The Gulf Co-operation Council summit was marked by the presence of a new guard in the two countries that have played important roles for reconciliation in the six-member group.
Sultan Qaboos of Oman and Sheikh Sabah of Kuwait, elder statesmen and pillars of Gulf diplomacy, died nine months apart last year.
But Tuesday's high-level gathering was named after them in a tribute announced by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during the opening address he delivered on behalf of his father, King Salman.
Kuwait’s Emir, Sheikh Nawaf, succeeded the country’s late statesman, Sheikh Sabah, in September.
As defence minister and a major figure in the security forces, he supported the high-profile diplomacy of Sheikh Sabah, who played a major role in resolving conflicts in the region and abroad.
Kuwait’s leading diplomatic role was highlighted by the appointment of Abdullah Bishara as the first GCC secretary general in 1981.
The veteran Kuwaiti diplomat held the position until 1993.
The country’s Foreign Minister, Ahmed Al Sabah, also attended Tuesday’s summit.
Educated in France, he first held the position in 2006 and has been the public face of the country’s diplomacy, centred on resolving problems.
Sheikh Ahmed announced on Monday that an agreement had been reached to open the airspace and borders between Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
The deal breaks the ice in relations between the two countries marked by tension since Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the UAE and Egypt boycotted Qatar in June 2017 over its support of extremist groups.
After a call among Sheikh Nawaf, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim and Prince Mohammed, Qatar announced that Sheikh Tamim would attend the GCC summit for the first time. The 41st summit is being held in Al Ula in Saudi Arabia.
Sheikh Nawaf said he hoped the summit of "reconciliation" would be good for the GCC countries to address "all related issues and return matters to normal".
But the ground for Kuwait’s diplomatic success was laid by Sheikh Sabah, who played a main role in containing a 2014 GCC row after Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain withdrew their ambassadors from Qatar.
He sought to repeat the feat by making several initiatives to heal the schism that broke out in mid-2017.
Kuwait’s new ruler is maintaining a GCC-focused foreign policy while building ties with Iran.
A similar approach has marked the foreign policy of Oman, where Sultan Haitham succeeded Sultan Qaboos in January 2020.
Sultan Qaboos ruled Oman for nearly half a century and, although Oman’s diplomacy has not been as high-profile as Kuwait, it has been similar in focusing on building GCC unity while maintaining open channels with Iran.
Together with Sheikh Sabah, the late sultan represented an older generation of Gulf leaders who valued balance in their foreign policy.
Oman’s Foreign Minister is the British-educated Badr Al Busaidi, whose late father was a long-time personal adviser to Sultan Qaboos.
He replaced Yusuf bin Alawi in August, having served under him as the Foreign Ministry’s secretary general.
At the Manama dialogue in December, Mr Al Busaidi stressed that inclusiveness and multilateral approach were central to regional security.
Omani Deputy Prime Minister Sayyid Fahd bin Mahmoud Al Said is leading the sultanate's delegation to the summit.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, led the UAE's delegation to the summit.
Sheikh Mohammed said on Tuesday that "the spirit of co-operation is renewed for the benefit of our peoples".
"In 1981, 40 years ago today, our Father and Founder of our country, Sheikh Zayed, hosted the first summit in Abu Dhabi with his brothers, the leaders of the GCC countries," he said.
"The process of co-operation is the legacy of these leaders for their people. Today, the march is strengthened."
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Brief scoreline:
Manchester United 0
Manchester City 2
Bernardo Silva 54', Sane 66'
Credit Score explained
What is a credit score?
In the UAE your credit score is a number generated by the Al Etihad Credit Bureau (AECB), which represents your credit worthiness – in other words, your risk of defaulting on any debt repayments. In this country, the number is between 300 and 900. A low score indicates a higher risk of default, while a high score indicates you are a lower risk.
Why is it important?
Financial institutions will use it to decide whether or not you are a credit risk. Those with better scores may also receive preferential interest rates or terms on products such as loans, credit cards and mortgages.
