Live updates: Follow the latest news on Israel-Gaza
While Arab and Muslim leaders condemned Israel’s "barbaric" actions in Gaza and demanded an end to the war, their meetings have again highlighted divided opinion over how to respond to the situation.
However, analysts say Saturday's joint summit in the Riyadh of the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation managed to convey significant messages and warnings to Israel, the United States and western powers.
“I think that the consensus was that this is really more about symbolism, narrative and diplomacy," Saudi analyst Aziz Alghashian, who researches his country’s foreign policy regarding Israel, told The National.
"Arab states are making their efforts confined within the realms of diplomacy and they're going to use all the aspects they have in diplomacy to try to do that."
In its final resolution passed on Saturday after three days of closed-door negotiations, 57 countries signed a final document which called for an arms embargo against Israel, the International Criminal Court to prosecute Israel on what are seen as war crimes, and the formulation of an Arab-Islamic committee to oversee further diplomatic efforts to bring about a ceasefire in Gaza.
Analysts were not surprised by the outcome, warning that the main message from the summit was that “the clock in the region is ticking backwards".
“It sends three messages," said Mohammed Baharoon, director general of the Dubai Public Policy Research Centre.
"To Israel, the window for peace and regional integration is closing fast, they risk going back in time to 1948.
"To the Americans, their role as a security provider in the region is reversing so fast that they are risking to be in the same position as France in West Africa.
"And to the West, that the proverbial international community is facing grave challenges and we could slip back to the pre-League of Nations era," said Mr Baharoon.
Calls for punitive actions
Among the numerous leaders addressing the summit, Syrian President Bashar Al Assad and Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi, whose countries recently re-established ties with Saudi Arabia, advocated more "punitive" measures against Israel.
Iran is the main regional backer of Hamas, which has been engaged in the war since October 7 when it launched unprecedented attacks into Israel that killed about 1,400 people, mainly civilians.
Israel responded by hammering the Gaza Strip with air strikes, killing more than 11,000 people to date, including at least 4,500 children, followed by a large-scale land offensive.
Iran has warned of a broader regional confrontation, while its proxies in Lebanon, Yemen and Syria have launched attacks on Israeli and US targets.
Mr Al Assad, a staunch ally of Iran, said a lack of concrete punitive measures against Israel would render the summit ineffective.
"If we do not have real tools for pressure, then any step we take or speech we give will have no meaning," he said.
Syria was welcomed back into the Arab fold earlier this year after an extended isolation due to the country's civil war that erupted in 2011.
The country has historically served as a political hub for Hamas leadership.
Mr Al Assad said no Middle Eastern country should engage in any "political process" with Israel until a lasting ceasefire is in place.
Mr Raisi called for all countries to arm Palestinians if Israel’s attacks persist.
“Muslim countries should aid the Palestinian people by arming them” against Israel, he said.
Ghassan Ebrahim, editor-in-chief of Global Arab Network, told The National that such calls for extreme measures had been expected.
“Unfortunately, Iran and their proxies in the region are disconnected from reality," he said. "They believe that sorting escalation by use of retaliatory escalation is the only solution.
"Fortunately, a majority of Arab states don’t believe that to be the case."
Mr Raisi’s visit to Riyadh was the first time an Iranian President has set foot in Saudi Arabia since Mahmoud Ahmadinejad attended an OIC meeting in the kingdom in 2012.
An earlier draft of the final resolution seen by The National on Friday contained a clause suggesting, rather than explicitly demanding, that Arab states take economic action such as cutting off air routes for Israel, as well as possible “economic actions to deter Israel’s aggressions".
That version of the resolution was voted for by only 11 of the Arab League's 22 member states and was not ratified after four countries opposed it while the rest abstained.
“Oil cannot and will not be ever used as a political weapon," said Saudi analyst Ali Shihabi on X, formerly Twitter, responding to suggestions that energy-rich nations should contemplate leveraging the hydrocarbon sector as a means of exerting pressure.
"It is the lifeblood of oil-producing economies and has to be seen as a reliable commodity by users.
"Any attempt to do otherwise will only accelerate consumer moves away from oil,” he added.
In their speeches, strong statements from several Arab leaders decried the US and western world’s “double standards” on Israel’s actions in Gaza.
