From left, Kuwait Emir Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sabah, Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamim, Omani Deputy Prime Minister Fahd bin Mahmoud, Saudi Arabia Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, Bahrain Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and Nayef Al Hajraf, Secretary General of the GCC, before the opening session of the 41st GCC summit in the Saudi Arabian city of Al Ula. AFP
From left, Kuwait Emir Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sabah, Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamim, Omani Deputy Prime Minister Fahd bin Mahmoud, Saudi Arabia Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, Bahrain Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and Nayef Al Hajraf, Secretary General of the GCC, before the opening session of the 41st GCC summit in the Saudi Arabian city of Al Ula. AFP
From left, Kuwait Emir Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sabah, Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamim, Omani Deputy Prime Minister Fahd bin Mahmoud, Saudi Arabia Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, Bahrain Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and Nayef Al Hajraf, Secretary General of the GCC, before the opening session of the 41st GCC summit in the Saudi Arabian city of Al Ula. AFP
From left, Kuwait Emir Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sabah, Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamim, Omani Deputy Prime Minister Fahd bin Mahmoud, Saudi Arabia Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, Bahrain

GCC states renew commitment to upholding regional peace and security


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Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) states urged the Iran-backed Houthi rebel group on Tuesday to co-operate with a Saudi Arabian peace initiative for Yemen.

Foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman met in Riyadh at the 148th ministerial meeting chaired by Bahrain's Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani.

The ministers also condemned Houthi smuggling of Iranian drugs into Yemen and their continued attacks on the oil-rich governorate of Marib which remains the last major government-held pocket in the north of the country.

Mr Al Zayani also reiterated the GCC states' "support of Saudi Arabia against attacks by the Iran-backed Houthis".

The militias have been targeting vital Saudi facilities like schools and airports in recent weeks using explosive-laden drones and ballistic missiles.

The group also discussed the status of the the three islands of Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa and condemned Iran's semi-covert construction of houses on them.

In a statement shared by the Saudi Press Agency, it urged Iran to "respond to the efforts of the United Arab Emirates to resolve the issue through direct negotiations or resort to the International Court of Justice."

The GCC ministers also condemned Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people, after an 11-day bombardment campaign on Gaza that killed over 280 Palestinians and 12 people in Israel.

The bloc also welcomed the Egypt-brokered ceasefire that ensued between Israel and Hamas.

Overall, the council repeated its commitment to fighting terrorism and shunning extremism, Al Ekhbariya said.

The member states also praised the launch of Saudi Arabia's Green Initiative which was discussed in a meeting by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry in Riyadh on Wednesday.

They congratulated the UAE on its election as a non-permanent member to the UN Security Council for the 2022-2023 term after a vote by the UN General Assembly on Friday.

Wednesday's GCC meeting also condemned Iran's failure to co-operate on its nuclear commitments with the UN nuclear watchdog in charge of monitoring and tracking its nuclear programme.

It came as Iran and the US conduct indirect talks in Vienna to revive the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action known as the Iran nuclear deal, which the US withdrew from under former US President Donald Trump's tenure in 2018.

The GCC celebrated its 40th anniversary in May, cementing diplomatic ties with Qatar after a rift that lasted for three years and-a-half through the Al Ula declaration which was announced in January.

Museum of the Future in numbers
  •  78 metres is the height of the museum
  •  30,000 square metres is its total area
  •  17,000 square metres is the length of the stainless steel facade
  •  14 kilometres is the length of LED lights used on the facade
  •  1,024 individual pieces make up the exterior 
  •  7 floors in all, with one for administrative offices
  •  2,400 diagonally intersecting steel members frame the torus shape
  •  100 species of trees and plants dot the gardens
  •  Dh145 is the price of a ticket

Leap of Faith

Michael J Mazarr

Public Affairs

Dh67
 

yallacompare profile

Date of launch: 2014

Founder: Jon Richards, founder and chief executive; Samer Chebab, co-founder and chief operating officer, and Jonathan Rawlings, co-founder and chief financial officer

Based: Media City, Dubai 

Sector: Financial services

Size: 120 employees

Investors: 2014: $500,000 in a seed round led by Mulverhill Associates; 2015: $3m in Series A funding led by STC Ventures (managed by Iris Capital), Wamda and Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority; 2019: $8m in Series B funding with the same investors as Series A along with Precinct Partners, Saned and Argo Ventures (the VC arm of multinational insurer Argo Group)

BMW M5 specs

Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor

Power: 727hp

Torque: 1,000Nm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh650,000

Ferrari 12Cilindri specs

Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12

Power: 819hp

Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm

Price: From Dh1,700,000

Available: Now

MATCH INFO

Kolkata Knight Riders 245/6 (20 ovs)
Kings XI Punjab 214/8 (20 ovs)

Kolkata won by 31 runs

MATCH INFO

England 241-3 (20 ovs)

Malan 130 no, Morgan 91

New Zealand 165 all out (16.5ovs)

Southee 39, Parkinson 4-47

England win by 76 runs

Series level at 2-2

UAE players with central contracts

Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Rameez Shahzad, Shaiman Anwar, Adnan Mufti, Mohammed Usman, Ghulam Shabbir, Ahmed Raza, Qadeer Ahmed, Amir Hayat, Mohammed Naveed and Imran Haider.

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative