Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Ahmad Nasser Al Sabah arrived in Iraq on Sunday to deliver a message from the country’s emir expressing support for the new government of Mustafa Al Kadhimi.
As well as meeting with President Barham Salih, the Iraqi prime minister’s office released a short statement to say Mr Al Kadhimi had received Mr Nasser and the visit was aimed at boosting bilateral ties.
Mr Nasser also delivered a written message from the Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmed Al Jaber Al Sabah, and met with Iraqi parliamentary speaker Fuad Hussein.
The new Iraqi prime minister has expressed a desire to improve Gulf ties after taking office in May. Finance Minister Ali Allawi visited Kuwait on his way back from Saudi Arabia, the government’s first official visit.
“We want to create a kind of balance and integration between Iraq and the Gulf countries, which have a little role in the Iraqi economy,” Mr Allawi said last week. “Hopefully we will open a new page with regard to Gulf businessmen and the economic issues, especially with Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.”
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Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
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Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
Third Test
Result: India won by 203 runs
Series: England lead five-match series 2-1
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