Foreign Correspondent
NEW YORK // Tunisia’s caretaker prime minister met Barack Obama on Friday at the White House for talks that underscore Washington’s increased focus on the Maghreb at a time of increasing instability in the region.
In the first strategic dialogue between the countries, counter-terrorism cooperation was likely a central issue. But perhaps the most pressing is how America can help bolster the staggering Tunisian economy that threatens to undo the country’s fragile democratic transition and the Arab Spring’s only success story.
Mehdi Jomaa is the first Tunisian leader to travel to Washington for a state visit since 1990 when the trip was made by the dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, who was ousted from power in January 2011.
Mr Jomaa was set to ask Mr Obama for loan guarantees and financial assistance as he works to plug a projected US$5 billion (Dh18.4bn) budget shortfall this year.
"We are looking for more investment and for support for the budget," Mr Jomaa told the Washington Post.
“We have a good political relationship [with the US], and we are looking to build a long-term economic relationship.”
The Tunisian prime minster also met IMF and World Bank officials who released hundreds of millions in loans after Tunisia’s National Constituent Assembly passed a widely praised constitution that was crafted by Islamist, secular and leftist parties after contentious negotiations.
The country is being led by Mr Jomaa’s technocratic interim government as it prepares for new elections by the end of this year, after three years of transition that has failed to address the economic crisis while temporarily solving a political standoff between Islamists and secularists that had been marred by assassinations, terrorism and social unrest.
“Right now Tunisia is in a very consequential moment in its post-revolution history,” said William Lawrence, a professor at George Washington University and senior fellow at the Project on Middle East Democracy. “Security has gotten better, the economy has gotten worse [and] although Tunisians are happy with the recent political deal and constitutional breakthrough, politics is no less polarised.”
Although the political compromise led to the new constitution and the Islamist Ennahda party ceding power to Mr Jomaa’s government, there is still deep mistrust between secularists, leftists and Islamists, as well as continuing alienation of the rural hinterlands from the more developed coastal cities.
The crucial unanswered question, Mr Lawrence said, is whether Mr Jomaa’s technocratic government will be able to balance the major structural reforms that will be requirements of IMF loans, with government spending necessary to bring quick stability.
The protests that brought down the Ennahda government were animated by demands for more jobs and against cutting subsidies to fuel and food. The 2014 budget is projected to increase by about 80 per cent this year because of subsidy increases and the expansion of the civil service workforce to 700,000 — nearly double the number of workers actually needed, the finance minister has said.
“If you start slashing the things they want from government, you’re going to start having more instability,” Mr Lawrence said. “Tunisia ultimately needs to avoid short-term austerity, but to have long-term policies that will get the budget under control.”
Tunisian officials have also clamped down on unregulated commerce, such as street vendors, as they try to expand development and attract foreign investment. But nearly half of Tunisia’s workforce are employed by this untaxed sector.
A lack of government jobs and cracking down on the informal sector “was the very double whammy that led Bouazizi and other young Tunisians to self immolate”, Mr Lawrence said.
For Washington, Tunisia is perhaps the only bright spot amid the post-Arab Spring turmoil, and Mr Obama would like to reward Tunisia’s Islamist and secular parties for seeking compromise.
“The strategic dialogue is a reward, the carrot in a sense, for Tunisia to keep going on the positive path it is on now,” said Issandr El Amrani, the North Africa project director for the International Crisis Group.
US officials have been critical of Egypt’s interim government and fear the alienation of Muslim Brotherhood-linked groups from the democratic process will lead to increased terrorism and instability across North Africa, where Al Qaeda and related groups have made recent gains.
“The US perception of what’s going on in Tunisia is informed by what’s going on in Egypt,” Mr El Amrani said. “They wanted to ensure that the Egyptian scenario of polarisation and military intervention would not be repeated.”
The strategic dialogue with Mr Jomaa could also be read as a message for Cairo.
“Look at what we’re doing for Tunisia, these guys sat together and reached a compromise, and in no time we’re giving them a state visit and we’re asking them ‘what do you need?’ and urging our partners to give them all these things,” said Mokhtar Awad, a fellow at the Center for American Progress think tank in Washington.
