Thousands attended a rally in Sanaa to celebrate the 35-year anniversary of former Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh's political party on Thursday, flouting a ban on such activity issued by the country's Houthi rebels days before.
Local media reported that clashes had broken out between Houthi fighters and supporters of the General People's Congress (GPC) party at the rally in central Al Sabeen Square, but this was disputed by a Sanaa resident who attended the rally and other sources who spoke to The National.
"There were not forces of the Houthis near Al Sabeen and we did not hear any clashes near there," said Nouradeen Al Otomi, who attended the rally.
"We do not want to witness clashes between Saleh and the Houthis because civilians will be the main victims," he added.
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Read more:
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Yemen humanitarian crisis: How cholera outbreak is adding to country's woes
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The rally came after the Houthis on Tuesday declared a state of emergency in the rebel-held capital, issuing a ban on partisan activities from taking place. They warned Mr Saleh, until now their main ally in the country's war, that he would "bear the consequences" after calling the Iran-backed rebels "militias" in a speech on Sunday.
Despite the warning, Mr Saleh gave a speech at the rally — albeit a rushed one lasting around five minutes — in which he said the GPC was ready to resist unspecified "enemies".
"We are ready provide the vanguard with thousands of fighters, ready to go at a moment," he told the crowds in Al Sabeen Square, many of whom had travelled to Sanaa from other provinces to attend the rally.
A broadcast of the speech by the GPC’s news agency showed no signs of violence.
Sky News Arabia reported that tens of thousands of people fled the rally once the speech was over, however, after Houthi fighters used "force" on them. It broadcast video of hundreds of GPC supporters running through the crowds gathered at the square.
Earlier in the day, local media reported that Houthi fighters were confiscating cameras in Al Sabeen Square and had arrested a number of pro-Saleh journalists as they tried to enter. Paths leading to the square were blocked off by the Houthis ahead of Mr Saleh's speech, reports said, preventing many supporters from reaching the rally.
According to Sky News Arabia, rebel fighters also detained hundreds of GPC supporters in Rima province, west of Sanaa.
Though Houthi supporters protested outside of the rally in Sanaa, Mr Al Otomi said there were no rebel fighters at Al Sabeen Square. Instead, he said, Yemeni soldiers were posted at the entrances to the square, checking everyone who entered.
The Houthi movement entered an alliance with Mr Saleh and renegade soldiers loyal to him to fight the government of Yemeni president Abdrabu Mansur Hadi and the Saudi-led military coalition supporting it.
But relations between the rebels and Mr Saleh deteriorated earlier this week, after speeches from both sides accused the other of jeopardising their partnership.
"Differences between the two sides are nothing new," said professor April Longley Alley, a senior analyst focusing on the Arabian peninsula at the International Crisis Group.
"The Houthis and Saleh temporarily are bound together by common opposition to the Saudi-led coalition. But they are historical enemies and their co-operation in the government and on military fronts is fraught with difficulties."
The Houthis fought six brutal wars in five years with the Yemeni government while Mr Saleh was president, with the latter's forces killing Hussein Al Houthi, the founder of the rebel movement. But their interests aligned after Mr Saleh ceded power in 2012 following months of violent Arab Spring protests, with both opposing the government of his successor, president Hadi.
Over the course of the ongoing war, the Houthis' political popularity in the north of the country has suffered while Mr Saleh's has increased.
"Now it seems that Saleh is capitalising on this advantage to send a message, both to the Houthis and to the international community that his party, the GPC, is powerful force on the ground and the key to political negotiations," said professor Alley.
Sanaa-based journalist Mohammed Sirag said the latest tensions between the Houthi and Saleh camps had erupted over disagreement about reaching a deal with the Saudi-led coalition.
"Saleh wants to go towards the political solution with the [Saudi-led] coalition but the Houthis do not prefer this solution and consider it to be a kind of surrender," he said.
Despite the reports of clashes on Thursday and rising tensions, Sirag said he believed fighting would not break out between the two sides because this would prove deeply unpopular with the already wear-weary civilian population in Sanaa and other rebel-held areas.
"The disputes will continue after the protests of Thursday and we will see more war of words but we will not see war in the battlefields."
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Price, base: Dh708,750
Engine: 1.5L three-cylinder petrol, plus 11.6 kWh lithium-ion battery
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Power: 374hp (total)
Torque: 570Nm (total)
Fuel economy, combined: 2.0L / 100km
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The five types of long-term residential visas
Obed Suhail of ServiceMarket, an online home services marketplace, outlines the five types of long-term residential visas:
Investors:
A 10-year residency visa can be obtained by investors who invest Dh10 million, out of which 60 per cent should not be in real estate. It can be a public investment through a deposit or in a business. Those who invest Dh5 million or more in property are eligible for a five-year residency visa. The invested amount should be completely owned by the investors, not loaned, and retained for at least three years.
Entrepreneurs:
A five-year multiple entry visa is available to entrepreneurs with a previous project worth Dh0.5m or those with the approval of an accredited business incubator in the UAE.
Specialists
Expats with specialised talents, including doctors, specialists, scientists, inventors, and creative individuals working in the field of culture and art are eligible for a 10-year visa, given that they have a valid employment contract in one of these fields in the country.
Outstanding students:
A five-year visa will be granted to outstanding students who have a grade of 95 per cent or higher in a secondary school, or those who graduate with a GPA of 3.75 from a university.
Retirees:
Expats who are at least 55 years old can obtain a five-year retirement visa if they invest Dh2m in property, have savings of Dh1m or more, or have a monthly income of at least Dh20,000.
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
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
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Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
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Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
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The biog
Fatima Al Darmaki is an Emirati widow with three children
She has received 46 certificates of appreciation and excellence throughout her career
She won the 'ideal mother' category at the Minister of Interior Awards for Excellence
Her favourite food is Harees, a slow-cooked porridge-like dish made from boiled wheat berries mixed with chicken
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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if you go
The flights
Air Astana flies direct from Dubai to Almaty from Dh2,440 per person return, and to Astana (via Almaty) from Dh2,930 return, both including taxes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Almaty cost from Dh1,944 per night including taxes; and in Astana the new Ritz-Carlton Astana (www.marriott) costs from Dh1,325; alternatively, the new St Regis Astana costs from Dh1,458 per night including taxes.
When to visit
March-May and September-November
Visas
Citizens of many countries, including the UAE do not need a visa to enter Kazakhstan for up to 30 days. Contact the nearest Kazakhstan embassy or consulate.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
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Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
