For years, Jon Kyl, a Republican senator from Arizona, has made himself the point man for anti-Arab and anti-Muslim initiatives in the US Senate. At times, his behaviour appears to be so motivated by negative animus that it can be described as nothing less than bizarre.
In 2003, for example, Mr Kyl used his chairmanship of the Senate judiciary committee's subcommittee on terrorism, technology and homeland security to hold "informational hearings" on Saudi Arabia.
The hearing was timely, to be sure, but it was most definitely not informative.
The three witnesses he called to testify had all written books on the kingdom: Dore Gold, former spokesman for the government of the Israeli prime minister at the time, Benjamin Netanyahu, and author of Hatred's Kingdom: How Saudi Arabia Supports the New Global Terrorism; Steven Schwartz, a former Trotskyist who converted to Sufism, had written The Two Faces of Islam: The House of Sa'ud from Tradition to Terrorism; and Robert Baer, a former CIA officer who had served in the Gulf region during the 1990s, author of Speak No Evil: The Truth About Saudi Arabia and Their Crude Threat to the West. What all of them had in common was a dislike for all things Saudi and the fact that none had ever been to the kingdom.
This year, however, Mr Kyl has taken things to a new level. Last month, for example, at the behest of the Center for Security Studies, a notorious anti-Muslim outfit, Mr Kyl invited Geert Wilders, the Dutch parliament member and demagogue to show his inflammatory video Fitna at a special reception on Capitol Hill.
No mere controversial politician, Mr Wilders is under indictment for incitement to hate and discrimination in his home country. Before coming to the US, he had been denied entry to Britain to show his video before the House of Lords. Mr Wilders is not shy in promoting his views, once telling The Guardian newspaper that "Islam is something we can't afford any more in the Netherlands".
"We need to stop the Islamisation of the Netherlands.
"That means no more mosques, no more Islamic schools, no more imams." Mr Kyl's invitation to Mr Wilders and the showing was especially troubling and revealing of Mr Kyl's motivation, since it was timed to conflict with a hearing convened by John Kerry, a senator and chairman of the Senate foreign relations committee. Mr Kerry's hearing was titled Engaging with Muslim Communities Around the World, and featured as witnesses Madeleine Albright, the former secretary of state, Adm William Fallon, the retired Centcom commander, and a number of prominent American Muslims.
Further evidence of Mr Kyl's penchant for the bizarre anti-Arab or anti-Muslim gesture came this week when the senator sponsored three amendments to his chamber's efforts to pass a budget bill.
Republicans who had been using parliamentary manoeuvres to block a vote on the fiscal 2009 budget reached a compromise with the Democrats, which would allow a vote if the Republicans could introduce a number of amendments to the resolution. Thirteen such amendments were introduced, three by Mr Kyl.
Mr Kyl's amendments did not focus on cutting earmarks or on wasteful spending or on big government - all objects of Republican criticism. Instead, all of Mr Kyl's amendments targeted Palestinians. One was redundant, insisting that "none of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act ? [be] diverted to Hamas or entities controlled by Hamas" - US law already forbids such transactions. Another required a report on whether some of the military aid the US provides to Egypt should be set aside "to improve efforts to counter illicit smuggling, including arms smuggling, across the Egypt Gaza border".
It was the third Kyl amendment that left many observers baffled. This amendment would require that "none of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act may be made available to resettle Palestinians from Gaza into the United States". What, you might be asking, is this about? It appears that a scurrilous story is circulating on right-wing websites, claiming that Barack Obama, the president, has issued an executive order to resettle Palestinians from Gaza in the United States, and has dedicated US$20.3 million (Dh74.5m) for this purpose. The story has grown with the telling, to the point where now conspiracy theories suggest there is a presidential order that will allow hundreds of thousands of Palestinians with ties to Hamas to resettle in the United States.
Enough fringe groups have pushed this baseless story so hard that it has gotten a page of its own on a website that debunks "urban legends".
