing up.
The town may see hundreds of lorries laden with goods cross each day, but anti-drugs officers say the incongruous prosperity is really a sign of another, hidden trade. Here, along the border between Afghanistan and Iran, opium is king. Civil chaos has made Afghanistan the undisputed world capital of opium production and the origin of more than 90 per cent of the global supply.
While drugs busts in other countries may be measured in pounds and ounces, here, seizures weigh in at tons.
From the poppy fields of Helmand and Kandahar the crop travels into Iran and onwards via Turkey and the Balkans to Europe and the US.
Along the way it channels hundreds of millions of dollars into the Taliban-led insurgency and feeds millions of addicts. And the scale of the trade has now become so vast it is providing common ground between Afghanistan, its international backers and their most mistrusted neighbour, Iran.
Iran has paid a high price for finding itself on a major drug trafficking route from its small neighbour. Last month the government of the Islamic republic admitted it had 1.2 million drug addicts and pleaded for more international help to fight smugglers. The country's relentless, decades-long war against ruthless heavily armed traffickers has cost the lives of 3,700 border guards, soldiers and police.
In the past three years it has spent US$800 million (Dh2.94 billion) securing its porous eastern frontier, including more than 145 kilometres of a three-metre-high, barbed wire-topped cement wall, 160 watchtowers and nearly 500km of trenches.
Yet, according to UN estimates, 3,000 tons of Afghan narcotics were smuggled into Iran last year, with the majority escaping Iranian counter narcotics police.
On the Afghan side of the border, progress has been even more frustrating. The 930km desolate border has only 1,700 border guards, who are paid just $100 a month.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has only two international advisers in the region, while all efforts to tackle the problem are hamstrung by corruption that officers believe "goes to the top".
Border guards are easily bought off. Those that refuse bribes are killed or framed by their less principled colleagues.
"The challenge of securing the border is enormous," said Jean-Luc Lemahieu, special representative in Afghanistan for the UNODC.
"Not only because of the physical conditions, but even more because of the political conditions. We are dealing with criminal interests, political interests and business interests."
To make the situation worse, already frosty long-term relations between Afghanistan's US backers and Iran have plummeted over Iran's nuclear programme, the US invasion of Iraq and Iranian support for insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"You don't have to be a political scientist to see the difficulties," said Mr Lemahieu. "Within the regional context it is clear that the presence of US troops in Iraq and Afghanistan has created some suspicion."
However after years of tense standoff, he said he now sensed a "more positive" new phase of cautious co-operation based around the war on drugs.
Barack Obama, the US president, has acknowledged that Afghanistan's problems can only be solved with the aid of its neighbours.
Despite its differences with the US, analysts say Shia Iran has no desire to see an unstable narcostate on its eastern border which is a breeding ground for Sunni Muslim militants.
As Mr Obama was making a diplomatic overture to Tehran, the presidents of Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan were holding their own security summit to tackle the traffickers, rebuild Afghanistan and secure their borders.
It was just the latest sign of a growing awareness by the three countries that they cannot solve their problems in isolation.
Two months ago, Esmaeel Ahmadi-Moghadam, Iran's national police chief, announced that his officers would train Afghan border police to tackle drug traffickers.
And the two countries are now in talks to train Afghan border police radio operators in Tehran to improve communications.
Iranian customs officials are also to share their expertise at a new Kabul Customs Academy. The multimillion-dollar customs post opening at Islam Qala later this month will have a liaison office where Afghan police and border guards sit next to their Iranian counterparts.
But suspicion of Iran runs deep. Afghans liken their vigilance of powerful neighbours to the paranoia of a poor man with a young and beautiful wife.
Though poor, they believe their country, at the crossroads of international trade between Europe and Asia for millennia, is an irresistible prize coveted by scheming, richer nations.
This vigilance is never more intense than concerning Iran. International attention may be focused on the threat from a destabilised nuclear-armed Pakistan, but it is Iranian intrigue that many Afghans say they fear more.
In spite of, or because of, the fact they share much of their language, heritage and culture, Afghans are deeply suspicious of Iran's motives.
In Herat province, the crossroads of Iranian-Afghan trade in north-west Afghanistan, Iran has invested millions of dollars building a road to the border, which will soon be followed by a railway.
The drive to the border follows a snaking line of pylons carrying Iranian electricity to power-starved Afghans.
But this largesse only feeds more suspicion. "They have a plan for us, but we will not know what it is for 20 years," said Mohammad Jamil, a Herat taxi driver. "They are more dangerous than Pakistan."
