The Middle East has been held up as the key to the next generation of breakthroughs in palaeontology, as fossil hunters mark 200 years since dinosaurs were first officially catalogued.
From carnivorous dinosaurs in Egypt and three-toed footprints in Jordan to the wealth of fossils and amber preserved in Lebanon's quarries, the Middle East is becoming a happy hunting ground for palaeontologists.
With more than 2,000 species of dinosaurs identified since 1824, the knowledge of experts has vastly developed since English naturalist and theologian William Buckland officially announced classification of a newly discovered ancient reptile on February 20 that year.
University of Edinburgh palaeontologist Professor Steve Brusatte, who was an adviser on the film Jurassic Park, said there is still much more to discover.
"His [Buckland's] announcement opened the floodgates and started a fossil rush, and people went out looking for other giant bones in England and beyond," he told The National.
Dr Benjamin Kear, the curator of vertebrate palaeontology and researcher in palaeontology at the Museum of Evolution at Uppsala University in Sweden, was part of the team that discovered the first evidence of dinosaurs in Saudi Arabia in 2014.
Now working on a project in Lebanon, he has heralded the Middle East as the key to unlocking more hidden secrets about dinosaurs, describing it as a “goldmine” which has the potential to create a “real-life Jurassic Park”.
“Dinosaurs went everywhere. The fossils will be there but the problem has been that people have not been able to look. My colleague and I have worked all across the Middle East just trying to find traces of this long-lost world,” he told The National.
Dr Kear and his team found teeth and bones dating from around 72 million years ago in the north-western part of Saudi Arabia, along the coast of the Red Sea.
They belonged to two types of dinosaurs, a bipedal meat-eating abelisaurid distantly related to a Tyrannosaurus but smaller, and a plant-eating titanosaur which could have been up to 20 metres in length.
“It is a gold mine of future exploration. Dinosaur fossils are everywhere across the Middle East.
“The ideal place to look is the Middle East, it is one of the undiscovered areas. The possibilities are endless," said Dr Kear.
“My recent work is in Lebanon. People sell fossils, and we have been working directly with fossil hunters as they are sitting on huge collections of spectacular stuff and we are helping them see the value of turning it into geotourism.
“With the limestone layers in Lebanon, we can get a snapshot of what was going on in the Middle East 90 million years ago. It is a real-world Jurassic Park. We are looking for the protein residue that has been preserved in the amber so we can push the boundaries.
"The Middle East is at the cutting edge of what will be the real Jurassic Park.
“It is a long way off but the science is developing at an accelerating rate. The things coming up will be very exciting. Who knows where we will be in another 200 years.”
Dinosaur research has come a long way in two centuries.
Dr Kear's work is building on the discovery made by Buckland, who in 1824 addressed the Geological Society of London, describing an enormous jaw and limb bones which had been unearthed in a slate quarry in the village of Stonesfield, near Oxford.
He recognised that the fossils belonged to a huge bygone reptile, and gave it a formal scientific name Megalosaurus, meaning "great lizard".
With that, the first dinosaur was officially recognised, though the word "dinosaur" would not be coined until the 1840s.
In the intervening 200 years, dinosaur science has flourished, providing insight into what these creatures looked like, how they lived, how they evolved and what doomed them.
Dinosaurs walked the planet from between 231 million and 66 million years ago, during the Mesozoic Era. Their bird descendants are with us today.
When Buckland first discovered Megalosaurus he thought it was a 20-metre long lizard that walked on four legs and could live on land or in the water.
Scientists now know it was not quadrupedal and not a lizard, but belonged to the theropod group comprising meat-eating dinosaurs such as Tyrannosaurus and Spinosaurus, and was about nine metres long.
At the time, Buckland did not know how long ago dinosaurs had lived, as he believed Earth to be only a few thousand years old. Scientists now know Earth is about 4.5 billion years old.
Megalosaurus lived about 165 million years ago.
English naturalist Richard Owen recognised that Megalosaurus' fossils and two other large land-dwelling reptiles, Iguanodon and Hylaeosaurus, formed a common group, calling them Dinosauria in 1841.
