Pope Francis arrives at Zayed Sports City in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National
Pope Francis arrives at Zayed Sports City in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National
Pope Francis arrives at Zayed Sports City in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National
Pope Francis arrives at Zayed Sports City in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National

Looking ahead: a march towards more tolerance, harmony and progress in 2020


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As the year draws to a close, I have been thinking about the months that lie ahead. With over 40 years in the UAE behind me but not, I assume, quite so much ahead of me, what would I like to see in 2020?

Leaving aside personal wishes, I would, of course, like to see a thriving economy with greater job security for all. A boost in the property market would be welcome. Continued efforts to modernise and to streamline government would be nice. And where minor problems do exist, as with the procedures to introduce Abu Dhabi’s new tollgates, due to come into operation on Thursday, some more transparency would be reassuring.

More generally, though, where can further steps be taken to keep the country moving forward, complementing the remarkable progress that it has achieved so far?

Some topics are already familiar. We have heard about the importance of women's empowerment. More can be achieved, but its relevance is widely accepted. It is no longer a matter for debate. I would, though, like to see more attention being paid to some of the remarkable individuals in fields that tend to receive little attention, such as scientific research. Last month, I had the pleasure of meeting Dr Mejd Alsari, a physicist from Sharjah. Formerly with the Masdar Institute in Abu Dhabi, she is now a post-doctoral fellow at the world famous Cavendish Laboratory at Cambridge University, studying materials for use in solar power generation.

She and others like her are engaged in research that is of global importance. It is time, perhaps, that our Emirati scientists got more recognition for their contributions at an international level.

This past year, our Year of Tolerance has seen considerable emphasis on broadening and deepening the concept of tolerance that is such a fundamental part of UAE society. The February visit by Pope Francis has done much to promote recognition here and overseas of our religious and cultural tolerance. I hope that the UAE will continue to disseminate that message. It is something of enormous significance in a world where a nativist populist narrative now thrives, promoting division and discrimination.

We should never forget our good fortune to have been guided for so many years by our remarkable founding father, the late Sheikh Zayed

There is scope, I believe, for more attention to be paid here at home to other aspects of tolerance, going beyond culture and religion. If tolerance is to be fully achieved, more effort is needed to build a society that not only respects other forms of difference but pays attention to those who face a variety of complex challenges. That will make it easier for those facing challenges to contribute to society. A good start has been made in terms of our people of determination, those who are fighting to rise above handicaps.

Perhaps in the year ahead there could be a concerted effort to tackle what I described a few weeks ago as a "Voldemort illness", something whose name could not be mentioned: the issue of mental health.

If we really want to build an all-encompassing tolerant society, then we need to challenge and to overcome the stigma that prevents people from admitting publicly that, yes, actually they are struggling to cope and would like help. More open discussion of the issue and its many causes might prompt wider debate.

The fact that I am even able to propose these topics as areas for discussion is evidence of how far the country has come in the decades since I first arrived. Back in the mid-1970s, the idea of an Emirati woman being a world-class physicist would have been in the realm of dreams. A project to build an Abrahamic Family House, with a mosque, a church and a synagogue, would have seemed, at best, unlikely. The suggestion that people of determination should be welcomed into society would have sounded rather odd when many of those who were disabled in some way were often just hidden away. And another "Voldemort illness", that of cancer, was just that – something not to be mentioned. That stigma has now largely disappeared.

Lest we forget, all of that has been achieved in a rapidly developing country that has thrived while much of the region has been racked by turmoil. We should never forget our good fortune to have been guided for so many years by our remarkable founding father, the late Sheikh Zayed. Without his leadership, we would not have reached where we are today.

I have always seen the UAE as being a work in progress. There is much yet to be achieved. Looking back, I draw inspiration from the fact that so many challenges have been successfully tackled in the past. In 2020, and in the years to follow, I am confident that we will see progress not only on the issues I mention above, but in much more besides.

Peter Hellyer is a consultant specialising in the UAE's history and culture

Yahya Al Ghassani's bio

Date of birth: April 18, 1998

Playing position: Winger

Clubs: 2015-2017 – Al Ahli Dubai; March-June 2018 – Paris FC; August – Al Wahda

Who's who in Yemen conflict

Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government

Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council

Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south

Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory

Tips for taking the metro

- set out well ahead of time

- make sure you have at least Dh15 on you Nol card, as there could be big queues for top-up machines

- enter the right cabin. The train may be too busy to move between carriages once you're on

- don't carry too much luggage and tuck it under a seat to make room for fellow passengers

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
A cheaper choice

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Countdown to Zero exhibition will show how disease can be beaten

Countdown to Zero: Defeating Disease, an international multimedia exhibition created by the American Museum of National History in collaboration with The Carter Center, will open in Abu Dhabi a  month before Reaching the Last Mile.

Opening on October 15 and running until November 15, the free exhibition opens at The Galleria mall on Al Maryah Island, and has already been seen at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta, the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

 

Conservative MPs who have publicly revealed sending letters of no confidence
  1. Steve Baker
  2. Peter Bone
  3. Ben Bradley
  4. Andrew Bridgen
  5. Maria Caulfield​​​​​​​
  6. Simon Clarke 
  7. Philip Davies
  8. Nadine Dorries​​​​​​​
  9. James Duddridge​​​​​​​
  10. Mark Francois 
  11. Chris Green
  12. Adam Holloway
  13. Andrea Jenkyns
  14. Anne-Marie Morris
  15. Sheryll Murray
  16. Jacob Rees-Mogg
  17. Laurence Robertson
  18. Lee Rowley
  19. Henry Smith
  20. Martin Vickers 
  21. John Whittingdale

Director: Shady Ali
Cast: Boumi Fouad , Mohamed Tharout and Hisham Ismael
Rating: 3/5

RESULTS

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Winner: AF Majalis, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer).

5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 80,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: Sawt Assalam, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami.

6pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 80,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: Foah, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel.

6.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh 70,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: Faiza, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.

7pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 80,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner: RB Dixie Honor, Antonio Fresu, Helal Al Alawi.

7.30pm: Rated Conditions (TB) Dh 100,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner: Boerhan, Ryan Curatolo, Nicholas Bachalard.

CREW
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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

MATCH INFO

Sheffield United 0 Wolves 2 (Jimenez 3', Saiss 6)

Man of the Match Romain Saiss (Wolves)

How to help

Donate towards food and a flight by transferring money to this registered charity's account.

Account name: Dar Al Ber Society

Account Number: 11 530 734

IBAN: AE 9805 000 000 000 11 530 734

Bank Name: Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank

To ensure that your contribution reaches these people, please send the copy of deposit/transfer receipt to: juhi.khan@daralber.ae

Scoreline

Real Madrid 1
Ronaldo (53')

Atletico Madrid 1
Griezmann (57')

Our legal columnist

Name: Yousef Al Bahar

Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994

Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers

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