A baby girl born in Dubai on August 14 has made history.
Mia Sztulman Starosta is the first Israeli infant to be born in the UAE since the Abraham Accords.
Her father, Ilan Sztulman Starosta, is head of the mission for the consulate of Israel to Dubai, and her mother, Jacqueline, is the economic advisor there.
They moved to the emirate for the roles six months ago.
All our other children were born in Israel, but Mia is the first Israeli to be born in the UAE, after the Abraham Accords, which of course is emotional for me
Ilan Sztulman Starosta,
head of mission for the Israeli consulate in Dubai
Mia is their fifth child and weighed a healthy 2.9 kilograms when she was born.
Mr Sztulman Starosta told The National the symbolism of her birth in an Arab country was important to him and his wife.
“We actually requested to come to Dubai,” he said.
“All our other children were born in Israel, but Mia is the first Israeli to be born in the UAE, after the Abrahamic Accords, which of course is emotional for me.
“The Abraham Accords felt like having a dream when it became true. In the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we’ve been involved in so many attempts to get to peace moving, and suddenly we managed to break through.”
A birthday and an anniversary
Israel’s Foreign Minister, Yair Lapid, inaugurated Israel’s consulate in Dubai in June and described it as a “centre for co-operation”.
Mia was born days after the Israelis and Emiratis celebrated the anniversary of the Abraham Accords, which were agreed on August 13 last year.
The Accords normalised the relationship between Israel and the UAE, and also between Bahrain and Israel, meaning overt trade, travel and business could start.
Within weeks, regular commercial flights started between the UAE and Tel Aviv, and more than 200,000 Israelis have visited the Emirates. That number would probably have been higher were it not for the pandemic.
Mr Sztulman Starosta said Mia’s birth was easy, but now he needs to deal with her documentation.
“We haven’t started consular services yet, so her passport will be the first to be issued here,” he said.
“I’ve got to get all sorts of permits and stamps, so it’s going to take me a few weeks.
“Then we’ll be able to take her back home to see my other kids and my family.”
Watch: One year on - what are the Abrahamic Accords?
Biog
Mr Kandhari is legally authorised to conduct marriages in the gurdwara
He has officiated weddings of Sikhs and people of different faiths from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Russia, the US and Canada
Father of two sons, grandfather of six
Plays golf once a week
Enjoys trying new holiday destinations with his wife and family
Walks for an hour every morning
Completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Loyola College, Chennai, India
2019 is a milestone because he completes 50 years in business
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
THE APPRENTICE
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Director: James Cameron
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Skoda Superb Specs
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About Housecall
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Founders: Omar and Humaid Alzaabi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: HealthTech
# of staff: 10
Funding to date: Self-funded
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Director: Jesse Armstrong
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THE SPECS
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Iraq negotiating over Iran sanctions impact
- US sanctions on Iran’s energy industry and exports took effect on Monday, November 5.
- Washington issued formal waivers to eight buyers of Iranian oil, allowing them to continue limited imports. Iraq did not receive a waiver.
- Iraq’s government is cooperating with the US to contain Iranian influence in the country, and increased Iraqi oil production is helping to make up for Iranian crude that sanctions are blocking from markets, US officials say.
- Iraq, the second-biggest producer in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, pumped last month at a record 4.78 million barrels a day, former Oil Minister Jabbar Al-Luaibi said on Oct. 20. Iraq exported 3.83 million barrels a day last month, according to tanker tracking and data from port agents.
- Iraq has been working to restore production at its northern Kirkuk oil field. Kirkuk could add 200,000 barrels a day of oil to Iraq’s total output, Hook said.
- The country stopped trucking Kirkuk oil to Iran about three weeks ago, in line with U.S. sanctions, according to four people with knowledge of the matter who asked not to be identified because they aren’t allowed to speak to media.
- Oil exports from Iran, OPEC’s third-largest supplier, have slumped since President Donald Trump announced in May that he’d reimpose sanctions. Iran shipped about 1.76 million barrels a day in October out of 3.42 million in total production, data compiled by Bloomberg show.
- Benchmark Brent crude fell 47 cents to $72.70 a barrel in London trading at 7:26 a.m. local time. U.S. West Texas Intermediate was 25 cents lower at $62.85 a barrel in New York. WTI held near the lowest level in seven months as concerns of a tightening market eased after the U.S. granted its waivers to buyers of Iranian crude.
THE BIO
Family: I have three siblings, one older brother (age 25) and two younger sisters, 20 and 13
Favourite book: Asking for my favourite book has to be one of the hardest questions. However a current favourite would be Sidewalk by Mitchell Duneier
Favourite place to travel to: Any walkable city. I also love nature and wildlife
What do you love eating or cooking: I’m constantly in the kitchen. Ever since I changed the way I eat I enjoy choosing and creating what goes into my body. However, nothing can top home cooked food from my parents.
Favorite place to go in the UAE: A quiet beach.
Which honey takes your fancy?
Al Ghaf Honey
The Al Ghaf tree is a local desert tree which bears the harsh summers with drought and high temperatures. From the rich flowers, bees that pollinate this tree can produce delicious red colour honey in June and July each year
Sidr Honey
The Sidr tree is an evergreen tree with long and strong forked branches. The blossom from this tree is called Yabyab, which provides rich food for bees to produce honey in October and November. This honey is the most expensive, but tastiest
Samar Honey
The Samar tree trunk, leaves and blossom contains Barm which is the secret of healing. You can enjoy the best types of honey from this tree every year in May and June. It is an historical witness to the life of the Emirati nation which represents the harsh desert and mountain environments
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
