Arab leaders including Syrian President Bashar Al Assad arrived in the Saudi coastal city of Jeddah on Thursday for what is being billed as the most significant Arab League summit in its recent history.
Mr Al Assad, whose country was readmitted to the league after a 12-year absence, arrived from Damascus on Thursday evening.
He was greeted by Prince Badr bin Sultan, deputy governor of Makkah and the Secretary General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit.
The Syrian President is expected to give an address at the summit at the Ritz Carlton in Jeddah.
The Syrian Presidency confirmed on Twitter on Thursday afternoon that Mr Al Assad would head to Jeddah to participate in the summit on Friday.
When asked by The National to confirm Mr Al Assad would be attending, Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad previously said: “Syria would never miss an important summit.”
Preparing for a ‘summit of renewal’
Throughout Jeddah, the flags of the 22 member states that make up the Arab League have adorned major roads.
Before the arrival of major Arab leaders on Thursday, increased security could be seen across the city, especially on the roads leading to the Ritz Carlton hotel, where the summit will convene on Friday afternoon.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi was the first to touch down in Jeddah before the summit.
Other leaders to arrive on Thursday included Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Jeddah authorities announced the King Abdulaziz Road, which leads from the King Abdulaziz International Airport to the Ritz Carlton, would be closed for 12 hours from 10am each day on Thursday and Friday amid security precautions as the heads of states arrived for the summit.
Ahead of the arrivals, several preparatory meetings were concluded on Wednesday on the economic, social and foreign ministerial levels.
Foreign ministers, including Mr Mekdad, also met during a preparatory meeting on Wednesday, during which the presidency of the league was passed from Algeria to Saudi Arabia.
Consensus building
After opening speeches from Mr Aboul Gheit, Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf and Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan, a closed session was held between the delegations.
It lasted less than 30 minutes as consensus was reached on all points over the draft Arab action plan for 2023, which will be certified on Friday.
Hossam Zaki, assistant secretary general of the Arab League, said after the meeting on Friday that all draft resolutions to be presented to the summit had been approved.
“The preparatory session was dominated by a positive atmosphere. The foreign ministers decided to approve all the draft resolutions ahead of Friday’s summit,” Mr Zaki said.
“One of the most prominent projects on which decisions were taken are developments in the situation in Sudan and several decisions on the Palestinian issue, as is usual to deal with the current unfortunate situation.”
A member of Bahrain’s delegation at the meeting on Wednesday also confirmed that the draft resolutions set to pass on Friday faced no major objections from the member states.
Beyond the rapprochement with the Assad government, the summit in Jeddah is expected to devote discussion to two conflicts – the month-long war between two generals in Sudan and the civil war in Yemen.
Focus on Syria
Despite recent foreign policy realignments in the region, the summit on Friday will undoubtedly be focused on the Syrian file.
On Wednesday, Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib said the return of Syrian refugees in Lebanon and the region was among the priorities the Lebanese state was working on, in co-ordination with Syria and its Arab neighbours.
Mr Bou Habib denied there would be any forced return of displaced Syrians from Lebanon, a key sticking point in talks with the Assad government following its return to the Arab fold.
The Arab League summit is taking place in the same city where representatives of the two Sudanese camps have been locked for a week and a half in negotiations brokered by Saudi and US officials.
A source from the Saudi Foreign Ministry confirmed that Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan would not attend the summit on Friday but would instead send a representative.
The push by Riyadh to thaw ties comes a month after it agreed to a deal to revive diplomatic relations with its regional rival Iran.
Riyadh's willingness to bring Syria back into the Arab fold, heal the kingdom's rift with Iran and achieve peace in Yemen are all part of efforts to increase regional security and stability.
“What we’re witnessing at this Arab League is Saudi Arabia’s keenness to recalibrate policies after more than a decade of what the status quo agenda has yielded in terms of conflicts and instability,” said Saudi political analyst Mohammed Al Saad.
“This summit would be a litmus test for the year ahead under Saudi Arabia’s presidency of the Arab League and much is expected on Friday, to be the beginning of the renewal and change in the region as has been pledged.”