John Kerry, the US secretary of state, also visited Algeria and Morocco this week, for talks with leaders that had been long delayed by more pressing developments in the Middle East.
“We really need the countries that have the capacity to be stable to expand the rights that people are enjoying, to put in place the political and economic and civil society kinds of reforms that strengthen them for the long run, and also to provide economic opportunity,” Mr Kerry said on Thursday in Rabat.
While both countries avoided revolutions during the Arab Spring, there has been recent political turbulence, especially in Algeria where a presidential election looms as well as a military leadership succession.
Algeria in particular is strategically important as a major natural gas supplier to Europe, a role that has taken on added importance as European Union ties with Russia, another crucial gas supplier, fray. Mr Kerry likely addressed the issue in his meetings in Algiers, which included talks with the Qatari emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
The US-led Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership includes Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia, and Washington is hoping to strengthen the countries’ abilities on issues ranging from security cooperation to rural development and the economy to countering arms and drugs trafficking and border control.
“We’re in a more precarious situation in North Africa than usual and all the geopolitical and strategic interests make it more important than usual for the US and Europe,” Mr Lawrence said. “The threats of terrorism … and the deepening need for socioeconomic intervention to address the underlying causes of political discontent and alienation have raised the stakes across the Sahara and Sahel regions.”
tkhan@thenational.ae
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The%20specs
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At a glance
Fixtures All matches start at 9.30am, at ICC Academy, Dubai. Admission is free
Thursday UAE v Ireland; Saturday UAE v Ireland; Jan 21 UAE v Scotland; Jan 23 UAE v Scotland
UAE squad Rohan Mustafa (c), Ashfaq Ahmed, Ghulam Shabber, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Boota, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Shaiman Anwar, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Qadeer Ahmed, Mohammed Naveed, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan
If you go
Flight connections to Ulaanbaatar are available through a variety of hubs, including Seoul and Beijing, with airlines including Mongolian Airlines and Korean Air. While some nationalities, such as Americans, don’t need a tourist visa for Mongolia, others, including UAE citizens, can obtain a visa on arrival, while others including UK citizens, need to obtain a visa in advance. Contact the Mongolian Embassy in the UAE for more information.
Nomadic Road offers expedition-style trips to Mongolia in January and August, and other destinations during most other months. Its nine-day August 2020 Mongolia trip will cost from $5,250 per person based on two sharing, including airport transfers, two nights’ hotel accommodation in Ulaanbaatar, vehicle rental, fuel, third party vehicle liability insurance, the services of a guide and support team, accommodation, food and entrance fees; nomadicroad.com
A fully guided three-day, two-night itinerary at Three Camel Lodge costs from $2,420 per person based on two sharing, including airport transfers, accommodation, meals and excursions including the Yol Valley and Flaming Cliffs. A return internal flight from Ulaanbaatar to Dalanzadgad costs $300 per person and the flight takes 90 minutes each way; threecamellodge.com
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
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
Jeff Buckley: From Hallelujah To The Last Goodbye
By Dave Lory with Jim Irvin
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: BorrowMe (BorrowMe.com)
Date started: August 2021
Founder: Nour Sabri
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: E-commerce / Marketplace
Size: Two employees
Funding stage: Seed investment
Initial investment: $200,000
Investors: Amr Manaa (director, PwC Middle East)
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
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Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
How to improve Arabic reading in early years
One 45-minute class per week in Standard Arabic is not sufficient
The goal should be for grade 1 and 2 students to become fluent readers
Subjects like technology, social studies, science can be taught in later grades
Grade 1 curricula should include oral instruction in Standard Arabic
First graders must regularly practice individual letters and combinations
Time should be slotted in class to read longer passages in early grades
Improve the appearance of textbooks
Revision of curriculum should be undertaken as per research findings
Conjugations of most common verb forms should be taught
Systematic learning of Standard Arabic grammar
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Thank You for Banking with Us
Director: Laila Abbas
Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum
Rating: 4/5
LA LIGA FIXTURES
Friday (UAE kick-off times)
Real Sociedad v Leganes (midnight)
Saturday
Alaves v Real Valladolid (4pm)
Valencia v Granada (7pm)
Eibar v Real Madrid (9.30pm)
Barcelona v Celta Vigo (midnight)
Sunday
Real Mallorca v Villarreal (3pm)
Athletic Bilbao v Levante (5pm)
Atletico Madrid v Espanyol (7pm)
Getafe v Osasuna (9.30pm)
Real Betis v Sevilla (midnight)
INDIA SQUAD
Rohit Sharma (captain), Shikhar Dhawan (vice-captain), KL Rahul, Suresh Raina, Manish Pandey, Dinesh Karthik (wicketkeeper), Deepak Hooda, Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Vijay Shankar, Shardul Thakur, Jaydev Unadkat, Mohammad Siraj and Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper)
Inside%20Out%202
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What is Folia?
Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal's new plant-based menu will launch at Four Seasons hotels in Dubai this November. A desire to cater to people looking for clean, healthy meals beyond green salad is what inspired Prince Khaled and American celebrity chef Matthew Kenney to create Folia. The word means "from the leaves" in Latin, and the exclusive menu offers fine plant-based cuisine across Four Seasons properties in Los Angeles, Bahrain and, soon, Dubai.
Kenney specialises in vegan cuisine and is the founder of Plant Food Wine and 20 other restaurants worldwide. "I’ve always appreciated Matthew’s work," says the Saudi royal. "He has a singular culinary talent and his approach to plant-based dining is prescient and unrivalled. I was a fan of his long before we established our professional relationship."
Folia first launched at The Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills in July 2018. It is available at the poolside Cabana Restaurant and for in-room dining across the property, as well as in its private event space. The food is vibrant and colourful, full of fresh dishes such as the hearts of palm ceviche with California fruit, vegetables and edible flowers; green hearb tacos filled with roasted squash and king oyster barbacoa; and a savoury coconut cream pie with macadamia crust.
In March 2019, the Folia menu reached Gulf shores, as it was introduced at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, where it is served at the Bay View Lounge. Next, on Tuesday, November 1 – also known as World Vegan Day – it will come to the UAE, to the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach and the Four Seasons DIFC, both properties Prince Khaled has spent "considerable time at and love".
There are also plans to take Folia to several more locations throughout the Middle East and Europe.
While health-conscious diners will be attracted to the concept, Prince Khaled is careful to stress Folia is "not meant for a specific subset of customers. It is meant for everyone who wants a culinary experience without the negative impact that eating out so often comes with."
Virtual banks explained
What is a virtual bank?
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority defines it as a bank that delivers services through the internet or other electronic channels instead of physical branches. That means not only facilitating payments but accepting deposits and making loans, just like traditional ones. Other terms used interchangeably include digital or digital-only banks or neobanks. By contrast, so-called digital wallets or e-wallets such as Apple Pay, PayPal or Google Pay usually serve as intermediaries between a consumer’s traditional account or credit card and a merchant, usually via a smartphone or computer.
What’s the draw in Asia?
Hundreds of millions of people under-served by traditional institutions, for one thing. In China, India and elsewhere, digital wallets such as Alipay, WeChat Pay and Paytm have already become ubiquitous, offering millions of people an easy way to store and spend their money via mobile phone. Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines are also among the world’s biggest under-banked countries; together they have almost half a billion people.
Is Hong Kong short of banks?
No, but the city is among the most cash-reliant major economies, leaving room for newcomers to disrupt the entrenched industry. Ant Financial, an Alibaba Group Holding affiliate that runs Alipay and MYBank, and Tencent Holdings, the company behind WeBank and WeChat Pay, are among the owners of the eight ventures licensed to create virtual banks in Hong Kong, with operations expected to start as early as the end of the year.
Bert van Marwijk factfile
Born: May 19 1952
Place of birth: Deventer, Netherlands
Playing position: Midfielder
Teams managed:
1998-2000 Fortuna Sittard
2000-2004 Feyenoord
2004-2006 Borussia Dortmund
2007-2008 Feyenoord
2008-2012 Netherlands
2013-2014 Hamburg
2015-2017 Saudi Arabia
2018 Australia
Major honours (manager):
2001/02 Uefa Cup, Feyenoord
2007/08 KNVB Cup, Feyenoord
World Cup runner-up, Netherlands
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
