US president-elect Donald Trump nominated Lebanese American businessman Massad Boulos as his senior adviser on Arab and Middle Eastern affairs on Sunday.
Referring to Mr Boulos as a “dealmaker”, Mr Trump said he has been a long-time proponent of Republican and conservative values, “an asset to my campaign, and was instrumental in building tremendous new coalitions with the Arab-American community”.
It was the second time in recent days that Mr Trump chose the father-in-law of one of his children to serve in his administration.
On Saturday, Mr Trump said that he had picked his son-in-law Jared Kushner's father, real estate mogul Charles Kushner, to serve as US ambassador to France.
Mr Boulos, whose son Michael is married to Tiffany Trump, has been a prominent supporter of the Trump campaign, rallying Lebanese and Arab-American voters as US-backed Israeli military operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon heightened regional tensions.
With strong connections to the US and Lebanon, Mr Boulos brings a complex legacy to the role. His family has long-standing ties to Lebanese politics, with his father and grandfather playing notable roles.
His father-in-law was a significant financial backer of the Free Patriotic Movement, a Christian party aligned with the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah.
Karim Bitar, professor of international relations at St Joseph University of Beirut, told The National that Mr Boulos is in close contact with several political actors in Lebanon and his nomination will be "well received".
"He knows the country extremely well and he is perceived as a moderate who could bring Arab public opinion closer to the inner circles of Washington, DC," Prof Bitar said.
Prof Bitar added that Mr Boulos's nomination indicates that Mr Trump "pretty much like many Middle East leaders is a family man and likes to work or trusts mostly his family".
Mr Boulos has engaged with crucial players across Lebanon's fragmented political landscape, Reuters reported.
Notably, he has maintained relations with Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed Shiite party holding significant influence through parliamentary seats and government ministers.
At the same time, he has cultivated ties with the Lebanese Forces, an anti-Hezbollah Christian faction, and has engaged with independent politicians, the sources said.
What is Bitcoin?
Bitcoin is the most popular virtual currency in the world. It was created in 2009 as a new way of paying for things that would not be subject to central banks that are capable of devaluing currency. A Bitcoin itself is essentially a line of computer code. It's signed digitally when it goes from one owner to another. There are sustainability concerns around the cryptocurrency, which stem from the process of "mining" that is central to its existence.
The "miners" use computers to make complex calculations that verify transactions in Bitcoin. This uses a tremendous amount of energy via computers and server farms all over the world, which has given rise to concerns about the amount of fossil fuel-dependent electricity used to power the computers.
Basquiat in Abu Dhabi
One of Basquiat’s paintings, the vibrant Cabra (1981–82), now hangs in Louvre Abu Dhabi temporarily, on loan from the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
The latter museum is not open physically, but has assembled a collection and puts together a series of events called Talking Art, such as this discussion, moderated by writer Chaedria LaBouvier.
It's something of a Basquiat season in Abu Dhabi at the moment. Last week, The Radiant Child, a documentary on Basquiat was shown at Manarat Al Saadiyat, and tonight (April 18) the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is throwing the re-creation of a party tonight, of the legendary Canal Zone party thrown in 1979, which epitomised the collaborative scene of the time. It was at Canal Zone that Basquiat met prominent members of the art world and moved from unknown graffiti artist into someone in the spotlight.
“We’ve invited local resident arists, we’ll have spray cans at the ready,” says curator Maisa Al Qassemi of the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
Guggenheim Abu Dhabi's Canal Zone Remix is at Manarat Al Saadiyat, Thursday April 18, from 8pm. Free entry to all. Basquiat's Cabra is on view at Louvre Abu Dhabi until October
Also on December 7 to 9, the third edition of the Gulf Car Festival (www.gulfcarfestival.com) will take over Dubai Festival City Mall, a new venue for the event. Last year's festival brought together about 900 cars worth more than Dh300 million from across the Emirates and wider Gulf region – and that first figure is set to swell by several hundred this time around, with between 1,000 and 1,200 cars expected. The first day is themed around American muscle; the second centres on supercars, exotics, European cars and classics; and the final day will major in JDM (Japanese domestic market) cars, tuned vehicles and trucks. Individuals and car clubs can register their vehicles, although the festival isn’t all static displays, with stunt drifting, a rev battle, car pulls and a burnout competition.
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
