Insight and opinion from The National’s editorial leadership
November 12, 2021
Climate change is coming fast to the Middle East, but so is the desire to do something about it.
At this year's Cop26, the world saw the many different ways the region's countries are joining the conversation. And now, the Middle East is showing it wants to not just be part of the solution, but a home for it, too. The latest example came on Thursday, when it was announced that the UAE will host Cop28, scheduled to be held in 2023.
The UAE's leaders congratulated the country for winning the bid to host the "most important" of meetings.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, tweeted after the announcement that the UAE would put everything towards making Cop28 a success.
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, said the UAE looked forward "to working with the international community to accelerate global efforts to address climate change and environmental protection and create a more sustainable economic future”.
After the decision, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, offered a reminder that it was Sheikh Zayed, the Founding Father of the UAE, who has inspired "us as we strive to safeguard the well-being of present and future generations".
"Cop28 in 2023 will and must be a ‘solutions Cop’ – and I am confident that the rich experience of this young, inclusive nation in advancing practical, viable and shareable solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges will again come to the fore as we host the world for the UN Climate Change Conference in two years’ time," he said, according to Wam.
"The UAE Net Zero by 2050 Strategic Initiative, announced earlier this year, shows our own unwavering commitment to promoting climate action. Further, through new investment commitments and partnerships, we are illustrating our determination to support the world in addressing climate change."
Choosing the UAE to host Cop28 is also another huge moment for the environmental movement in the region, which will follow in the footsteps of Cop27, to be held in Egypt.
Having back-to-back conferences in the Middle East and North Africa is a sign of how the event is changing. Its early years were confined to Europe, when the foresight of countries such as Germany spotted the need for it as far back as the 1990s. But, as the global significance of the issue at hand becomes clear, Cop has been held all over the world. Now, it is very much in its Middle Eastern phase.
And that has much to offer the world. In the most basic sense, the region is an early example of the dangers ahead. It is the most water-stressed part of the planet, with a rising temperature double the global average. This burden will be borne by some of the most fragile societies, made up of people who often have known few of the highly polluting luxuries for which the developed world is largely responsible.
But reconfiguring this conversation is not just about the UAE's efforts; the successful bid would not have been possible without the backing a number of other countries, including all member states of the UN's Asia-Pacific Group and the Arab League. It is this ability to rally global support that will also make Cop28 one to watch. At this year's meeting, the atmosphere between the world's biggest emitters has not been easy, something that may stop the event reaching its full potential. Agreement may become easier as the conversation shifts to new geographies.
And Cop is not just about getting governments on board, but industry, too. Earlier this month, The National spoke to Claire O'Neill, managing director of climate and energy for the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. Discussing the prospect of upcoming conferences in the Middle East, Ms O'Neill said: “I think the next Cop cycle will be a new chance to amplify those of the world's most sustainable businesses who are committed to net zero by 2050, nature positive and committed to reducing inequality and total transparency in reporting.”
Agreement may become easier as the conversation shifts to new geographies
A hub for international business, the UAE would also be a particularly strong location for major industries to discuss how they might contribute to fighting climate change outside western contexts. After all, a corporate sustainability strategy that works in the US or Scandinavia might well not work in the Middle East or the rest of the world. We are already seeing this mixing of expertise at work at Expo 2020 Dubai, where a number of countries and companies from all over the world are providing sustainable engineering for the UAE's desert location.
As part of its commitments under the 2015 Paris Agreement, the UAE recently announced it has stepped up its plans to plant mangroves, and now aims to plant 100 million by 2030. After Thursday's announcement on Cop28, the UAE will help plant the seeds for a new regional culture of environmentalism, too.
Community volunteers have swung into action delivering food packages and toiletries to the men.
When provisions are distributed, the men line up in long queues for packets of rice, flour, sugar, salt, pulses, milk, biscuits, shaving kits, soap and telecom cards.
Volunteers from St Mary’s Catholic Church said some workers came to the church to pray for their families and ask for assistance.
Boxes packed with essential food items were distributed to workers in the Dubai Investments Park and Ras Al Khaimah camps last week. Workers at the Sonapur camp asked for Dh1,600 towards their gas bill.
“Especially in this year of tolerance we consider ourselves privileged to be able to lend a helping hand to our needy brothers in the Actco camp," Father Lennie Connully, parish priest of St Mary’s.
Workers spoke of their helplessness, seeing children’s marriages cancelled because of lack of money going home. Others told of their misery of being unable to return home when a parent died.
“More than daily food, they are worried about not sending money home for their family,” said Kusum Dutta, a volunteer who works with the Indian consulate.
Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
Manchester United v Everton
Where: Old Trafford, Manchester When: Sunday, kick-off 7pm (UAE) How to watch: Live on BeIN Sports 11HD
Emirates exiles
Will Wilson is not the first player to have attained high-class representative honours after first learning to play rugby on the playing fields of UAE.
Jonny Macdonald
Abu Dhabi-born and raised, the current Jebel Ali Dragons assistant coach was selected to play for Scotland at the Hong Kong Sevens in 2011.
Jordan Onojaife
Having started rugby by chance when the Jumeirah College team were short of players, he later won the World Under 20 Championship with England.
Devante Onojaife
Followed older brother Jordan into England age-group rugby, as well as the pro game at Northampton Saints, but recently switched allegiance to Scotland.
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
Syria v Australia
2018 World Cup qualifying: Asia fourth round play-off first leg
Venue: Hang Jebat Stadium (Malacca, Malayisa)
Kick-off: Thursday, 4.30pm (UAE)
Watch: beIN Sports HD
* Second leg in Australia scheduled for October 10
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
Washmen Profile
Date Started: May 2015
Founders: Rami Shaar and Jad Halaoui
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Laundry
Employees: 170
Funding: about $8m
Funders: Addventure, B&Y Partners, Clara Ventures, Cedar Mundi Partners, Henkel Ventures
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Kopa Trophy (Best player under 21 – Men’s) Lamine Yamal (Barcelona / Spain)
Best Young Women’s Player Vicky López (Barcelona / Spain)
Yashin Trophy (Best Goalkeeper – Men’s) Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City / Italy)
Best Women’s Goalkeeper Hannah Hampton (England / Aston Villa and Chelsea)
Men’s Coach of the Year Luis Enrique (Paris Saint-Germain)
Women’s Coach of the Year Sarina Wiegman (England)
German intelligence warnings
2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
Microsoft’s ‘hacker-in-chief’ David Weston, creator of the tech company’s Windows Red Team, advises simple steps to help people avoid falling victim to cyber fraud:
1. Always get the latest operating system on your smartphone or desktop, as it will have the latest innovations. An outdated OS can erode away all investments made in securing your device or system.
2. After installing the latest OS version, keep it patched; this means repairing system vulnerabilities which are discovered after the infrastructure components are released in the market. The vast majority of attacks are based on out of date components – there are missing patches.
3. Multi-factor authentication is required. Move away from passwords as fast as possible, particularly for anything financial. Cybercriminals are targeting money through compromising the users’ identity – his username and password. So, get on the next level of security using fingertips or facial recognition.
4. Move your personal as well as professional data to the cloud, which has advanced threat detection mechanisms and analytics to spot any attempt. Even if you are hit by some ransomware, the chances of restoring the stolen data are higher because everything is backed up.
5. Make the right hardware selection and always refresh it. We are in a time where a number of security improvement processes are reliant on new processors and chip sets that come with embedded security features. Buy a new personal computer with a trusted computing module that has fingerprint or biometric cameras as additional measures of protection.
