The US hosted a two-day workshop in Bahrain this week, as the Trump administration laid out its “Peace to Prosperity” plan for the Palestinians.
Jared Kushner, adviser to President Donald Trump, opened his economic workshop on Tuesday, calling Washington’s $50 billion plan for Middle East peace the “opportunity of the century” and claiming the US had not given up on Palestinians.
Here we look back at what we learnt from the plan and workshop at the event held in Bahrain’s capital, Manama, on June 25-26.
What is the US plan?
The plan, announced a few days ahead of the workshop, seeks $50bn (Dh184bn) in investment for the Palestinians in the form of more than 150 projects, the most ambitious being a new transport channel between the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
It allocates $27bn for those two territories, and the remaining $23bn for Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan and Israel.
After 30 months of planning, the Trump administration has gone for an economy-first approach, for investment that would be conditional on a final agreement.
President Donald Trump and his team said a new approach was required after decades of failure.
What did Jared Kushner tell the Palestinians?
“President Trump and America have not given up on you. This workshop is for you,” Mr Kushner said at the start of the gathering.
Mr Kushner said a fair political solution for the Palestinians was necessary to end the conflict but that Washington’s plan for that portion would come at a later date.
He said that focusing on the Palestinian economy first could lead to real peace and prosperity.
“Today is not about the political issues – we’ll get to those at the right time,” Mr Kushner said. “The goal is to think about these challenges in a new way.”
He said the Palestinians are one of the biggest recipients of donor funds in the world and needed to become more self-reliant.
“We can turn this region from a victim of past conflicts into a model for commerce and advancement throughout the world,” Mr Kushner said.
He envisaged Gaza as a bustling tourism centre and the occupied West Bank with a blooming economy.
“Imagine people and goods flowing securely throughout the region,” he said.
The Palestinian leadership, which has severed relations with Washington, rejected the plan and did not attend the workshop.
Who attended the workshop?
Business leaders, potential investors, statesmen including Tony Blair and US administration figures.
Governments from across the Arab World were represented by senior officials.
The UAE and Saudi Arabia sent ministers to Manama at a time of heightened tensions in the region.
They gave their support for the economic proposal, as long as it was implemented on the basis of the Saudi-led Arab Peace Initiative, which advocates a two-state solution based on 1967 borders with occupied East Jerusalem as the Palestinian capital.
“We should give it a fair chance,” Obaid Al Tayer, UAE Minister of State for Financial Affairs, told the workshop of the economic plan.
Super 30
Produced: Sajid Nadiadwala and Phantom Productions
Directed: Vikas Bahl
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Pankaj Tripathi, Aditya Srivastav, Mrinal Thakur
Rating: 3.5 /5
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
MATCH INFO
Fixture: Thailand v UAE, Tuesday, 4pm (UAE)
TV: Abu Dhabi Sports
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Frankenstein in Baghdad
Ahmed Saadawi
Penguin Press
Ibrahim's play list
Completed an electrical diploma at the Adnoc Technical Institute
Works as a public relations officer with Adnoc
Apart from the piano, he plays the accordion, oud and guitar
His favourite composer is Johann Sebastian Bach
Also enjoys listening to Mozart
Likes all genres of music including Arabic music and jazz
Enjoys rock groups Scorpions and Metallica
Other musicians he likes are Syrian-American pianist Malek Jandali and Lebanese oud player Rabih Abou Khalil
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
'Munich: The Edge of War'
Director: Christian Schwochow
Starring: George MacKay, Jannis Niewohner, Jeremy Irons
Rating: 3/5
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Dark Souls: Remastered
Developer: From Software (remaster by QLOC)
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Price: Dh199