ABU DHABI // The UAE on Wednesday hailed a meeting in Abu Dhabi between two rival Libyan leaders as a significant breakthrough in talks aimed at ending the conflict.
The UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs voiced optimism over the meeting between Fayez Al Sarraj, prime minister of Libya’s UN-backed government, and Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, the country’s most powerful military commander, the state news agency, Wam, reported.
The meeting was a “positive development in guaranteeing a political solution to the crisis and instability in Libya” and “an important step on the road to reaching a tangible progress in the political process”, the Ministry said.
Libya TV reported that the two men agreed on holding presidential and parliamentary elections next year while Libya’s armed forces posted a Facebook photo of the two men together.
Tuesday’s meeting was only the second time the two men had met since Mr Al Sarraj was named prime minister at the end of 2015 and comes after months of international pressure.
The importance of the meeting was bolstered by the arrival of Egyptian president Abdel Fattah El Sisi in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday. Cairo wants to make sure its border with Libya is secured against threats from ISIL and the general chaos of the country.
Field Marshal Haftar is the key power broker in eastern Libya and of its House of Representatives parliament, a rival administration to the UN-backed Government of National Accord led by Mr Al Sarraj.
Under the Libya Political Agreement transition plan, the House of Representatives was supposed to join with the Tripoli-based GNA and become the country’s legislative body. But this merger broke down over whether Field Marshal Haftar would have a military or political role in the new government.
Mattia Toaldo, senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, said Tuesday’s meeting came after a change of tack from the commander, who seeks to run in nationwide presidential elections next year.
Field Marshal Haftar is “now pursuing a different strategy ... exchanging his support for an amended LPA (Libya Political Agreement) for a guarantee to have presidential elections early in 2018 in which it would be thinkable for him to run”, Mr Toaldo said.
The UAE praised the efforts of the United Nations and its Special Representative to Libya, Martin Kobler, who held separate talks with representatives of both camps in Sudan earlier this week. The two leaders had refused to meet during mediation efforts in Cairo in February.
Arab and western diplomats consider Field Marshal Haftar key to any political agreement and have urged the Government of National Accord to give him a role in a unified national military that can fight ISIL as well as human trafficking.
The commander heads the Libyan National Army, the strongest military force in Libya, which has successfully pushed the extremists out of their base in the east of the country.
Including Field Marshal Haftar’s forces in a unified national military could better address the existence of ISIL in Libya, as well as the increase in the flow of migrants.
Stabilising the Libyan economy also had to be a priority with a plan to equally distribute Libyan resources among all parties, the UAE Foreign Ministry said.
Since the uprising that deposed Muammar Qaddafi, fighting has raged for the country’s oil wealth. Field Marshal Haftar gained considerable leverage over the negotiations process after seizing Libya’s main oil terminals in September.
The UAE’s statement on Wednesday said it supported a global effort in resolving the conflict but that any solution should come from, and be supported by, the Libyans.
tsubaihi@thenational.ae
* Additional reporting from Associated Press and Agence France-Presse
Coming soon
Torno Subito by Massimo Bottura
When the W Dubai – The Palm hotel opens at the end of this year, one of the highlights will be Massimo Bottura’s new restaurant, Torno Subito, which promises “to take guests on a journey back to 1960s Italy”. It is the three Michelinstarred chef’s first venture in Dubai and should be every bit as ambitious as you would expect from the man whose restaurant in Italy, Osteria Francescana, was crowned number one in this year’s list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
Akira Back Dubai
Another exciting opening at the W Dubai – The Palm hotel is South Korean chef Akira Back’s new restaurant, which will continue to showcase some of the finest Asian food in the world. Back, whose Seoul restaurant, Dosa, won a Michelin star last year, describes his menu as, “an innovative Japanese cuisine prepared with a Korean accent”.
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
The highly experimental chef, whose dishes are as much about spectacle as taste, opens his first restaurant in Dubai next year. Housed at The Royal Atlantis Resort & Residences, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal will feature contemporary twists on recipes that date back to the 1300s, including goats’ milk cheesecake. Always remember with a Blumenthal dish: nothing is quite as it seems.
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA
Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi
Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser
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
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPowertrain%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle%20electric%20motor%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E201hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E310Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBattery%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E53kWh%20lithium-ion%20battery%20pack%20(GS%20base%20model)%3B%2070kWh%20battery%20pack%20(GF)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETouring%20range%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E350km%20(GS)%3B%20480km%20(GF)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh129%2C900%20(GS)%3B%20Dh149%2C000%20(GF)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
500 People from Gaza enter France
115 Special programme for artists
25 Evacuation of injured and sick
MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Ajax v Juventus, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Match on BeIN Sports
