A drone carrying narcotics from Syria was intercepted by Jordan on Tuesday, the kingdom's military said.
The interception came a day after Jordanian officials announced 31 arrests in a nationwide sweep against dealers. It was the first reported attempt by drone to smuggle drugs across the border from Syria since Damascus was readmitted to the Arab League last month, after promising to help counter the trade.
The drone was spotted as it was heading to Jordan and “brought down inside Jordanian territory”, a military official said.
It was carrying half a kilogram of crystal meth, which the authorities seized.
Jordanian authorities said last week that customs and border forces had foiled an attempt to smuggle 67kg of Captagon pills from Syria through the Nasib border crossing between the two countries.
Narcotics in the kingdom are mainly sourced from areas in southern Syria under the control of the Syrian military and pro-Iranian militia, Jordanian officials say.
Curbing the drug flow from Syria has been a primary objective of a rapprochement between Jordan and Syrian President Bashar Al Assad over the past two years.
Jordan supported the decision to restore Syria's membership of the Arab League, which was suspended in 2011 in response to the Assad government's violent suppression of protests.
Syrian political commentator Ayman Abdel Nour said co-operation from Syria in the drug war appears to be “verbal”.
“The regime would not make any significant commitment unless it receives something big in return,” Mr Abdel Nour said.
Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad said after an Arab League summit in Riyadh last month that other nameless countries must show their intentions towards Damascus.
He said they should “contribute in a renewed renaissance of the Syrian people”, in an apparent reference to funds the government wants for reconstruction.
Jordanian authorities say security forces have been increasing their anti-narcotics operations across the kingdom.
Late on Monday, police announced the arrest of 31 suspected drug dealers in an extensive anti-narcotics operation.
About two-thirds of the arrests were made in areas bordering southern Syria.
“Anti-narcotics personnel have been continuing their extensive campaigns to persecute all forms of dealings in all narcotics,” a police spokesman said.
One of the suspected dealers was apprehended in Irbid with 23,000 packs of hashish and 2,000 “narcotic pills”, a reference to the amphetamine known as Captagon.
Security forces also raided a shop in the area that was thought to operate as a dealing centre and detained four suspects.
In the neighbouring governorate of Ramtha, two people were found with 3.5kg of crystal myth in their possession.
In the northern Badia region, two men were apprehended along with 15,000 packs of hashish and 20,000 pills with another dealer, the police spokesman said.
The authorities did not release the names or nationalities of those in custody.
Northern Badia contains parts of the Black Desert, a plateau covered with volcanic rock that stretches between Syria, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
Its slopes and paths serve as a main conduit of Captagon from Syria to Jordan to inner Arabia, as well as hashish that for decades has been produced in areas controlled by Hezbollah in the Bekaa Valley, Arab security officials say.
The drug flows have marred Jordan's relations with Saudi Arabia.
Over the last year, Jordanian officials have described the channels as a national security threat.
Captagon smuggling across the 360km border separating Jordan and Syria has surged since 2018.
In that year, the Syrian military, with support from Russia, regained control over most of the southern part of the country, from rebels who were fighting Mr Al Assad.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
More on Quran memorisation:
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
if you go
The flights
The closest international airport to the TMB trail is Geneva (just over an hour’s drive from the French ski town of Chamonix where most people start and end the walk). Direct flights from the UAE to Geneva are available with Etihad and Emirates from about Dh2,790 including taxes.
The trek
The Tour du Mont Blanc takes about 10 to 14 days to complete if walked in its entirety, but by using the services of a tour operator such as Raw Travel, a shorter “highlights” version allows you to complete the best of the route in a week, from Dh6,750 per person. The trails are blocked by snow from about late October to early May. Most people walk in July and August, but be warned that trails are often uncomfortably busy at this time and it can be very hot. The prime months are June and September.
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
THREE
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Our Time Has Come
Alyssa Ayres, Oxford University Press
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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