Britain's Middle East minister has arrived in Saudi Arabia for talks on a variety of issues including climate change, security and trade.
James Cleverly also met Yemeni Foreign Minister Ahmed Awadh bin Mubarak and delivered a message from Britain's Queen Elizabeth II to Yemeni President Abdrabu Mansur Hadi.
She congratulated him on Yemen's National Day and sent her best wishes to the Yemeni people, UK ambassador Michael Aron said.
Mr Cleverly described the Yemeni government’s co-operation with UN special envoy Martin Griffiths as “encouraging” and underlined the importance of the Riyadh Agreement.
Mr Cleverly visited Sabic, a chemical manufacturing company and subsidiary of Saudi Aramco, to discuss opportunities for British firms to turn "plastic waste into energy".
Sabic said it briefed Mr Cleverly on how it fostered collaboration “along the entire value chain to help extract value from plastic waste through our high-performance solutions”.
“Before Cop26, the UK is committed to supporting renewable energy growth globally,” Mr Cleverly said, referring to the UN climate summit that will be hosted in Glasgow later this year.
He later met Saudi Arabian female entrepreneurs in Riyadh.
“We spoke about their exciting ideas for developing closer ties between the UK and Saudi Arabia in tech, the arts, social development and the environment,” Mr Cleverly said.
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
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Rating: 4/5
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Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
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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.
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
