Jordan, Egypt and oil-exporting Iraq have discussed reviving an oil pipeline project that that could eventually link the three countries, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Al Safadi said on Tuesday.
“This is a vital and strategic issue that benefits the three countries positively. Ground has been covered towards activating it,” Mr Al Safadi told a news conference in Cairo after a meeting with his Egyptian and Iraqi counterparts.
Jordan and Iraq signed an agreement in 2013 to build the pipeline from Basra to Aqaba, passing through Jordan’s only refinery in Zarqa near Amman.
The proposed pipeline had an initial capacity of 150,000 barrels per day and had a cost of $18 billion. It was due for completion in 2017 but the project was not realised.
The two countries revived the project this year, as diplomatic relations between them improved, and the pipeline scheme was expanded to include Egypt.
Iraqi prime minister Mustafa Al Kadhimi, who is supported by the United States, started a rapprochement with Sunni Arab states as soon as he took office in May this year, making it clear he wants to carve a foreign policy outside the sway of Iran.
He immediately took steps to mend ties with Arab states annoyed at the Baghdad government’s perceived subjection to Tehran.
Mr Al Kadhimi sent his most trusted confidant in the cabinet, Finance Minister Ali Allawi, to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait in May. He signalled to Amman the possibility of importing electricity from Jordan, which could lessen Iraq's reliance on gas supplies from Iran.
Although Jordan was a base for US planes that took part in the American-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003, relations between Amman and Baghdad have been volatile. In 2004, Jordan's King Abdullah warned that Tehran was building a "Shiite crescent" across the Levant, putting Baghdad, Damascus and Beirut under the tutelage of Iran's clerical rulers.
Unlike Egypt and Jordan, which import most of their oil needs, Iraq is one of the top five exporting members of Opec.
Mr Al Safadi said the three countries are seeking “integration, whether in the energy, construction, pharmaceuticals sectors, or in food security”.
“We will be creating the political horizon and it will be the private sector in our three countries and in the region that will start working on many of these projects,” Mr Al Safadi said.
Results:
Men's wheelchair 800m T34: 1. Walid Ktila (TUN) 1.44.79; 2. Mohammed Al Hammadi (UAE) 1.45.88; 3. Isaac Towers (GBR) 1.46.46.
Types of bank fraud
1) Phishing
Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
2) Smishing
The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
3) Vishing
The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
4) SIM swap
Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
5) Identity theft
Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
6) Prize scams
Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
West Asia Premiership
Dubai Hurricanes 58-10 Dubai Knights Eagles
Dubai Tigers 5-39 Bahrain
Jebel Ali Dragons 16-56 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
The%20specs
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The stats
Ship name: MSC Bellissima
Ship class: Meraviglia Class
Delivery date: February 27, 2019
Gross tonnage: 171,598 GT
Passenger capacity: 5,686
Crew members: 1,536
Number of cabins: 2,217
Length: 315.3 metres
Maximum speed: 22.7 knots (42kph)
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