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Results
4pm: Al Bastakiya – Listed (TB) $150,000 (Dirt) 1,900m; Winner: Panadol, Mickael Barzalona (jockey), Salem bin Ghadayer (trainer)
4.35pm: Dubai City Of Gold – Group 2 (TB) $228,000 (Turf) 2,410m; Winner: Walton Street, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
5.10pm: Mahab Al Shimaal – Group 3 (TB) $228,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: Canvassed, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
5.45pm: Burj Nahaar – Group 3 (TB) $228,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Midnight Sands, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
6.20pm: Jebel Hatta – Group 1 (TB) $260,000 (T) 1,800m; Winner: Lord Glitters, Daniel Tudhope, David O’Meara
6.55pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 – Group 1 (TB) $390,000 (D) 2,000m; Winner: Salute The Soldier, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass
7.30pm: Nad Al Sheba – Group 3 (TB) $228,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: Final Song, Frankie Dettori, Saeed bin Suroor
Important questions to consider
1. Where on the plane does my pet travel?
There are different types of travel available for pets:
- Manifest cargo
- Excess luggage in the hold
- Excess luggage in the cabin
Each option is safe. The feasibility of each option is based on the size and breed of your pet, the airline they are traveling on and country they are travelling to.
2. What is the difference between my pet traveling as manifest cargo or as excess luggage?
If traveling as manifest cargo, your pet is traveling in the front hold of the plane and can travel with or without you being on the same plane. The cost of your pets travel is based on volumetric weight, in other words, the size of their travel crate.
If traveling as excess luggage, your pet will be in the rear hold of the plane and must be traveling under the ticket of a human passenger. The cost of your pets travel is based on the actual (combined) weight of your pet in their crate.
3. What happens when my pet arrives in the country they are traveling to?
As soon as the flight arrives, your pet will be taken from the plane straight to the airport terminal.
If your pet is traveling as excess luggage, they will taken to the oversized luggage area in the arrival hall. Once you clear passport control, you will be able to collect them at the same time as your normal luggage. As you exit the airport via the ‘something to declare’ customs channel you will be asked to present your pets travel paperwork to the customs official and / or the vet on duty.
If your pet is traveling as manifest cargo, they will be taken to the Animal Reception Centre. There, their documentation will be reviewed by the staff of the ARC to ensure all is in order. At the same time, relevant customs formalities will be completed by staff based at the arriving airport.
4. How long does the travel paperwork and other travel preparations take?
This depends entirely on the location that your pet is traveling to. Your pet relocation compnay will provide you with an accurate timeline of how long the relevant preparations will take and at what point in the process the various steps must be taken.
In some cases they can get your pet ‘travel ready’ in a few days. In others it can be up to six months or more.
5. What vaccinations does my pet need to travel?
Regardless of where your pet is traveling, they will need certain vaccinations. The exact vaccinations they need are entirely dependent on the location they are traveling to. The one vaccination that is mandatory for every country your pet may travel to is a rabies vaccination.
Other vaccinations may also be necessary. These will be advised to you as relevant. In every situation, it is essential to keep your vaccinations current and to not miss a due date, even by one day. To do so could severely hinder your pets travel plans.
Source: Pawsome Pets UAE
THE BIO
Bio Box
Role Model: Sheikh Zayed, God bless his soul
Favorite book: Zayed Biography of the leader
Favorite quote: To be or not to be, that is the question, from William Shakespeare's Hamlet
Favorite food: seafood
Favorite place to travel: Lebanon
Favorite movie: Braveheart
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Apple%20Mac%20through%20the%20years
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The specs: 2018 Mazda CX-5
Price, base / as tested: Dh89,000 / Dh130,000
Engine: 2.5-litre four-cylinder
Power: 188hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 251Nm @ 4,000rpm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.1L / 100km
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THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Power: 110 horsepower
Torque: 147Nm
Price: From Dh59,700
On sale: now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs: 2018 Mercedes-AMG C63 S Cabriolet
Price, base: Dh429,090
Engine 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission Seven-speed automatic
Power 510hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque 700Nm @ 1,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 9.2L / 100km
Rock in a Hard Place: Music and Mayhem in the Middle East
Orlando Crowcroft
Zed Books
65
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MATCH DETAILS
Liverpool 2
Wijnaldum (14), Oxlade-Chamberlain (52)
Genk 1
Samatta (40)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
