Mourning the loss of Sheikh Khalifa
Everyone at the American University in the Emirates is united in expressing their sadness at the departure of Sheikh Khalifa, who was a symbol of hard work and commitment to the advancement of his country, and spared no effort in serving its causes. His rich journey was replete with achievements and successes that made his country a model of management, leadership and progress. His passing is a profound loss both to his people and the world in general.
It is, therefore, with the greatest sympathy to the government and people of the UAE, and all its citizens around the globe, that the university recognises the death of a titan, the leader of the nation and the patron of its march towards progress.
Murad Al Natsheh, Dubai
Best wishes to Sheikh Mohamed
I would like to express my best wishes to UAE President Sheikh Mohamed following his election this week. May God bless him with good health and all the success necessary to take this great nation forward. I am certain that, given his considerable governing experience and the wisdom he has gained from his own life as well as from his father and brother, who were presidents before him, Sheikh Mohamed will succeed.
Shyam Babu, UAE
Tourism will still be key in a post-pandemic world
I write in reference to your article Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid says Dubai leads the world in its return to normality (May 10): the Arabian Travel Market was the perfect platform for Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid to talk about the much-anticipated "return to normality". Tourism is among those industries that will continue to thrive worldwide, despite being set back for two years by the Covid-19 pandemic. After all, how can people stop travelling?
The pandemic is not behind us just yet. But as the world recovers from one of its biggest ever health crises, the time is now for all of us to help struggling businesses regain their strength, which will have a positive ripple effect on the rest of the global economy.
Ramachandran Nair, Muscat
Hellyer is right about lifelong learning
This is a note of gratitude to Peter Hellyer for his opinion piece titled If your children are afraid of exams, then maybe you are partly to blame (May 12): at this time of year, many parents are feeling anxious about the forthcoming performance of their children if important exams are imminent. For us as parents, we have true faith in a lifelong educational experience for our son, from The British School Al Khubairat, and we hope he achieves his potential. Like Peter says, though, whether results are good, bad or indifferent, the process of learning will continue for the rest of their lives. And so the mantra lives on.
Jane Bett, Abu Dhabi
Email sent to Uber team from chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi
From: Dara
To: Team@
Date: March 25, 2019 at 11:45pm PT
Subj: Accelerating in the Middle East
Five years ago, Uber launched in the Middle East. It was the start of an incredible journey, with millions of riders and drivers finding new ways to move and work in a dynamic region that’s become so important to Uber. Now Pakistan is one of our fastest-growing markets in the world, women are driving with Uber across Saudi Arabia, and we chose Cairo to launch our first Uber Bus product late last year.
Today we are taking the next step in this journey—well, it’s more like a leap, and a big one: in a few minutes, we’ll announce that we’ve agreed to acquire Careem. Importantly, we intend to operate Careem independently, under the leadership of co-founder and current CEO Mudassir Sheikha. I’ve gotten to know both co-founders, Mudassir and Magnus Olsson, and what they have built is truly extraordinary. They are first-class entrepreneurs who share our platform vision and, like us, have launched a wide range of products—from digital payments to food delivery—to serve consumers.
I expect many of you will ask how we arrived at this structure, meaning allowing Careem to maintain an independent brand and operate separately. After careful consideration, we decided that this framework has the advantage of letting us build new products and try new ideas across not one, but two, strong brands, with strong operators within each. Over time, by integrating parts of our networks, we can operate more efficiently, achieve even lower wait times, expand new products like high-capacity vehicles and payments, and quicken the already remarkable pace of innovation in the region.
This acquisition is subject to regulatory approval in various countries, which we don’t expect before Q1 2020. Until then, nothing changes. And since both companies will continue to largely operate separately after the acquisition, very little will change in either teams’ day-to-day operations post-close. Today’s news is a testament to the incredible business our team has worked so hard to build.
It’s a great day for the Middle East, for the region’s thriving tech sector, for Careem, and for Uber.
Uber on,
Dara
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasionÂ
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for workÂ
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’tsÂ
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agalÂ
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
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
