President Sheikh Mohamed has expressed his “deepest condolences” over the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash.
Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, East Azerbaijan provincial governor Malik Rahmati and Mohammed Ali Ale Hashem, supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's representative to East Azerbaijan, also died in the crash in north-west Iran on Sunday.
“I extend my deepest condolences to the Iranian government and people over the passing of President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and those accompanying them following a tragic accident,” Sheikh Mohamed wrote on X.
“We pray that God grants them eternal rest and we extend our heartfelt sympathies to their families. The UAE stands in solidarity with Iran at this difficult time.”
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, also offered condolences to the “brotherly Iranian people and their leadership”.
“Our hearts are with you in this difficult time,” Sheikh Mohammed said on X.
Dr Anwar Gargash, Diplomatic Adviser to the UAE President, also extended his condolences.
“My sincere condolences to the Iranian government on the death of President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Dr Hossein Amirabdollahian and their companions in the tragic accident,” Dr Gargash wrote on X.
“Our condolences to their families and the Iranian people, and we stand by them in these difficult times.”
Leaders and officials from the region, countries with strong ties with Iran, as well as Iran-backed armed groups, also issued messages of condolences.
Saudi Arabia
King Salman sent a message of condolences to Iran's interim President Mohammad Mokhber.
“We learnt of the news of the death of His Excellency Dr Ebrahim Raisi, President of the Islamic republic of Iran, and his companions – may God have mercy on them – and we send you and the brotherly people of the Islamic republic of Iran our deepest and sincere condolences,” King Salman said, as reported by Saudi state media.
Saudi Arabia and Iran restored relations in a deal brokered by China in March 2023, after having cut off ties seven years earlier.
Bahrain
King Hamad sent a letter of condolences to Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Bahrain news agency reported.
“His majesty extended condolences to the Iranian supreme leader, the people of Iran and the families of the demised,” the letter said.
Qatar
Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim called the news of Mr Raisi’s passing “painful” and expressed “sincere condolences” to the people and government of Iran.
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani opened the Global Security Forum in Doha by offering condolences to Iran.
Syria
“We worked with the late President to ensure that the strategic relations between Syria and Iran remain prosperous always,” President Bashar Al Assad said, expressing deep regret over Mr Raisi’s passing.
Iran has been a key ally of the Assad regime throughout the civil war, which broke out in 2011.
Iraq
“It is with great sadness and great sorrow that we received the news of the death of the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” a statement from Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani's office read.
“We express our solidarity with the brotherly Iranian people and with the responsible brothers in the Islamic Republic in this painful tragedy.”
Iran and Iraq have had strong relations since the fall of Saddam Hussein’s regime in 2003. Tehran and Baghdad are bound by economic, religious and social ties. Dozens of armed Iraqi groups are also affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Iraq’s top Shiite cleric Ayatollah Ali Al Sistani offered his condolences to the Iranian people and government and “especially the grieving families for this painful tragedy”.
The country has also declared Tuesday as a day of mourning.
Iraq’s Popular Mobilisation Forces expressed condolences, saying Mr Raisi had “always declared that Iraq and Iran are one people that cannot be separated”.
Kataib Hezbollah and Harakat Hezbollah Al Nujaba, both affiliated to Iran, expressed their sympathies.
The GCC
GCC Secretary General Jasem Al Budaiwi extended his condolences after the “tragic accident.”
Mr Al Budaiwi emphasised the “solidarity of the GCC with the government and people of Iran in these difficult circumstances”, a statement read.
Egypt
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi said his country stood in solidarity with the Iranian people and leadership over “this horrendous loss”.
Relations between Egypt and Iran have recently thawed after decades of tension but have yet to be fully restored.
United States
The US has expressed its official condolences after the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, and other members of their delegation in a helicopter crash in north-west Iran.
“As Iran selects a new president, we reaffirm our support for the Iranian people and their struggle for human rights and fundamental freedoms” spokesman Mathew Miller said.
Turkey
In his condolence message, Turkey's President described his late Iranian counterpart as a “valuable colleague and brother”.
“As a colleague who personally witnessed his efforts for the peace of the Iranian people and our region during his time in power, I remember Mr Raisi with respect and gratitude,” Mr Erdogan said on X.
Russia
Russian President Vladimir Putin lauded Mr Raisi as “a true friend of Russia” in a message of condolence to Mr Khamenei.
“As a true friend of Russia, he made an invaluable personal contribution to the development of good neighbourly relations between our countries and made great efforts to bring them to the level of strategic partnership,” Mr Putin said.
China
China’s President said the “tragic death” of Mr Raisi was “a great loss to the Iranian people”.
“President Xi Jinping pointed out … His tragic death is a great loss to the Iranian people, and the Chinese people have lost a good friend,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said.
India
“Deeply saddened and shocked by the tragic demise of Dr Seyed Ebrahim Raisi, President of the Islamic republic of Iran,” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on X.
He praised Mr Raisi for his contribution to strengthening ties between their two countries.
“India stands with Iran in this time of sorrow.”
Pakistan
“I along with the government and people of Pakistan extend our deepest condolences and sympathies to the Iranian nation on this terrible loss,” Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on X.
Iran and Pakistan have close historical and religious ties but have also faced obstacles.
In January, Iran launched missile and drone strikes on Pakistan’s Balochistan province, killing at least five. Pakistan responded with military strikes that killed at least nine.
Both countries then released reconciliatory statements.
The EU
The EU expressed its “sincere condolences” over the death of Mr Raisi and other officials.
“Our thoughts go out to the families,” European Council President Charles Michel said on X.
In addition to world leaders, Iran’s proxy groups have also issued statements of condolences.
IAEA
Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, expressed his condolences and held a minute of silence for Mr Raisi and Mr Amirabdollahian at the International Conference on Nuclear Security.
“Our thoughts are with their families and the people of Iran during this difficult time,” he said.
Yemen's Houthi rebels
“Our deepest condolences to the Iranian people, the Iranian leadership and the families of President Raisi and the accompanying delegation on their reported martyrdom,” the leader of the Yemen's Houthi rebels said on X.
The Houthis, who control Sanaa and territories in the north and west of the country, are part of the Axis of Resistance, an anti-western political and military coalition led by Tehran.
“The Iranian people will remain adhering to the loyal leaders of their people, by God's will,” Muhammad Al Houthi said.
Hezbollah
Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah group praised Mr Raisi as the “protector” of the resistance.
He was “a strong supporter, and a staunch defender of our causes … and a protector of the resistance movements”, the group said in a statement.
Lebanon's government declared three days of mourning for Mr Raisi.
Hamas
Hamas mourned Mr Raisi as an “honourable supporter” of the Palestinian cause. The Palestinian armed group said it appreciated the late President’s “support for the Palestinian resistance, and tireless efforts in solidarity” since the start of the war in Gaza on October 7.
Iran supports Hamas financially and militarily. Under Mr Raisi, Tehran launched an unprecedented drone and missile attack on Israel in retaliation to an air strike – widely blamed on Israel – on the Iranian consulate in Damascus that killed senior members of the IRGC.
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
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- All aspects of post-production.
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- Professional ethics.
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Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
T20 World Cup Qualifier
Final: Netherlands beat PNG by seven wickets
Qualified teams
1. Netherlands
2. PNG
3. Ireland
4. Namibia
5. Scotland
6. Oman
T20 World Cup 2020, Australia
Group A: Sri Lanka, PNG, Ireland, Oman
Group B: Bangladesh, Netherlands, Namibia, Scotland
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Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
Why are you, you?
Why are you, you?
From this question, a new beginning.
From this question, a new destiny.
For you are a world, and a meeting of worlds.
Our dream is to unite that which has been
separated by history.
To return the many to the one.
A great story unites us all,
beyond colour and creed and gender.
The lightning flash of art
And the music of the heart.
We reflect all cultures, all ways.
We are a twenty first century wonder.
Universal ideals, visions of art and truth.
Now is the turning point of cultures and hopes.
Come with questions, leave with visions.
We are the link between the past and the future.
Here, through art, new possibilities are born. And
new answers are given wings.
Why are you, you?
Because we are mirrors of each other.
Because together we create new worlds.
Together we are more powerful than we know.
We connect, we inspire, we multiply illuminations
with the unique light of art.
Ben Okri,
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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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.”
Uefa Nations League
League A:
Germany, Portugal, Belgium, Spain, France, England, Switzerland, Italy, Poland, Iceland, Croatia, Netherlands
League B:
Austria, Wales, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, Ukraine, Republic of Ireland, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Northern Ireland, Denmark, Czech Republic, Turkey
League C:
Hungary, Romania, Scotland, Slovenia, Greece, Serbia, Albania, Norway, Montenegro, Israel, Bulgaria, Finland, Cyprus, Estonia, Lithuania
League D:
Azerbaijan, Macedonia, Belarus, Georgia, Armenia, Latvia, Faroe Islands, Luxembourg, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Liechtenstein, Malta, Andorra, Kosovo, San Marino, Gibraltar
THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
The Written World: How Literature Shaped History
Martin Puchner
Granta
Three ways to boost your credit score
Marwan Lutfi says the core fundamentals that drive better payment behaviour and can improve your credit score are:
1. Make sure you make your payments on time;
2. Limit the number of products you borrow on: the more loans and credit cards you have, the more it will affect your credit score;
3. Don't max out all your debts: how much you maximise those credit facilities will have an impact. If you have five credit cards and utilise 90 per cent of that credit, it will negatively affect your score.
List of alleged parties
May 12, 2020: PM and his wife Carrie attend 'work meeting' with at least 17 staff
May 20, 2020: They attend 'bring your own booze party'
Nov 27, 2020: PM gives speech at leaving party for his staff
Dec 10, 2020: Staff party held by then-education secretary Gavin Williamson
Dec 13, 2020: PM and his wife throw a party
Dec 14, 2020: London mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey holds staff event at Conservative Party headquarters
Dec 15, 2020: PM takes part in a staff quiz
Dec 18, 2020: Downing Street Christmas party
Where to apply
Applicants should send their completed applications - CV, covering letter, sample(s) of your work, letter of recommendation - to Nick March, Assistant Editor in Chief at The National and UAE programme administrator for the Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism, by 5pm on April 30, 2020.
Please send applications to nmarch@thenational.ae and please mark the subject line as “Rosalynn Carter Fellowship for Mental Health Journalism (UAE programme application)”.
The local advisory board will consider all applications and will interview a short list of candidates in Abu Dhabi in June 2020. Successful candidates will be informed before July 30, 2020.
SPECS
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Breast cancer in men: the facts
1) Breast cancer is men is rare but can develop rapidly. It usually occurs in those over the ages of 60, but can occasionally affect younger men.
2) Symptoms can include a lump, discharge, swollen glands or a rash.
3) People with a history of cancer in the family can be more susceptible.
4) Treatments include surgery and chemotherapy but early diagnosis is the key.
5) Anyone concerned is urged to contact their doctor
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
