Just a few weeks ago, Beijing warmly welcomed its Arab allies for the 10th ministerial meeting of the China-Arab States Co-operation Forum. This was attended by several leading Arab figures, including President Sheikh Mohamed of the UAE.
The resulting Beijing Declaration offered a new blueprint for the future of Arab-China relations, including stronger political and economic ties with a special focus on investment, energy, infrastructure, science and technology, and culture. Organisations were assigned to develop these links, with a clear timetable for progress to be achieved in the two years.
The joint statement also sent a strong and clear message regarding the issue of Palestine, calling for a cease-fire in Gaza and an early date to achieve the comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of conflict.
Celebrating its 20th anniversary, the forum has achieved some remarkable successes, firmly establishing itself as the primary framework for fostering relations between China and the Arab world. Notably, the forum has boosted trade between the two, with it growing nearly tenfold over the past two decades to reach $400 billion, according to figures from China’s State Council.
The Emirates has played a pioneering role in strengthening Arab-Chinese relations. In 19990, UAE Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, became the first Gulf state leader to visit China, and the Emirates was the first Arab country to establish an Arabic language center in Beijing the same year.
Today, trade co-operation between the UAE and China accounts for nearly a quarter of total Arab trade with China. Many major Chinese companies have chosen the Emirates as their base for Middle Eastern operations, drawn by the country’s stability, modern laws and favorable business environment. The UAE hosts the largest Chinese community in the Arab region – about half a million people – and has established the only Chinese school in the Arab world that is recognised by the Chinese Ministry of Education.
Under the care of Sheikh Mohamed, UAE-China relations have continued to flourish. Abu Dhabi was an early partner of China’s Belt and Road Initiative and was a founding member of the China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. During his visit, Sheikh Mohamed attended celebrations marking the 40th anniversary of the partnership between Beijing and Abu Dhabi, referring to China as his "second hometown," a sentiment that was much appreciated in Beijing. Such strong economic and financial ties with China have reinforced growing Arab influence there.
Today, trade co-operation between the UAE and China accounts for nearly a quarter of total Arab trade with China
Politically, two thirds of Arab countries have become strategic partners of Beijing, the highest concentration of such partnerships for China in any region. All Arab states have signed on to China’s Belt and Road Initiative, with an increased number of formidable ambassadors seeking to articulate the Arab world’s perspective in the heart of the Chinese capital. The Arab-China Co-operation Forum has also fostered considerable political understanding – China publicly backs the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, respects Arab sovereignty and opposes external interference in Arab affairs. Conversely, Arab countries respect the one-China policy and reject interference in China's internal affairs.
Cultural and scientific exchanges have also thrived, with thousands of Arab students studying in China and hundreds of young Chinese pursuing their education in Arab countries. China has incorporated Arabic language and culture into its universities, and the Confucius Institute – non-profit educational institutions jointly established by Chinese and overseas partner institutions – has opened 21 branches in Arab countries. Mandarin Chinese is now part of the curriculum in numerous Arab states, echoing the UAE's decision to begin offering the language as a subject four years ago. Furthermore, given that Chinese public opinion holds the UAE in high regard, the country has become a top tourist destination for Chinese citizens.
China’s President Xi Jinping has significantly enriched Arab-Chinese co-operation through numerous initiatives. These include the 2014 proposal to jointly build the Belt and Road, the 2016 concept of a community of common interests, the decision in 2018 to elevate Beijing’s bilateral relations with the UAE to a comprehensive strategic partnership, and the 2022 proposal to build a community with a shared future. At this summit, Mr Xi proposed five new co-operation frameworks to advance ties with Arab states, providing lasting momentum to Sino-Arab relations.
Over the past two decades, the Arab-China Co-operation Forum has deepened and broadened Arab-Chinese relations, and has allowed Arab countries to co-ordinate their approach to China. Arab countries' concerns are listened to more carefully by Beijing when they act collectively, and the $400 billion in China-Arab trade volume make them an important trading partner.
The forum also countered pressure from the US for its Arab friends to keep a certain distance from the peer competitor that China represents today.
Most of the Arab states have sent a clear message to Washington and Beijing that they have little appetite to join one side or another in the G2 clash. Paradoxically they should try to benefit from the continuing competition of the great powers, a craft they should strive to perfect by committing to developing more China affairs experts and advisors as well as setting an exemplary standard for fair and equal international relations.
Types of bank fraud
1) Phishing
Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
2) Smishing
The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
3) Vishing
The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
4) SIM swap
Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
5) Identity theft
Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
6) Prize scams
Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
Cricket World Cup League 2 Fixtures
Saturday March 5, UAE v Oman, ICC Academy (all matches start at 9.30am)
Sunday March 6, Oman v Namibia, ICC Academy
Tuesday March 8, UAE v Namibia, ICC Academy
Wednesday March 9, UAE v Oman, ICC Academy
Friday March 11, Oman v Namibia, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Saturday March 12, UAE v Namibia, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza (captain), Chirag Suri, Muhammad Waseem, CP Rizwan, Vriitya Aravind, Asif Khan, Basil Hameed, Rohan Mustafa, Kashif Daud, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Karthik Meiyappan, Akif Raja, Rahul Bhatia
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
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.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Results
Stage seven
1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates, in 3:20:24
2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers, at 1s
3. Pello Bilbao (ESP) Bahrain-Victorious, at 5s
General Classification
1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates, in 25:38:16
2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers, at 22s
3. Pello Bilbao (ESP) Bahrain-Victorious, at 48s
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
