Oman, one of the few Arab countries not to cut ties with Syria over the ongoing civil war, has appointed a new ambassador to the conflict-torn country.
Syria’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister, Walid Al Muallim, received the credentials of Oman’s representative Sayyid Turki Al Busaidi on Sunday.
Oman maintained ties with Syria after the 2011 uprising turned into the ongoing violent civil war, saying its role in the conflict would be to provide humanitarian support. But Mr Al Busaidi is the first ambassador of a Gulf state to actually travel to the mission in Damascus to represent the country from inside Syria since 2012. He was appointed to the post in March by royal decree.
The United Arab Emirates re-opened its mission to Damascus in late 2018 and has a charge d'affaires there. Kuwait has said it would re-open its mission in Damascus if there is an agreement at the Arab League, which suspended Syria's membership in 2011.
Mr Al Muallim and Mr Al Busaidi discussed Oman’s regional policies as well as relations between the two nations.
The reappointment of an Omani diplomat in Syria signals that Sultan Haitham will maintain the policies of his predecessor after taking power in January.
Sultan Qaboos, who led Oman from 1970 until he passed away earlier this year, was a well-known negotiator and cultivated a network of ties across the region and further afield in order to be able to channel diplomatically between sides during crises.
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Sultan Haitham, who has a lot of experience in foreign affairs, has been expected to keep Oman on the same course as a regional broker.
In 2019, former foreign minister Yusuf bin Alawi met Syrian President Bashar Al Assad and discussed ways to “restore stability to the region”. It came a year after, Damascus opened an embassy in Oman.
In nearly a decade of war, hundreds of thousands of Syrians have been killed – the vast majority by regime shelling, in government jails and through siege-and-starve tactics used by Damascus. Tens of thousands were also killed by extremist and terrorist groups such as ISIS and Al Qaeda as they gained ground over the largely secular and moderate opposition in the early years of the war.
The Details
Kabir Singh
Produced by: Cinestaan Studios, T-Series
Directed by: Sandeep Reddy Vanga
Starring: Shahid Kapoor, Kiara Advani, Suresh Oberoi, Soham Majumdar, Arjun Pahwa
Rating: 2.5/5
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Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
The specS: 2018 Toyota Camry
Price: base / as tested: Dh91,000 / Dh114,000
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 298hp @ 6,600rpm
Torque: 356Nm @ 4,700rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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if you go
The flights
The closest international airport to the TMB trail is Geneva (just over an hour’s drive from the French ski town of Chamonix where most people start and end the walk). Direct flights from the UAE to Geneva are available with Etihad and Emirates from about Dh2,790 including taxes.
The trek
The Tour du Mont Blanc takes about 10 to 14 days to complete if walked in its entirety, but by using the services of a tour operator such as Raw Travel, a shorter “highlights” version allows you to complete the best of the route in a week, from Dh6,750 per person. The trails are blocked by snow from about late October to early May. Most people walk in July and August, but be warned that trails are often uncomfortably busy at this time and it can be very hot. The prime months are June and September.
RESULT
Copa del Rey, semi-final second leg
Real Madrid 0
Barcelona 3 (Suarez (50', 73' pen), Varane (69' OG)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
McLaren GT specs
Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: seven-speed
Power: 620bhp
Torque: 630Nm
Price: Dh875,000
On sale: now
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Heather, the Totality
Matthew Weiner,
Canongate
Brolliology: A History of the Umbrella in Life and Literature
By Marion Rankine
Melville House