Nevertheless, Mr Kyl used his prerogative as the second-ranking Republican in the Senate to potentially hold up the entire budget so that the Senate may vote on an amendment based on a hoax.
Only after being rebuked by Mr Kerry did Mr Kyl agree to withdraw this amendment, acknowledging that it was premised on a scurrilous rumour.
jzogby@thenational.ae
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Second Test, Day 2:
South Africa 335 & 75/1 (22.0 ov)
England 205
South Africa lead by 205 runs with 9 wickets remaining
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8
Power: 712hp at 6,100rpm
Torque: 881Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 19.6 l/100km
Price: Dh380,000
On sale: now
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
Company%20profile
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Company%20Profile
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From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
PREMIER LEAGUE STATS
Romelu Lukaku's goalscoring statistics in the Premier League
Season/club/appearances (substitute)/goals
2011/12 Chelsea: 8(7) - 0
2012/13 West Brom (loan): 35(15) - 17
2013/14 Chelsea: 2(2) - 0
2013/14 Everton (loan): 31(2) - 15
2014/15 Everton: 36(4) - 10
2015/16 Everton: 37(1) - 18
2016/17 Everton: 37(1) - 25
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FIXTURES
All kick-off times 10.45pm UAE ( 4 GMT) unless stated
Tuesday
Sevilla v Maribor
Spartak Moscow v Liverpool
Manchester City v Shakhtar Donetsk
Napoli v Feyenoord
Besiktas v RB Leipzig
Monaco v Porto
Apoel Nicosia v Tottenham Hotspur
Borussia Dortmund v Real Madrid
Wednesday
Basel v Benfica
CSKA Moscow Manchester United
Paris Saint-Germain v Bayern Munich
Anderlecht v Celtic
Qarabag v Roma (8pm)
Atletico Madrid v Chelsea
Juventus v Olympiakos
Sporting Lisbon v Barcelona
Meydan racecard:
6.30pm: Handicap | US$135,000 (Dirt) | 1,400 metres
7.05pm: Handicap | $135,000 (Turf) | 1,200m
7.40pm: Dubai Millennium Stakes | Group 3 | $200,000 (T) | 2,000m
8.15pm: UAE Oaks | Group 3 | $250,000 (D) | 1,900m
8.50pm: Zabeel Mile | Group 2 | $250,000 (T) | 1,600m
9.20pm: Handicap | $135,000 (T) | 1,600m
PROFILE OF HALAN
Started: November 2017
Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport and logistics
Size: 150 employees
Investment: approximately $8 million
Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar
The%20specs
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Match info
Uefa Champions League Group F
Manchester City v Hoffenheim, midnight (Wednesday, UAE)
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Where to buy
Limited-edition art prints of The Sofa Series: Sultani can be acquired from Reem El Mutwalli at www.reemelmutwalli.com
Your rights as an employee
The government has taken an increasingly tough line against companies that fail to pay employees on time. Three years ago, the Cabinet passed a decree allowing the government to halt the granting of work permits to companies with wage backlogs.
The new measures passed by the Cabinet in 2016 were an update to the Wage Protection System, which is in place to track whether a company pays its employees on time or not.
If wages are 10 days late, the new measures kick in and the company is alerted it is in breach of labour rules. If wages remain unpaid for a total of 16 days, the authorities can cancel work permits, effectively shutting off operations. Fines of up to Dh5,000 per unpaid employee follow after 60 days.
Despite those measures, late payments remain an issue, particularly in the construction sector. Smaller contractors, such as electrical, plumbing and fit-out businesses, often blame the bigger companies that hire them for wages being late.
The authorities have urged employees to report their companies at the labour ministry or Tawafuq service centres — there are 15 in Abu Dhabi.
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: SimpliFi
Started: August 2021
Founder: Ali Sattar
Based: UAE
Industry: Finance, technology
Investors: 4DX, Rally Cap, Raed, Global Founders, Sukna and individuals
COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
Poacher
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More coverage from the Future Forum
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
