DAMMAM // Jeffrey Immelt brushed off worries that protectionist talk in the United States and the recent passage of a bill allowing US citizens to sue Saudi Arabia for the terrorist attacks on the country 15 years ago might affect US-Saudi relations.
Asked about the anti-trade mood stirred up both by US presidential candidate Donald Trump, as well as Senator Bernie Sanders and others on the left, Mr Immelt said: “Our strategies have to survive every election cycle in every country. Globalisation goes in and out of favour from a political standpoint, but it never goes out of favour from our customers’ standpoint.”
On the passage of the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act, or Jasta, overriding a presidential veto, Mr Immelt said: “I’m a proud American and I have sympathy in my heart for the victims of 9/11, but all the generals and the president were against the Jasta bill, and I’ve learnt from many years operating on the ground level that there is no more important relationship than that between Saudi Arabia and the US. This is a time to have a long-term view on the power of friendships and understand how important the kingdom is in the world.”
amcauley@thenational.ae
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How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
At Eternity’s Gate
Director: Julian Schnabel
Starring: Willem Dafoe, Oscar Isaacs, Mads Mikkelsen
Three stars
Results
United States beat UAE by three wickets
United States beat Scotland by 35 runs
UAE v Scotland – no result
United States beat UAE by 98 runs
Scotland beat United States by four wickets
Fixtures
Sunday, 10am, ICC Academy, Dubai - UAE v Scotland
Admission is free
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Analysis
Members of Syria's Alawite minority community face threat in their heartland after one of the deadliest days in country’s recent history. Read more
If you go...
Fly from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Chiang Mai in Thailand, via Bangkok, before taking a five-hour bus ride across the Laos border to Huay Xai. The land border crossing at Huay Xai is a well-trodden route, meaning entry is swift, though travellers should be aware of visa requirements for both countries.
Flights from Dubai start at Dh4,000 return with Emirates, while Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi start at Dh2,000. Local buses can be booked in Chiang Mai from around Dh50