The subsequent discovery of Hadrosaurus and Dryptosaurus fossils in New Jersey showed that at least some dinosaurs were bipedal, changing the perception that they resembled reptilian rhinoceroses. Around the 1870s, the first complete large dinosaur skeletons were discovered in the US and Belgium, which showed experts their distinctive anatomy and diversity.
Palaeontology is like a 1,000-piece jigsaw but you only have 10 pieces and no picture on the box
Emma Nicholls,
Oxford University Museum of Natural History
In the 1960s, the identification of the smallish meat-eating dinosaur Deinonychus shook up dinosaur science, helping inaugurate a research period called the Dinosaur Renaissance.
It showed that dinosaurs could be small and agile. Some were remarkably similar anatomically to early birds like Archaeopteryx, confirming that birds evolved from small, feathered dinosaurs. It also prompted a debate over whether dinosaurs were warm-blooded like birds, contradicting the long-standing conception of them as slow, lumbering and cold-blooded.
Paleontologists put cranial fossils into computed tomography scanners to build digital models of them, gaining better knowledge of their senses, such as sight, hearing and smell.
Researchers can also now tell the colour of dinosaurs.
The dinosaur puzzle
Paleontologist Emma Nicholls works at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, home to the Megalosaurus fossils Buckland studied.
"Our understanding of dinosaurs has changed significantly since the 19th century," she told The National.
"Buckland and other gentlemen naturalists of the early 19th century would be stunned at how much we now know about dinosaurs.
“Although we understand so much more about dinosaurs than ever before there are still lots of unanswered questions. Like how they eat, move, how they are related to each other.
"It was all happening on a world map that was changing and moving. Dinosaurs roamed the earth and then when the land fragmented there were large barriers between them. We know they were all over the world.
“Palaeontology is like a 1,000-piece jigsaw but you only have 10 pieces and no picture on the box. The technology we have now would have blown Buckland’s mind, CT scans mean we can study everything about them. We now even know what colour some are.”
She said it has sometimes been difficult to locate the right rocks for fossils and access them.
“Many of the rocks are the wrong age for us to find dinosaur fossils and others are inaccessible, such as when they are under the Amazon rainforest or have been built upon, and another issue is political instability,” she said.
“There are lots of reasons why parts of the world have gaps. Jurassic rocks run up the centre of the Arabian peninsula from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Iraq and Syria, the rocks are the right age but there are not many. Egypt has stood out with major finds in recent years.
“The Middle East has huge potential for a lot of exciting dinosaur finds. We just need to get the research groups together to do it.”
In Oman in 2015, a team announced they had found two incomplete Hadrosaur skeletons and fossils.
In 2019, two Polish doctors stumbled across three-toed footprints while hiking between Shobak and the ancient city of Petra in the south of Jordan.
The first dinosaur footprint in the region was discovered in 1962 in Jerusalem, and in 2008 dinosaur tracks from the Upper Jurassic period were found in Yemen. They belonged to ornithopods, which were bipedal herbivores, and sauropods, a group that includes the titanosaurs.
More recently, dinosaur footprints were spotted in Lebanon and Egypt, and last year a new kind of large-bodied meat-eating dinosaur was found at a fossil site in the Sahara by a team from Egypt’s Mansoura University Vertebrate Paleontology Centre, which is the first centre of its kind in the Middle East.
Prof Brusatte said there are many unanswered questions.
“There is still a large amount we do not know about dinosaurs because dinosaurs were here over 150 million years ago and there were probably millions of different species once living on earth, and we have only found a handful,” he said.
“There is still a long way to go to solve this mystery of the dinosaurs and it is always evolving, of how they became so successful, so large and roamed so many parts of the world.
"There is definitely a lot we still need to do and explore, especially in the Middle East. There are more people discussing it and finding things than ever before and it is quite exciting.
“There are not many museums and universities where students can study palaeontology in the Middle East, but other places like China, Argentina, Brazil and South America that were in a similar position are now at the front line and are making leading discoveries," said Prof Brusatte.
"More students in the Middle East being offered the chance to study is the key. A number of places have discovered dinosaur fossils – Iran, Lebanon – and we need more people living there searching for them. I think there is great potential in the Middle East.
“There is a large expanse of land and great diversity of different rocks. The finds in Iran, Oman and Lebanon have opened up the possibility that there could be more dinosaur fossils hidden and I cannot wait to see these next discoveries.”
