Syrian tycoon Rami Makhlouf said on Sunday that security forces have started arresting managers at his companies, in the latest development in the first public rift within the inner circle of President Bashar Al Assad's regime in four decades.
In unprecedented criticism of the Alawite-dominated security apparatus, Mr Makhlouf said security forces are complicit in an attempt by people he did not identify to take over his businesses, illustrating that "people's liberties" are being attacked. It came after the government said he must pay taxes, an order that he disputed.
The telecommunications billionaire says in the ten-minute video: "who would have thought that these Intel agencies would come to Rami Makhlouf's companies and arrest our workers when I was the largest supporter [financier] of these agencies".
“Today the pressures began in an unprecedented way and sadly in an inhuman way. The security forces have started arresting our employees,” Mr Makhlouf said, adding that those arrested are managers.
Mr Makhlouf broadcast another video about the issues last week. In the footage, he spoke with an Alawite accent, in an apparent attempt to arouse sympathy within the community that has controlled the state since 1963, and repeatedly invoked God and Quranic verses, although he is not known to be religious.
He invoked God and the Quran again on Sunday and spoke in an uncharacteristic soft tone, in contrast to his reputation for roughness.
An Arab businessmen recalls sitting in a car while Mr Makhlouf was driving in Damascus before the 2011 revolt when a traffic cop stopped the car for speeding. Mr Makhlouf, he said, got out of the car and rushed toward the policeman, and spalled him in the face for daring to stop someone as important as him.
His de facto monopolies before 2011 covered telecommunications, duty free shops, privatisation projects, large real estate developments as well as stakes in banks and financial brokerage. Although he said at the outbreak of the revolt that he would devote his time to charity, businessmen say he became a major player in the war economy.
"I am being asked to move away from [my] companies and execute instructions while I am blind folded,” he said from an unknown location.
Mr Makhlouf, 50, said he is appealIng to Mr Assad to “put a limit to the interference by those surrounding the decision maker [the president] because these transgressions have become unbearable, intolerable, disgusting and dangerous."
“This is called repression and infringement on private property. Mr President, the security agencies have started transgressing on the people’s liberties."
The security apparatus, which killed and made thousands of civilians disappear since the 2011 revolt, underpins five decades of Assad family rule over Syria.
The revelation of the moves against Mr Makhlouf, if confirmed, would be an escalation of pressure against one of the most powerful men in the country. Mr Makhlouf is also the maternal cousin of the longtime Syrian leader who has been accused by human rights advocates of war crimes across nine years of revolt and civil war.
The world's chemical weapons watchdog said last month that Mr Assad's air force attacked a rebel town with sarin and chlorine in 2017, and that the attacks "would have only taken place on the basis of orders from the higher authorities" of Syria's military command.
The last time a rift so deep and so public within the Alawite inner circle of the regime occurred in the 1980s, when Hafez Al Assad's brother Rifaat was forced to leave Syria, after Assad foiled an attempt by Rifaat to seize power.
Rifaat Al Assad at the time headed the Defense Brigades, the forerunner of the elite Fourth Mechanised Division headed by Maher Al Assad, the president's brother, who also is a patron of a network of business associates.
Mr Makhlouf does not have any significant armed units under his control but insiders say he controls billions of dollars on behalf of the inner circle, causing friction between him and Maher Al Assad.
The Alawite triumvirate of Bashar, Maher, and Makhlouf has de facto ruled Syria since Bashar Al Assad inherited power from Hafez in 2000. The three men have broadly divided their authority along political, military, and business lines.
Mr Makhlouf, did not say how many people have been arrested. But the announcement by one of the Middle East’s richest men, whose rise he owes to his close personal ties with Bashar, indicates huge volatility within the inner circle.
Mr Assad has not commented on the troubles of his cousin after the authorities demanded that Syriatel, the telecom monopoly he controls, pays at least 130 billion Syrian pounds ($250m) in taxes.
His previous videos, posted on a new Facebook page, seemed to be a running public diary of the widening rift — and the fall from grace of a once-powerful tycoon.
Media reports by pro and anti-government sites suggested a campaign was being pursued against Mr Makhlouf, possibly at the behest of Russia, a powerful patron of Assad that sought to undermine an influential businessman. Russian media reports in recent weeks have published criticism of corruption in Syria. But Mr Makhlouf gave no indication that external powers were involved.
Mr Makhlouf said in the previous video on Sunday that he could not meet the taxation demands asked of him, which the government confirmed of about 130 billion Syrian pounds ($250 million).
Scoreline
Al Wasl 1 (Caio Canedo 90 1')
Al Ain 2 (Ismail Ahmed 3', Marcus Berg 50')
Red cards: Ismail Ahmed (Al Ain) 77'
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre, six-cylinder
Transmission: six-speed manual
Power: 395bhp
Torque: 420Nm
Price: from Dh321,200
On sale: now
Under-21 European Championship Final
Germany 1 Spain 0
Weiser (40')
BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
SQUADS
India
Virat Kohli (captain), Rohit Sharma (vice-captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wicketkeeper), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Shardul Thakur
New Zealand
Kane Williamson (captain), Martin Guptill, Colin Munro, Ross Taylor, Tom Latham (wicketkeeper), Henry Nicholls, Ish Sodhi, George Worker, Glenn Phillips, Matt Henry, Colin de Grandhomme, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Adam Milne, Trent Boult
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Four motivational quotes from Alicia's Dubai talk
“The only thing we need is to know that we have faith. Faith and hope in our own dreams. The belief that, when we keep going we’re going to find our way. That’s all we got.”
“Sometimes we try so hard to keep things inside. We try so hard to pretend it’s not really bothering us. In some ways, that hurts us more. You don’t realise how dishonest you are with yourself sometimes, but I realised that if I spoke it, I could let it go.”
“One good thing is to know you’re not the only one going through it. You’re not the only one trying to find your way, trying to find yourself, trying to find amazing energy, trying to find a light. Show all of yourself. Show every nuance. All of your magic. All of your colours. Be true to that. You can be unafraid.”
“It’s time to stop holding back. It’s time to do it on your terms. It’s time to shine in the most unbelievable way. It’s time to let go of negativity and find your tribe, find those people that lift you up, because everybody else is just in your way.”
The National in Davos
We are bringing you the inside story from the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, a gathering of hundreds of world leaders, top executives and billionaires.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Lamsa
Founder: Badr Ward
Launched: 2014
Employees: 60
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: EdTech
Funding to date: $15 million
Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: Turbocharged four-cylinder 2.7-litre
Power: 325hp
Torque: 500Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh189,700
On sale: now
Kandahar%20
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The team
Photographer: Mateusz Stefanowski at Art Factory
Videographer: Jear Valasquez
Fashion director: Sarah Maisey
Make-up: Gulum Erzincan at Art Factory
Model: Randa at Art Factory Videographer’s assistant: Zanong Magat
Photographer’s assistant: Sophia Shlykova
With thanks to Jubail Mangrove Park, Jubail Island, Abu Dhabi
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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ENGLAND SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Jack Butland, Jordan Pickford, Nick Pope
Defenders: John Stones, Harry Maguire, Phil Jones, Kyle Walker, Kieran Trippier, Gary Cahill, Ashley Young, Danny Rose, Trent Alexander-Arnold
Midfielders: Eric Dier, Jordan Henderson, Dele Alli, Jesse Lingard, Raheem Sterling, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Fabian Delph
Forwards: Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy, Marcus Rashford, Danny Welbeck
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Ain Dubai in numbers
126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure
1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch
16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.
9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.
5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place
192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.
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
Anti-semitic attacks
The annual report by the Community Security Trust, which advises the Jewish community on security , warned on Thursday that anti-Semitic incidents in Britain had reached a record high.
It found there had been 2,255 anti-Semitic incidents reported in 2021, a rise of 34 per cent from the previous year.
The report detailed the convictions of a number of people for anti-Semitic crimes, including one man who was jailed for setting up a neo-Nazi group which had encouraged “the eradication of Jewish people” and another who had posted anti-Semitic homemade videos on social media.
How to donate
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
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