Noura Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development, said the UAE has renewed its partnership with Unesco to restore heritage destroyed by ISIS. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Noura Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development, said the UAE has renewed its partnership with Unesco to restore heritage destroyed by ISIS. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Noura Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development, said the UAE has renewed its partnership with Unesco to restore heritage destroyed by ISIS. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Noura Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development, said the UAE has renewed its partnership with Unesco to restore heritage destroyed by ISIS. Chris Whiteoak / The National

UAE to restore Iraqi churches destroyed by ISIS


Mina Aldroubi
  • English
  • Arabic

The UAE will become the first country in the world to restore Christian churches in Iraq destroyed by ISIS.

The two churches in Mosul were blown up by the militant group during the battle for the northern Iraqi city that concluded in December 2017.

The Gulf state’s efforts to restore the historic Iraqi city’s lost spirit was announced in April 2018.

The Ministry of Culture is funding a partnership with the UN’s heritage agency, Unesco, worth $50.4 million (Dh185.1m) to rebuild sites such as the Al Nuri Mosque and its Al Hadba minaret, which was where ISIS leader Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi announced in 2014 that he had established a caliphate in Iraq and Syria.

The Unesco programme is not restricted to Muslim sites – it includes two churches, a Yazidi temple and the central library of Mosul University.

“We are very honoured to sign this partnership with Unesco and the people of Iraq to take our efforts further in helping rebuild Mosul and reviving the spirit of coexistence and social cohesion,” Noura Al Kaabi, the Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development, said at the signing of the agreement.

Destroyed parts of the old city of Mosul. Iraq needs to spend heavily on reconstruction of areas devastated by war. AFP.
Destroyed parts of the old city of Mosul. Iraq needs to spend heavily on reconstruction of areas devastated by war. AFP.

Thursday's agreement concerned the restoration efforts for two churches in Mosul's Old City, where ISIS made its last stand during the offensive.
The UAE will support the reconstruction of the 800-year old Al Tahera church, she said, as well as the restoration of the Al Saa'a church.

“[Al Tahera] became a living example of the brotherhood between the people of Mosul who graduated from its educational institution, regardless of their religious background,” the ministry said. Audrey Azoulay, Unesco’s general director, said the announcement was an important step for the recovery of the Old City of Mosul.

“This rehabilitation aims to reclaim the true spirit of the city ... I am thankful to the United Arab Emirates and Minister Al Kaabi who have generously supported our initiative since the beginning,” Ms Azoulay said.

RESULTS

6.30pm UAE 1000 Guineas Trial Conditions (TB) US$100,000 (Dirt) 1,400m

Winner Final Song, Christophe Soumillon (jockey), Saeed bin Suroor (trainer).

7.05pm Handicap (TB) $135,000 (Turf) 1,000m

Winner Almanaara, Dane O’Neill, Doug Watson.

7.40pm Handicap (TB) $175,000 (D) 1,900m

Winner Grand Argentier, Brett Doyle, Doug Watson.

8.15pm Meydan Challenge Listed Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 1,400m

Winner Major Partnership, Patrick Cosgrave, Saeed bin Suroor.

8.50pm Dubai Stakes Group 3 (TB) $200,000 (D) 1,200m

Winner Gladiator King, Mickael Barzalona, Satish Seemar.

9.25pm Dubai Racing Club Classic Listed Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 2,410m

Winner Universal Order, Richard Mullen, David Simcock.

Five famous companies founded by teens

There are numerous success stories of teen businesses that were created in college dorm rooms and other modest circumstances. Below are some of the most recognisable names in the industry:

  1. Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg and his friends started Facebook when he was a 19-year-old Harvard undergraduate. 
  2. Dell: When Michael Dell was an undergraduate student at Texas University in 1984, he started upgrading computers for profit. He starting working full-time on his business when he was 19. Eventually, his company became the Dell Computer Corporation and then Dell Inc. 
  3. Subway: Fred DeLuca opened the first Subway restaurant when he was 17. In 1965, Mr DeLuca needed extra money for college, so he decided to open his own business. Peter Buck, a family friend, lent him $1,000 and together, they opened Pete’s Super Submarines. A few years later, the company was rebranded and called Subway. 
  4. Mashable: In 2005, Pete Cashmore created Mashable in Scotland when he was a teenager. The site was then a technology blog. Over the next few decades, Mr Cashmore has turned Mashable into a global media company.
  5. Oculus VR: Palmer Luckey founded Oculus VR in June 2012, when he was 19. In August that year, Oculus launched its Kickstarter campaign and raised more than $1 million in three days. Facebook bought Oculus for $2 billion two years later.
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The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat 

PLAY-OFF%20DRAW
%3Cp%3EBarcelona%20%20v%20Manchester%20United%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EJuventus%20v%20Nantes%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3ESporting%20Lisbon%20v%20Midtjylland%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EShakhtar%20Donetsk%20v%20Rennes%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EAjax%20v%20Union%20Berlin%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EBayer%20Leverkusen%20v%20Monaco%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3ESevilla%20v%20PSV%20Eindhoven%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3ESalzburg%20v%20Roma%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home. 

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Super Saturday results

4pm: Mahab Al Shimaal Group 3 | US$350,000 | (Dirt) | 1,200m
Winner: Drafted, Pat Dobbs (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer).

4.35pm: Al Bastakiya Listed | $300,000 | (D) | 1,900m
Winner: Divine Image, Brett Doyle, Charlie Appleby.

5.10pm: Nad Al Sheba Turf Group 3 | $350,000 | (Turf) | 1,200m
Winner: Blue Point, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.

5.45pm: Burj Nahaar Group 3 | $350,000 | (D) | 1,600m
Winner: Muntazah, Jim Crowley, Doug Watson.

6.20pm: Dubai City of Gold Group 2 | $300,000 | (T) | 2,410m
Winner: Old Persian, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.

6.55pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 Group 1 | $600,000 | (D) | 2,000m
Winner: Capezzano, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer.

7.30pm: Jebel Hatta Group 1 | $400,000 | (T) | 1,800m
Winner: Dream Castle, Christophe Soumillon, Saeed bin Suroor.

The specs: 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk


Price, base: Dh399,999
Engine: Supercharged 6.2-litre V8
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 707hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 875Nm @ 4,800rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 16.8L / 100km (estimate)