He believes AI will play a role in taking bigger steps in future.
“It is hard to predict what the next discovery will be but we are using a lot of new technology to study fossils and using a lot of AI technology. It is all the rage everywhere and the potential in palaeontology, good or bad, is vast,” he said.
“When people are celebrating the 300th anniversary it will be a field where large advances have been made in our ability to use computing power to understand the bigger picture of the dinosaur revolution.”
Dr Kear believes that what has been discovered in the last 200 years is just the tip of the iceberg.
“We are standing on the shoulders of giants and we would not be here without Buckland’s discovery 200 years ago,” Dr Kear said.
“The biggest problem is instability in countries and getting access to the regions. But I guarantee there are going to be very exciting times ahead.”
What drives subscription retailing?
Once the domain of newspaper home deliveries, subscription model retailing has combined with e-commerce to permeate myriad products and services.
The concept has grown tremendously around the world and is forecast to thrive further, according to UnivDatos Market Insights’ report on recent and predicted trends in the sector.
The global subscription e-commerce market was valued at $13.2 billion (Dh48.5bn) in 2018. It is forecast to touch $478.2bn in 2025, and include the entertainment, fitness, food, cosmetics, baby care and fashion sectors.
The report says subscription-based services currently constitute “a small trend within e-commerce”. The US hosts almost 70 per cent of recurring plan firms, including leaders Dollar Shave Club, Hello Fresh and Netflix. Walmart and Sephora are among longer established retailers entering the space.
UnivDatos cites younger and affluent urbanites as prime subscription targets, with women currently the largest share of end-users.
That’s expected to remain unchanged until 2025, when women will represent a $246.6bn market share, owing to increasing numbers of start-ups targeting women.
Personal care and beauty occupy the largest chunk of the worldwide subscription e-commerce market, with changing lifestyles, work schedules, customisation and convenience among the chief future drivers.
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.”
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
UAE v Zimbabwe A, 50 over series
Fixtures
Thursday, Nov 9 - 9.30am, ICC Academy, Dubai
Saturday, Nov 11 – 9.30am, ICC Academy, Dubai
Monday, Nov 13 – 2pm, Dubai International Stadium
Thursday, Nov 16 – 2pm, ICC Academy, Dubai
Saturday, Nov 18 – 9.30am, ICC Academy, Dubai
Women’s World T20, Asia Qualifier
UAE results
Beat China by 16 runs
Lost to Thailand by 10 wickets
Beat Nepal by five runs
Beat Hong Kong by eight wickets
Beat Malaysia by 34 runs
Standings (P, W, l, NR, points)
1. Thailand 5 4 0 1 9
2. UAE 5 4 1 0 8
3. Nepal 5 2 1 2 6
4. Hong Kong 5 2 2 1 5
5. Malaysia 5 1 4 0 2
6. China 5 0 5 0 0
Final
Thailand v UAE, Monday, 7am
LOVE%20AGAIN
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Babumoshai Bandookbaaz
Director: Kushan Nandy
Starring: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Bidita Bag, Jatin Goswami
Three stars
Results
2-15pm: Commercial Bank Of Dubai – Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (Dirt) 1,400m; Winner: Al Habash, Patrick Cosgrave (jockey), Bhupat Seemar (trainer)
2.45pm: Al Shafar Investment – Handicap (TB) Dh80,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: Day Approach, Ray Dawson, Ahmad bin Harmash
3.15pm: Dubai Real estate Centre – Handicap (TB) Dh80,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Celtic Prince, Richard Mullen, Rashed Bouresly
3.45pm: Jebel Ali Sprint by ARM Holding – Listed (TB) Dh500,000 (D) 1,000m; Winner: Khuzaam, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
4.15pm: Shadwell – Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Tenbury Wells, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
4.45pm: Jebel Ali Stakes by ARM Holding – Listed (TB) Dh500,000 (D) 1,950m; Winner: Lost Eden, Andrea Atzeni, Doug Watson
5.15pm: Jebel Ali Racecourse – Handicap (TB) Dh76,000 (D) 1,950m; Winner: Rougher, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
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PROFILE OF INVYGO
Started: 2018
Founders: Eslam Hussein and Pulkit Ganjoo
Based: Dubai
Sector: Transport
Size: 9 employees
Investment: $1,275,000
Investors: Class 5 Global, Equitrust, Gulf Islamic Investments, Kairos K50 and William Zeqiri
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
The%20specs%20
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RIDE%20ON
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Kill%20
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The Africa Institute 101
Housed on the same site as the original Africa Hall, which first hosted an Arab-African Symposium in 1976, the newly renovated building will be home to a think tank and postgraduate studies hub (it will offer master’s and PhD programmes). The centre will focus on both the historical and contemporary links between Africa and the Gulf, and will serve as a meeting place for conferences, symposia, lectures, film screenings, plays, musical performances and more. In fact, today it is hosting a symposium – 5-plus-1: Rethinking Abstraction that will look at the six decades of Frank Bowling’s career, as well as those of his contemporaries that invested social, cultural and personal meaning into abstraction.
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
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Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Company Profile
Founder: Omar Onsi
Launched: 2018
Employees: 35
Financing stage: Seed round ($12 million)
Investors: B&Y, Phoenician Funds, M1 Group, Shorooq Partners
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
Switching%20sides
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More from Mohammed Alardhi
SCORES IN BRIEF
New Zealand 153 and 56 for 1 in 22.4 overs at close
Pakistan 227
(Babar 62, Asad 43, Boult 4-54, De Grandhomme 2-30, Patel 2-64)
Short-term let permits explained
Homeowners and tenants are allowed to list their properties for rental by registering through the Dubai Tourism website to obtain a permit.
Tenants also require a letter of no objection from their landlord before being allowed to list the property.
There is a cost of Dh1,590 before starting the process, with an additional licence fee of Dh300 per bedroom being rented in your home for the duration of the rental, which ranges from three months to a year.
Anyone hoping to list a property for rental must also provide a copy of their title deeds and Ejari, as well as their Emirates ID.
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
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Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
Company Profile:
Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
Based: Dubai
Size, number of employees: 12
Funding/investors: $400,000 (2018)
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What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
BULKWHIZ PROFILE
Date started: February 2017
Founders: Amira Rashad (CEO), Yusuf Saber (CTO), Mahmoud Sayedahmed (adviser), Reda Bouraoui (adviser)
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: E-commerce
Size: 50 employees
Funding: approximately $6m
Investors: Beco Capital, Enabling Future and Wain in the UAE; China's MSA Capital; 500 Startups; Faith Capital and Savour Ventures in Kuwait
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Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
Stage result
1. Pascal Ackermann (GER) Bora-Hansgrohe, in 3:29.09
2. Caleb Ewan (AUS) Lotto-Soudal
3. Rudy Barbier (FRA) Israel Start-Up Nation
4. Dylan Groenewegen (NED) Jumbo-Visma
5. Luka Mezgec (SLO) Mitchelton-Scott
6. Alberto Dainese (ITA) Sunweb
7. Jakub Mareczko (ITA) CCC
8. Max Walscheid (GER) NTT
9. José Rojas (ESP) Movistar
10. Andrea Vendrame (ITA) Ag2r La Mondiale, all at same time
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
Company%20Profile
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Who has been sanctioned?
Daniella Weiss and Nachala
Described as 'the grandmother of the settler movement', she has encouraged the expansion of settlements for decades. The 79 year old leads radical settler movement Nachala, whose aim is for Israel to annex Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where it helps settlers built outposts.
Harel Libi & Libi Construction and Infrastructure
Libi has been involved in threatening and perpetuating acts of aggression and violence against Palestinians. His firm has provided logistical and financial support for the establishment of illegal outposts.
Zohar Sabah
Runs a settler outpost named Zohar’s Farm and has previously faced charges of violence against Palestinians. He was indicted by Israel’s State Attorney’s Office in September for allegedly participating in a violent attack against Palestinians and activists in the West Bank village of Muarrajat.
Coco’s Farm and Neria’s Farm
These are illegal outposts in the West Bank, which are at the vanguard of the settler movement. According to the UK, they are associated with people who have been involved in enabling, inciting, promoting or providing support for activities that amount to “serious abuse”.
