US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin will leave for Saudi Arabia on Sunday, the first stop on a week-long trip to the Gulf to discuss the Afghan evacuee situation with regional leaders.
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby announced the visit on Friday and said Mr Austin would visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait.
This week, Mr Austin said the trip would be to thank those countries for helping enable evacuation operations in Afghanistan.
“I’ll be travelling to the Gulf next week to thank our partners there who have done so much to help save and shelter Afghan civilians” he said.
Thousands of evacuees remain in Gulf countries and on military bases awaiting their transfer to the US or a third country.
Gen Glen VanHerck, commander of the North American Aerospace Defence Command and the US Northern Command, said on Friday that about 25,600 Afghan evacuees have arrived in the US as a result of the Pentagon’s airlift from Kabul last month.
The evacuees are being housed under “Operation Allies Rescue” at eight military installations across the country. Currently, there is space for 36,000 people, but this will be expanded to a maximum capacity of 50,000.
Gen VanHerck said there had been some minor issues so far, including disputes among the evacuee population and sanitation problems at one base.
“I am building eight small cities. We are going to have challenges, just like you do across the nation in various locations,” he said.
The evacuee population is mainly made up of asylum seekers, though some are recipients of Special Immigrant Visas. A small number of unaccompanied children are among the evacuee population, the general added.
Explainer: Tanween Design Programme
Non-profit arts studio Tashkeel launched this annual initiative with the intention of supporting budding designers in the UAE. This year, three talents were chosen from hundreds of applicants to be a part of the sixth creative development programme. These are architect Abdulla Al Mulla, interior designer Lana El Samman and graphic designer Yara Habib.
The trio have been guided by experts from the industry over the course of nine months, as they developed their own products that merge their unique styles with traditional elements of Emirati design. This includes laboratory sessions, experimental and collaborative practice, investigation of new business models and evaluation.
It is led by British contemporary design project specialist Helen Voce and mentor Kevin Badni, and offers participants access to experts from across the world, including the likes of UK designer Gareth Neal and multidisciplinary designer and entrepreneur, Sheikh Salem Al Qassimi.
The final pieces are being revealed in a worldwide limited-edition release on the first day of Downtown Designs at Dubai Design Week 2019. Tashkeel will be at stand E31 at the exhibition.
Lisa Ball-Lechgar, deputy director of Tashkeel, said: “The diversity and calibre of the applicants this year … is reflective of the dynamic change that the UAE art and design industry is witnessing, with young creators resolute in making their bold design ideas a reality.”
The five pillars of Islam
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre 6-cyl turbo
Power: 374hp at 5,500-6,500rpm
Torque: 500Nm from 1,900-5,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.5L/100km
Price: from Dh285,000
On sale: from January 2022
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