Prince Faisal bin Farhan, the Saudi Foreign Minister, said Israel was getting away with breaching international law.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told the summit: "We are facing a humanitarian catastrophe that proves the failure of the [UN] Security Council and the international community to put an end to the flagrant Israeli violations of international laws."
The final declaration on Saturday rejected Israeli claims of acting in "self-defence" and demanded the UN Security Council adopt "a decisive and binding resolution" to halt Israel's "aggression".
The UAE, represented by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Vice President and Minister of the Presidential Court, said it “supports all diplomatic moves to protect civilians in Gaza and achieve the aspirations of the Palestinian people for stability and peace”.
As the Arab leaders were gathering in Riyadh, fighting intensified overnight into Saturday near Gaza city's overcrowded hospitals, where at least one baby died in an incubator after Gaza's largest hospital lost power, and a patient in intensive care was killed by Israeli shelling, the Palestinian Health Ministry said.
Shifting political narratives
Israel’s war on Gaza has also upended traditional Middle East alliances, as Riyadh has engaged more closely with Iran, pushed back against US pressure and temporarily suspended plans to establish relations with Israel.
Had there been a suspension of diplomatic ties, or reduction of relations, that would have generated more pressure on Israel and the United States
Aziz Alghashian,
Saudi analyst
The future governing of Gaza featured prominently in the discussions in Riyadh, with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas saying his Fatah-led Palestinian Authority would consider administering the Gaza Strip if it brought about a permanent ceasefire and an enduring, comprehensive political solution.
But leaders at the summit refrained from discussing public statements regarding potential future scenarios for Gaza until Israel halted its war operations completely.
“The only talk of a future for Gaza is an immediate ceasefire,” Prince Faisal said.
Mr Alghashian said: “Had there been a suspension of diplomatic ties, or reduction of relations, that would have generated more pressure on Israel and the United States. But that wasn't there, yet."
French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
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
Super Rugby play-offs
Quarter-finals
- Hurricanes 35, ACT 16
- Crusaders 17, Highlanders 0
- Lions 23, Sharks 21
- Chiefs 17, Stormers 11
Semi-finals
Saturday, July 29
- Crusaders v Chiefs, 12.35pm (UAE)
- Lions v Hurricanes, 4.30pm
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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THREE
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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.”
The Birkin bag is made by Hermès.
It is named after actress and singer Jane Birkin
Noone from Hermès will go on record to say how much a new Birkin costs, how long one would have to wait to get one, and how many bags are actually made each year.
UK's plans to cut net migration
Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.
Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.
But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.
Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.
Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.
The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.
Company%20profile
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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.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
Jeff Buckley: From Hallelujah To The Last Goodbye
By Dave Lory with Jim Irvin
Skoda Superb Specs
Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
Power: 190hp
Torque: 320Nm
Price: From Dh147,000
Available: Now
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
How Voiss turns words to speech
The device has a screen reader or software that monitors what happens on the screen
The screen reader sends the text to the speech synthesiser
This converts to audio whatever it receives from screen reader, so the person can hear what is happening on the screen
A VOISS computer costs between $200 and $250 depending on memory card capacity that ranges from 32GB to 128GB
The speech synthesisers VOISS develops are free
Subsequent computer versions will include improvements such as wireless keyboards
Arabic voice in affordable talking computer to be added next year to English, Portuguese, and Spanish synthesiser
Partnerships planned during Expo 2020 Dubai to add more languages
At least 2.2 billion people globally have a vision impairment or blindness
More than 90 per cent live in developing countries
The Long-term aim of VOISS to reach the technology to people in poor countries with workshops that teach them to build their own device
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
CHINESE GRAND PRIX STARTING GRID
1st row
Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari)
Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari)
2nd row
Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes-GP)
Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-GP)
3rd row
Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing)
Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull Racing)
4th row
Nico Hulkenberg (Renault)
Sergio Perez (Force India)
5th row
Carlos Sainz Jr (Renault)
Romain Grosjean (Haas)
6th row
Kevin Magnussen (Haas)
Esteban Ocon (Force India)
7th row
Fernando Alonso (McLaren)
Stoffel Vandoorne (McLaren)
8th row
Brendon Hartley (Toro Rosso)
Sergey Sirotkin (Williams)
9th row
Pierre Gasly (Toro Rosso)
Lance Stroll (Williams)
10th row
Charles Leclerc (Sauber)
arcus Ericsson (Sauber)
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
More on Quran memorisation:
Quick%20facts
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