'Only bad news' for democratic reforms

DUBAI // Democratic reform in the Middle East is being hampered by regional governments and a lack of interest and support from the West, activists have claimed. Representatives of NGOs and pressure groups from more than two dozen countries, including Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Arab countries, are meeting in Dubai to debate issues including the progress of political reform, human rights and education.

They will present their conclusions and recommendations to foreign ministers from the region and the G8 group of industrialised nations at this weekend's Forum for the Future in Abu Dhabi. "I have only bad news regarding democratic reform in the region," said Hafez Abu Seada, the secretary general of the Egyptian Organisation for Human Rights, addressing delegates yesterday. "Political parties work in a very complex environment, where they are subject to imprisonment and the denial of civil liberties. Political systems come to power without any elections, and there is no framework to give any rights to political parties and movements."

He was critical of Arab parliaments and also a proposed media bill currently being debated by the Arab League. He said the bill would impose censorship and prevent the media asking legitimate questions under the guise of maintaining order in society. He also said reform was impossible in a number of countries because of continuing conflict and occupation, including the Palestinian Territories, Iraq, Sudan and Somalia.

Slaheddine Jourchi, a writer and activist from Tunisia, said there had been no genuine reform of Arab political systems since the 1960s. "Arab political systems can adapt to pressure for democracy without giving any real compromises." Mr Jourchi was one of a number of speakers to argue that political reform in the Middle East had suffered severe setbacks since the September 11 attacks and the subsequent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"Western policies are to support democracy, but they are also supporting hegemony and are trying to protect their interests," he said. "Regimes benefited from support after September 11 and the war on terrorism, and use world events to show that the state will always prevail." Ezzedine al Asbahi, from Yemen, told delegates reform would come about only through a constructive dialogue between governments, civil society and the private sector, and said the Forum for the Future could encourage a "quantum leap" in democratic reform in the region.

"This forum will be the engine of reform, opening closed doors for the civil society in more than one capital of the Arab world. These countries cannot progress unless they have free human beings enjoying full human rights." Some members of the audience were not so confident the forum would achieve its aims, however. "It is useful to meet our counterparts from other countries, but I do not know if the governments will listen," said one human rights activist from a GCC state who asked not to be named.

"In the last few years things seem to be going backwards. The governments talk about democracy, but it is just cosmetic." The civil society groups are to hold a number of workshops before presenting recommendations to the assembled foreign ministers on Saturday. This will be the fifth annual meeting of the forum, which is being co-chaired this year by the UAE and Japan. Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, has announced she will not be attending the event because of the continuing financial crisis. Her deputy, John Negroponte, will represent the US instead.

gmcclenaghan@thenational.ae

A MINECRAFT MOVIE

Director: Jared Hess

Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa

Rating: 3/5

Skewed figures

In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.

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

UAE currency

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

COMPANY PROFILE

● Company: Bidzi

● Started: 2024

● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid

● Based: Dubai, UAE

● Industry: M&A

● Funding size: Bootstrapped

● No of employees: Nine

Result:

1. Cecilie Hatteland (NOR) atop Alex - 31.46 seconds

2. Anna Gorbacheva (RUS) atop Curt 13 - 31.82 seconds

3. Georgia Tame (GBR) atop Cash Up - 32.81 seconds

4. Sheikha Latifa bint Ahmed Al Maktoum (UAE) atop Peanuts de Beaufour - 35.85 seconds

5. Miriam Schneider (GER) atop Benur du Romet - 37.53 seconds

6. Annika Sande (NOR) atop For Cash 2 - 31.42 seconds (4 penalties)

The White Lotus: Season three

Creator: Mike White

Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell

Rating: 4.5/5

The National's picks

4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young

10 tips for entry-level job seekers

Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.

Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz