Six months after the downfall of Bashar Al Assad, Syria’s new leader Ahmad Al Shara has established himself on the global stage and is pushing ahead with efforts to rebuild a fractured nation.
After 13 years of civil war, Mr Al Shara led a rebel assault against the Assad regime and within 12 days ousted the president on December 8, without much of a fight. The leader of Hayat Tahrir Al Sham, a former Al Qaeda affiliate, Mr Al Shara now serves as Syria's President and is at the head of a transitional government.
A cabinet was formed in March and includes ministers from Syria’s diverse groups, with the aim of fostering national reconciliation. Members of the new government have participated in major international conferences and Mr Al Shara has been in the global spotlight for the past six months. Last week, he concluded his ninth international trip – and fourth to the Gulf – with a state visit to Kuwait.
Much of the change in the country has been seen as positive, prompting a first wave of Syrians to return from neighbouring countries. “When the regime finally fell, I took the first flight to Beirut, and from there I returned to Syria,” said Amr Alhamad, a Syrian lawyer who has launched a media consultancy project in his homeland.
“Yes, we won. It was magnificent. Entering Damascus felt like I could finally breathe again."
Domestic challenges
While many celebrated the removal of the authoritarian Assad regime, Syrians remain cautiously optimistic about the future given Mr Al Shara’s “strong past”, as US President Donald Trump described it, recent outbreaks of sectarian violence and Israeli interference.
Mr Al Assad is an Alawite and, since his downfall, the minority community has come under repeated attack. Many of its members regard the ascendancy of HTS as a threat to the existence of the community, which held power in Syria from 1963 until the Assad regime was toppled. Mr Al Shara has appointed a committee to investigate the bloodshed in the Alawites' coastal heartland, but he has blamed members of the former regime for the violence.
One Alawite in the Kurdish region of Iraq, who requested anonymity over fear of reprisals, said he was waiting for the situation to improve and did not yet feel it was safe to return to Syria. “We don’t trust them and we are waiting for things to be better,” he said of the new government.
He initially left Syria to avoid forced military conscription under the Assad regime and, while he was not politically active, he was still worried about becoming a target as an Alawite.
Tensions also surged after a manipulated recording falsely claimed a Druze cleric had insulted Islam. The fake recording triggered sectarian violence, with militants attacking Druze towns near Damascus.
Israel then launched air strikes near the Syrian presidential palace in the capital, which it said was a warning to the authorities not to harm the Druze minority. The strikes were another reminder of the challenges ahead for Syria, with regard to minorities, as well as Israeli interference.
Over the past six months, Israel has pushed further into southern Syria and has waged a campaign of aerial bombardment.
While the new Syrian authorities have enjoyed warmer ties with the West, Israel remains suspicious. Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Al Shibani said Israeli strikes on Syria this week, launched after rockets were fired towards Israel, were aimed at destabilising the country.
The Israeli attack took place after Mr Al Shara said last month that his government was holding indirect talks with Israel to bring an end to its strikes on Syria.
Conflict is also continuing in Kurdish-majority areas of north-eastern Syria, where Turkish forces and proxies allied to Ankara clash with the Syrian Democratic Forces. Although a deal was signed by Mr Al Shara and SDF chief Mazloum Abdi on March 10 to integrate the SDF into Syria’s state institutions, there is still work to do to reconcile with the Kurds.
Ilham Ahmed, co-chairman of foreign affairs for the SDF's political wing, the Syrian Democratic Council, told The National in April that there were “red lines” when it came to the country's constitution and Kurdish representation.
“Decentralisation is a key demand,” she said at the time, although Mr Al Shara has rejected the prospect of federalism.
Uniting the myriad armed factions in Syria is crucial for Mr Al Shara’s consolidation of power and for stability in the country. Syria's transitional authorities have so far recruited half of a planned 200,000-man army, a military official told The National.
The move to integrate thousands of foreign fighters into the military is a step in the right direction but many risks persist, said Mona Yacoubian, senior adviser and director of the Middle East Programme at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies.
"He faces extremist threats from within as well as from ISIS, which recently claimed an attack in Suweida and continues to pose a real threat elsewhere," she said.
Dareen Khalifa, a Syria expert at the International Crisis Group, said that the primary focus for Mr Al Shara was to get the security and economic front into a national centralised government.
Authorities know that "in order to focus on the economic recovery process, they need to build enough political momentum and goodwill regionally and internationally," said Ms Khalifa.
In the coming months, Mr Al Shara will “continue to prioritise security, working to bring more rebels and armed groups under the umbrella of the central military and government,” she added.
Sanctions relief after historic Trump talks
In a landmark diplomatic engagement in the post-Assad era, Mr Al Shara met Mr Trump in Riyadh, marking the first direct contact between the US and Syria's new leadership since Mr Al Assad was toppled. The meeting, facilitated by Saudi officials, underscored a significant shift in Washington's policy towards Syria, with Mr Trump having announced a move to ease long-standing sanctions.
The Treasury Department later issued a general licence that authorises transactions involving Mr Al Shara's government, as well as the central bank and state-owned enterprises.
The sanctions relief is contingent on Syria's commitment to several conditions – telling all foreign militants to leave, deporting what Mr Trump called Palestinian terrorists and helping the US prevent the resurgence of ISIS, the White House said.
Similarly, the EU has moved to lift sanctions on Syria, with the exception of those based on security matters.
"The US decision to suspend sanctions - although temporary - provided a boost to Al Shara's efforts, paving the way for the Europeans to follow suit. Syria is now beginning to see some resources flow in," said Ms Yacoubian.
The prospect of a sanctions-free Syria is expected to open the door for Gulf sovereign wealth funds and businesses to explore new opportunities. After Mr Trump’s announcement, the UAE’s DP World signed an $800 million agreement to develop and operate the port of Tartus. Saudi Arabia and Qatar have jointly pledged public salary support for Damascus.
"Ahmad Al Shara's administration has focused on securing regional and international legitimacy as a means to gain sanctions relief, viewing diplomatic normalisation as essential to reviving Syria’s devastated economy," said Sanam Vakhil, director of the Middle East Programme at the London-based Chatham House.
"By re-engaging with Arab states and appealing to global powers, the regime seeks to attract investment, aid and reconstruction support to build greater internal support and stability."
Despite these developments, the international community remains cautious. Olof Skoog , deputy secretary general for political affairs at the European External Action Service, told The National that the bloc believes Syria’s leaders are committed to reform, but sanctions "can be reimposed – this is not a one-way street".
“This doesn't mean that we now leave everything to go its own way. On the contrary, it gives us a platform for dialogue with the Syrian leadership, and a basis for holding them accountable,” he noted.
But for some Syrians, the effect of these changes has not yet been felt. “Economically, nothing has changed. People are still tired, salaries are low, there’s no money in the country, and there’s no electricity,” said a doctor in Damascus.
Mr Alhamad hopes that in six months, "we’ll begin to see change."
"Not just economic reform," he said, "but also progress towards the rule of law."
Nada Maucourant Atallah and Nada Homsi contributed reporting from Beirut
21 Lessons for the 21st Century
Yuval Noah Harari, Jonathan Cape
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The Orwell Prize for Political Writing
Twelve books were longlisted for The Orwell Prize for Political Writing. The non-fiction works cover various themes from education, gender bias, and the environment to surveillance and political power. Some of the books that made it to the non-fiction longlist include:
- Appeasing Hitler: Chamberlain, Churchill and the Road to War by Tim Bouverie
- Some Kids I Taught and What They Taught Me by Kate Clanchy
- Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez
- Follow Me, Akhi: The Online World of British Muslims by Hussein Kesvani
- Guest House for Young Widows: Among the Women of ISIS by Azadeh Moaveni
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
No more lice
Defining head lice
Pediculus humanus capitis are tiny wingless insects that feed on blood from the human scalp. The adult head louse is up to 3mm long, has six legs, and is tan to greyish-white in colour. The female lives up to four weeks and, once mature, can lay up to 10 eggs per day. These tiny nits firmly attach to the base of the hair shaft, get incubated by body heat and hatch in eight days or so.
Identifying lice
Lice can be identified by itching or a tickling sensation of something moving within the hair. One can confirm that a person has lice by looking closely through the hair and scalp for nits, nymphs or lice. Head lice are most frequently located behind the ears and near the neckline.
Treating lice at home
Head lice must be treated as soon as they are spotted. Start by checking everyone in the family for them, then follow these steps. Remove and wash all clothing and bedding with hot water. Apply medicine according to the label instructions. If some live lice are still found eight to 12 hours after treatment, but are moving more slowly than before, do not re-treat. Comb dead and remaining live lice out of the hair using a fine-toothed comb.
After the initial treatment, check for, comb and remove nits and lice from hair every two to three days. Soak combs and brushes in hot water for 10 minutes.Vacuum the floor and furniture, particularly where the infested person sat or lay.
Courtesy Dr Vishal Rajmal Mehta, specialist paediatrics, RAK Hospital
PRISCILLA
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City's slump
L - Juventus, 2-0
D - C Palace, 2-2
W - N Forest, 3-0
L - Liverpool, 2-0
D - Feyenoord, 3-3
L - Tottenham, 4-0
L - Brighton, 2-1
L - Sporting, 4-1
L - Bournemouth, 2-1
L - Tottenham, 2-1
Set-jetting on the Emerald Isle
Other shows filmed in Ireland include: Vikings (County Wicklow), The Fall (Belfast), Line of Duty (Belfast), Penny Dreadful (Dublin), Ripper Street (Dublin), Krypton (Belfast)
Blonde
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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.”
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