Iranian television, films, books and textbooks dominate the Persian-speaking world in the same way American culture dominates the English-speaking world. Afghans fear Iran is using its cultural and social muscle to champion the country's Shia minority and sow dissent between Afghanistan's ethnic factions.
Last month the Afghan government dumped 1,000 Iranian history books being transported in a container to Kabul into the Helmand river, saying that they promoted Shia Islam and undermined national unity.
Ghulam Dastagir Azad, the governor of Nimroz province, declared the books "more dangerous than Taliban bullets".
The forcible repatriation of hundreds of thousands of illegal migrant workers from Iran also stokes resentment.
In poverty-stricken rural Afghanistan, young men frequently have little choice but to leave for work abroad in Iran. Visas and work permits are too expensive for most and they enter illegally.
When discovered, often after tip-offs by Iranian bosses who do not want to pay their illegal workers, they are herded into detention camps and bussed back to the border.
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees post at Islam Qala says around 900 are sent back each day. Many allege they have been beaten and robbed.
Khadem Haideri was sent home with a smashed wrist in plaster after an accident in a quarry near Isfahan. The 37-year-old from Ghazni left his wife and three sons to work in Iran a year ago, but was of no use to his boss after his accident and was reported to the police. While in Iran he earned $400 a month, an unthinkable wage in rural Afghanistan, but said he faced racism, discrimination and abuse from ordinary Iranians.
"When you leave your country you have to accept it," he said.
The battle against drugs may be a first step to involve Iran in solving Afghanistan's problems, but Heratis urge caution.
"It's clear that everyone interferes in Afghanistan," said Humayoun Azizi, head of Herat's provincial council. "We don't have any good neighbours."
* The National
The specs: 2018 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross
Price, base / as tested: Dh101,140 / Dh113,800
Engine: Turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder
Power: 148hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 250Nm @ 2,000rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed CVT
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.0L / 100km
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
Zayed Sustainability Prize
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.”
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
Essentials
The flights
Emirates, Etihad and Malaysia Airlines all fly direct from the UAE to Kuala Lumpur and on to Penang from about Dh2,300 return, including taxes.
Where to stay
In Kuala Lumpur, Element is a recently opened, futuristic hotel high up in a Norman Foster-designed skyscraper. Rooms cost from Dh400 per night, including taxes. Hotel Stripes, also in KL, is a great value design hotel, with an infinity rooftop pool. Rooms cost from Dh310, including taxes.
In Penang, Ren i Tang is a boutique b&b in what was once an ancient Chinese Medicine Hall in the centre of Little India. Rooms cost from Dh220, including taxes.
23 Love Lane in Penang is a luxury boutique heritage hotel in a converted mansion, with private tropical gardens. Rooms cost from Dh400, including taxes.
In Langkawi, Temple Tree is a unique architectural villa hotel consisting of antique houses from all across Malaysia. Rooms cost from Dh350, including taxes.
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: seven-speed
Power: 720hp
Torque: 770Nm
Price: Dh1,100,000
On sale: now
THE SPECS
Engine: 3.5-litre supercharged V6
Power: 416hp at 7,000rpm
Torque: 410Nm at 3,500rpm
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Fuel consumption: 10.2 l/100km
Price: Dh375,000
On sale: now
Pros%20and%20cons%20of%20BNPL
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPros%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cul%3E%0A%3Cli%3EEasy%20to%20use%20and%20require%20less%20rigorous%20credit%20checks%20than%20traditional%20credit%20options%0D%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EOffers%20the%20ability%20to%20spread%20the%20cost%20of%20purchases%20over%20time%2C%20often%20interest-free%0D%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EConvenient%20and%20can%20be%20integrated%20directly%20into%20the%20checkout%20process%2C%20useful%20for%20online%20shopping%0D%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EHelps%20facilitate%20cash%20flow%20planning%20when%20used%20wisely%0D%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECons%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cul%3E%0A%3Cli%3EThe%20ease%20of%20making%20purchases%20can%20lead%20to%20overspending%20and%20accumulation%20of%20debt%0D%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EMissing%20payments%20can%20result%20in%20hefty%20fees%20and%2C%20in%20some%20cases%2C%20high%20interest%20rates%20after%20an%20initial%20interest-free%20period%0D%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EFailure%20to%20make%20payments%20can%20impact%20credit%20score%20negatively%0D%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ERefunds%20can%20be%20complicated%20and%20delayed%0D%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cem%3ECourtesy%3A%20Carol%20Glynn%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Brief scores:
Juventus 3
Dybala 6', Bonucci 17', Ronaldo 63'
Frosinone 0
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
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
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EQureos%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EUAE%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ELaunch%20year%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2021%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E33%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESoftware%20and%20technology%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%243%20million%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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