Dr Anwar Gargash, the UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, said reaction to the accord with Israel had been supportive. Reuters
Dr Anwar Gargash, the UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, said reaction to the accord with Israel had been supportive. Reuters
Dr Anwar Gargash, the UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, said reaction to the accord with Israel had been supportive. Reuters
Dr Anwar Gargash, the UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, said reaction to the accord with Israel had been supportive. Reuters

Anwar Gargash says UAE-Israel accord not directed at Iran


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The UAE’s peace accord with Israel was a sovereign decision that was not directed at Iran, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr Anwar Gargash said on Monday.

“We say this and repeat it,” Dr Gargash wrote on Twitter. 

“We do not accept interference in our decisions.”

The UAE on Sunday said it had summoned Iran’s charge d’affaires in Abu Dhabi and given him a strongly worded memo in response to a speech by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani that the foreign ministry said was unacceptable.

The secretary general of the GCC also condemned Iranian threats, which he described as destabilising.

Nayef Al Hajraf said on Sunday that threats by Mr Rouhani and other Iranian officials directed at the UAE would have dangerous repercussions for the security and stability of the Arabian Gulf region.

Mr Al Hajraf, in a statement issued by the GCC secretariat in Riyadh, demanded that Iran “abide by the foundations, principles and bases of international law” and avoid the use of force or the threat of it.

The Emirates said the speech criticised "the sovereign decisions of the UAE", and was unacceptable and inflammatory.

Mr Rouhani's comments on Saturday followed the UAE's announcement on Thursday that it would establish diplomatic ties with Israel in exchange for halting the annexation of Palestinian territories.

Brig Gen Mohammad Bagheri, chief of staff of Iran's military, also issued warnings to the UAE over the accord.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company%20Profile
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Dust and sand storms compared

Sand storm

  • Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
  • Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
  • Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
  • Travel distance: Limited 
  • Source: Open desert areas with strong winds

Dust storm

  • Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
  • Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
  • Duration: Can linger for days
  • Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
  • Source: Can be carried from distant regions

JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH

Directed by: Shaka King

Starring: Daniel Kaluuya, Lakeith Stanfield, Jesse Plemons

Four stars

Key products and UAE prices

iPhone XS
With a 5.8-inch screen, it will be an advance version of the iPhone X. It will be dual sim and comes with better battery life, a faster processor and better camera. A new gold colour will be available.
Price: Dh4,229

iPhone XS Max
It is expected to be a grander version of the iPhone X with a 6.5-inch screen; an inch bigger than the screen of the iPhone 8 Plus.
Price: Dh4,649

iPhone XR
A low-cost version of the iPhone X with a 6.1-inch screen, it is expected to attract mass attention. According to industry experts, it is likely to have aluminium edges instead of stainless steel.
Price: Dh3,179

Apple Watch Series 4
More comprehensive health device with edge-to-edge displays that are more than 30 per cent bigger than displays on current models.

In numbers: China in Dubai

The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000

Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000

Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000

Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000

Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent

Pharaoh's curse

British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

The specs
  • Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
  • Power: 640hp
  • Torque: 760nm
  • On sale: 2026
  • Price: Not announced yet
Lexus LX700h specs

Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor

Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm

Transmission: 10-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh590,000

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets