“I stand here today to extend a hand of peace and receive a hand of peace.”
With those words, the UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, addressed a high-level audience of several hundred gathered on the south lawn of the White House to witness the historic signing of a peace accord between Israel and the UAE.
Last month, the US-brokered Abraham Accord was agreed to during a call between Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Bahrain later agreed its own accord with Israel.
Sheikh Abdullah, the Bahraini Foreign Minister Dr Abdullatif Al Zayani and Mr Netanyahu were in Washington on Tuesday to formally sign documents paving the way for full normalisation of relations between Israel and the two Arab countries.
“We are already witnessing a change in the heart of the Middle East, a change that will send hope around the world,” Sheikh Abdullah, who first spoke in English before switching to Arabic for much of his speech, said on Tuesday.
“We are witnessing today a new trend that will create a better path for the Middle East.”
The accord “will continue to have a positive impact, as we believe that its reverberations will be reflected on the entire region”, he said.
“This new vision, which is beginning to take shape as we meet today for the future of a region full of youthful energy, is not a slogan that we raise for political gain, as everyone looks forward to creating a more stable, prosperous, and secure future,” Sheikh Abdullah said.
He thanked Mr Netanyahu for halting the planned annexation of Palestinian territories, “a decision that reinforces our shared will to achieve a better future for generations to come”.
The accord, including a pledge to halt annexation in return for full relations between the UAE and Israel, enables the UAE “to continue to stand by the Palestinian people and realise their hopes for an independent state within a stable and prosperous region”.
It also “builds upon previous peace agreements signed by Arab nations” with Israel.
The deals signed on Tuesday make the UAE and Bahrain the third and fourth Arab states to take such steps to normalise ties since Israel signed peace treaties with Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994.
“In this difficult year when the world is suffering from the repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic, the United Arab Emirates has reinforced its humanitarian commitments, established by our nation’s Founding Father, Sheikh Zayed, who taught us that standing with others, regardless of religious or ethnic affiliation, is a humanitarian duty and a firm principle," Sheikh Abdullah said.
Attending the ceremony were senior US officials including Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and senior adviser Jared Kushner.
Former British prime minister Tony Blair and Fifa president Gianni Infantino were among the international guests. Officials from Oman, Egypt and Sudan were also present.
"We're here this afternoon to change the course of history," Mr Trump said.
"After decades of division and conflict we mark the dawn of a new Middle East thanks to the great courage of the leaders of these three countries."
Mr Netanyahu said he was grateful to Mr Trump.
"To all of Israel's friends in the Middle East, those who join us today and those who will join us tomorrow, I say 'as-Salam Alaikum', peace unto thee, shalom," he said.
Dr Al Zayani opened his address by saying it was a "moment of hope and opportunity for all the people of the Middle East, and in particular for the millions in our younger generations".
He said the agreement would enhance Bahrain's principles of coexistence and harmony, and that genuine co-operation was the most effective means to peace.
At a meeting with Mr Trump before the ceremony to sign accords with Israel, Sheikh Abdullah said: "Our region has suffered far too long.
"We want to show our people, the region and the world that there is good news."
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The text of the agreement in full
War
Director: Siddharth Anand
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Tiger Shroff, Ashutosh Rana, Vaani Kapoor
Rating: Two out of five stars
FIGHT%20CARD
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TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
MATCH INFO
Everton 2 Southampton 1
Everton: Walcott (15'), Richarlison (31' )
Southampton: Ings (54')
Man of the match: Theo Walcott (Everton)
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Company Profile
Company name: Yeepeey
Started: Soft launch in November, 2020
Founders: Sagar Chandiramani, Jatin Sharma and Monish Chandiramani
Based: Dubai
Industry: E-grocery
Initial investment: $150,000
Future plan: Raise $1.5m and enter Saudi Arabia next year
Company%20Profile
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
CONFIRMED%20LINE-UP
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Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre 6-cyl turbo
Power: 374hp at 5,500-6,500rpm
Torque: 500Nm from 1,900-5,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.5L/100km
Price: from Dh285,000
On sale: from January 2022
MATCH INFO
Real Madrid 2
Vinicius Junior (71') Mariano (90 2')
Barcelona 0
The%20specs
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What is graphene?
Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged like honeycomb.
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were "playing about" with sticky tape and graphite - the material used as "lead" in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But as they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment had led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
At the time, many believed it was impossible for such thin crystalline materials to be stable. But examined under a microscope, the material remained stable, and when tested was found to have incredible properties.
It is many times times stronger than steel, yet incredibly lightweight and flexible. It is electrically and thermally conductive but also transparent. The world's first 2D material, it is one million times thinner than the diameter of a single human hair.
But the 'sticky tape' method would not work on an industrial scale. Since then, scientists have been working on manufacturing graphene, to make use of its incredible properties.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. Their discovery meant physicists could study a new class of two-dimensional materials with unique properties.
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White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour