In early December, Vladimir Putin visited the Russian Hmeimim airbase in Syria, accompanied by Bashar Al Assad. In a meeting with Syrian officers, he singled out Gen Suheil Al Hassan, the head of the Tiger Force in the Syrian army, as an effective military commander.
Mr Putin implied that the Russians were watching Gen Al Hassan closely, suggesting to a paranoid Mr Al Assad that he could emerge as a favourite of Moscow if the Syrian president were forced out of office. All of this was implicit, nothing more, but the look of dread on Gen Al Hassan's face showed he regarded the praise as a mixed blessing, as it could push the Al Assads to get rid of him.
Mr Putin has indicated that the war in Syria is effectively over. The Russian president is not alone in being optimistic. French president Emmanuel Macron told the France 2 television station on Sunday that the conflict against ISIL would be completed by February, "therefore it will be necessary to talk to Bashar and his representatives."
Yet as the director of the Carnegie Moscow Centre, Dimitri Trenin, recently remarked on a visit to Beirut, the hard part now begins. During the military campaign, he observed, Russia was the dominant outside player. However, now that the situation is moving towards a political settlement and reconstruction, many more parties will have a say in what happens in Syria, so that Moscow will need to share responsibility with others. “Russian diplomacy will come to the forefront,” he predicted, “and that will be challenging.”
Indeed, one thing that is immediately apparent is that for as long as Mr Al Assad remains president, he will represent a major barrier to Syria's normalisation. But if Mr Putin's priority is to consolidate Russian gains in a Syria that has been normalised, that means finding a solution to the Syrian president's future. Mr Al Assad is surely aware of this, which is why he has said time and again that any political process must be decided by the Syrians themselves, not outsiders.
What exists today is a particularly complex standoff, where Mr Al Assad, the Russians, and Iran are all facing each other in Syria, each wary of the intentions of the others. Mr Al Assad is said to be worried about Iran’s influence, hoping to counterbalance this by relying on Russia. But he also knows that the Russians may be willing to remove him from power and he can only neutralise such an effort by leaning more on Tehran, which wants him to stay on, so extensive is their sway in Damascus today.
The Russians and Iranians are also eyeing each other with suspicion. Which of them will emerge the more influential? Mr Putin is not keen to see Syria turned into a front line in Iran's confrontation with Israel, and has taken steps with the Americans to prevent the deployment of Iranian and pro-Iran forces near the occupied Golan Heights. Iran, in turn, mistrusts Russia's intentions with regard to Mr Al Assad, and doubtless feels that Mr Putin is too willing to compromise with the United States and Arab states in Syria than is good for its own interests.
What happens to Mr Al Assad is the elephant in the room of the whole Syrian endgame. For a long time the Syrian leader’s weakness was, paradoxically, his strength. So weak was he, that his downfall threatened the entire edifice that Russia and Iran sought to maintain in place in Syria. But now that this has become unlikely, Mr Al Assad’s removal risks causing less damage to the Syrian military-security power structure, making him more vulnerable.
Moscow and Tehran are said to disagree over what to do with him. However, at some point Syria will need funding for reconstruction, and little is expected to come from an Arab world deeply hostile to Mr Al Assad's remaining in place. The many tens of billions of dollars needed to rebuild a devastated country have to come from somewhere, and neither Russia nor Iran can finance reconstruction on their own. Moreover, the Syrian president's continued rule will be a barrier to the return of refugees, encouraging them to remain in countries bordering Syria.
If Mr Al Assad is the only obstacle preventing all this, even his closest allies may be tempted to begin recalculating the relative costs and benefits of keeping him in office. Iran is no less interested than Russia in strengthening peace in post-war Syria, even if the two vary widely on the conditions in which this takes place. And Mr Al Assad has too much blood on his hands to simply ignore the implications.
Doubtless Mr Al Hassan realised this. The Al Assads have been suspected of eliminating quite a few individuals perceived as potential alternatives to their rule. The end of Syria’s war may begin a game of political or physical elimination that raises many new questions about the country’s uncertain prospects.
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Motori Profile
Date started: March 2020
Co-founder/CEO: Ahmed Eissa
Based: UAE, Abu Dhabi
Sector: Insurance Sector
Size: 50 full-time employees (Inside and Outside UAE)
Stage: Seed stage and seeking Series A round of financing
Investors: Safe City Group
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Company%20Profile
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Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
Company%20Profile
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Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
Company profile
Name: The Concept
Founders: Yadhushan Mahendran, Maria Sobh and Muhammad Rijal
Based: Abu Dhabi
Founded: 2017
Number of employees: 7
Sector: Aviation and space industry
Funding: $250,000
Future plans: Looking to raise $1 million investment to boost expansion and develop new products
Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
Details
Through Her Lens: The stories behind the photography of Eva Sereny
Forewords by Jacqueline Bisset and Charlotte Rampling, ACC Art Books
SPECS
Engine: 4-litre V8 twin-turbo
Power: 630hp
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: 8-speed Tiptronic automatic
Price: From Dh599,000
On sale: Now
Royal wedding inspired menu
Ginger, citrus and orange blossom iced tea
Avocado ranch dip with crudites
Cucumber, smoked salmon and cream cheese mini club sandwiches
Elderflower and lemon syllabub meringue
If you go
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Seattle from Dh5,555 return, including taxes.
The car
Hertz offers compact car rental from about $300 (Dh1,100) per week, including taxes. Emirates Skywards members can earn points on their car hire through Hertz.
The national park
Entry to Mount Rainier National Park costs $30 for one vehicle and passengers for up to seven days. Accommodation can be booked through mtrainierguestservices.com. Prices vary according to season. Rooms at the Holiday Inn Yakima cost from $125 per night, excluding breakfast.
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 650hp at 6,750rpm
Torque: 800Nm from 2,500-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 11.12L/100km
Price: From Dh796,600
On sale: now
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Company%20Profile
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The specS: 2018 Toyota Camry
Price: base / as tested: Dh91,000 / Dh114,000
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 298hp @ 6,600rpm
Torque: 356Nm @ 4,700rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
Naga
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TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
The biog
DOB: 25/12/92
Marital status: Single
Education: Post-graduate diploma in UAE Diplomacy and External Affairs at the Emirates Diplomatic Academy in Abu Dhabi
Hobbies: I love fencing, I used to fence at the MK Fencing Academy but I want to start again. I also love reading and writing
Lifelong goal: My dream is to be a state minister
THE BIO:
Favourite holiday destination: Thailand. I go every year and I’m obsessed with the fitness camps there.
Favourite book: Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. It’s an amazing story about barefoot running.
Favourite film: A League of their Own. I used to love watching it in my granny’s house when I was seven.
Personal motto: Believe it and you can achieve it.
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The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
The bio:
Favourite film:
Declan: It was The Commitments but now it’s Bohemian Rhapsody.
Heidi: The Long Kiss Goodnight.
Favourite holiday destination:
Declan: Las Vegas but I also love getting home to Ireland and seeing everyone back home.
Heidi: Australia but my dream destination would be to go to Cuba.
Favourite pastime:
Declan: I love brunching and socializing. Just basically having the craic.
Heidi: Paddleboarding and swimming.
Personal motto:
Declan: Take chances.
Heidi: Live, love, laugh and have no regrets.
Fixtures
Tuesday - 5.15pm: Team Lebanon v Alger Corsaires; 8.30pm: Abu Dhabi Storms v Pharaohs
Wednesday - 5.15pm: Pharaohs v Carthage Eagles; 8.30pm: Alger Corsaires v Abu Dhabi Storms
Thursday - 4.30pm: Team Lebanon v Pharaohs; 7.30pm: Abu Dhabi Storms v Carthage Eagles
Friday - 4.30pm: Pharaohs v Alger Corsaires; 7.30pm: Carthage Eagles v Team Lebanon
Saturday - 4.30pm: Carthage Eagles v Alger Corsaires; 7.30pm: Abu Dhabi Storms v Team Lebanon
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Company profile
Name: Steppi
Founders: Joe Franklin and Milos Savic
Launched: February 2020
Size: 10,000 users by the end of July and a goal of 200,000 users by the end of the year
Employees: Five
Based: Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai
Financing stage: Two seed rounds – the first sourced from angel investors and the founders' personal savings
Second round raised Dh720,000 from silent investors in June this year
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Essentials
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct from the UAE to Geneva from Dh2,845 return, including taxes. The flight takes 6 hours.
The package
Clinique La Prairie offers a variety of programmes. A six-night Master Detox costs from 14,900 Swiss francs (Dh57,655), including all food, accommodation and a set schedule of medical consultations and spa treatments.
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