How is it calculated?
The AECB collects information on your payment behaviour from banks as well as utilitiy and telecoms providers.
How can I improve my score?
By paying your bills on time and not missing any repayments, particularly your loan, credit card and mortgage payments. It is also wise to limit the number of credit card and loan applications you make and to reduce your outstanding balances.
How do I know if my score is low or high?
By checking it. Visit one of AECB’s Customer Happiness Centres with an original and valid Emirates ID, passport copy and valid email address. Liv. customers can also access the score directly from the banking app.
How much does it cost?
A credit report costs Dh100 while a report with the score included costs Dh150. Those only wanting the credit score pay Dh60. VAT is payable on top.
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
Despacito's dominance in numbers
Released: 2017
Peak chart position: No.1 in more than 47 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Lebanon
Views: 5.3 billion on YouTube
Sales: With 10 million downloads in the US, Despacito became the first Latin single to receive Diamond sales certification
Streams: 1.3 billion combined audio and video by the end of 2017, making it the biggest digital hit of the year.
Awards: 17, including Record of the Year at last year’s prestigious Latin Grammy Awards, as well as five Billboard Music Awards
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What is dialysis?
Dialysis is a way of cleaning your blood when your kidneys fail and can no longer do the job.
It gets rid of your body's wastes, extra salt and water, and helps to control your blood pressure. The main cause of kidney failure is diabetes and hypertension.
There are two kinds of dialysis — haemodialysis and peritoneal.
In haemodialysis, blood is pumped out of your body to an artificial kidney machine that filter your blood and returns it to your body by tubes.
In peritoneal dialysis, the inside lining of your own belly acts as a natural filter. Wastes are taken out by means of a cleansing fluid which is washed in and out of your belly in cycles.
It isn’t an option for everyone but if eligible, can be done at home by the patient or caregiver. This, as opposed to home haemodialysis, is covered by insurance in the UAE.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl, 48V hybrid
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 325bhp
Torque: 450Nm
Price: Dh289,000
Teams
Punjabi Legends Owners: Inzamam-ul-Haq and Intizar-ul-Haq; Key player: Misbah-ul-Haq
Pakhtoons Owners: Habib Khan and Tajuddin Khan; Key player: Shahid Afridi
Maratha Arabians Owners: Sohail Khan, Ali Tumbi, Parvez Khan; Key player: Virender Sehwag
Bangla Tigers Owners: Shirajuddin Alam, Yasin Choudhary, Neelesh Bhatnager, Anis and Rizwan Sajan; Key player: TBC
Colombo Lions Owners: Sri Lanka Cricket; Key player: TBC
Kerala Kings Owners: Hussain Adam Ali and Shafi Ul Mulk; Key player: Eoin Morgan
Venue Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Format 10 overs per side, matches last for 90 minutes
Timeline October 25: Around 120 players to be entered into a draft, to be held in Dubai; December 21: Matches start; December 24: Finals
Veil (Object Lessons)
Rafia Zakaria
Bloomsbury Academic
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Etihad (etihad.com) flies from Abu Dhabi to Mykonos, with a flight change to its partner airline Olympic Air in Athens. Return flights cost from Dh4,105 per person, including taxes.
Where to stay
The modern-art-filled Ambassador hotel (myconianambassador.gr) is 15 minutes outside Mykonos Town on a hillside 500 metres from the Platis Gialos Beach, with a bus into town every 30 minutes (a taxi costs €15 [Dh66]). The Nammos and Scorpios beach clubs are a 10- to 20-minute walk (or water-taxi ride) away. All 70 rooms have a large balcony, many with a Jacuzzi, and of the 15 suites, five have a plunge pool. There’s also a private eight-bedroom villa. Double rooms cost from €240 (Dh1,063) including breakfast, out of season, and from €595 (Dh2,636) in July/August.
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
What is a robo-adviser?
Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.
These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.
Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.
Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.
