• The UAE's search and rescue team has arrived in Libya. All photos: Wam
    The UAE's search and rescue team has arrived in Libya. All photos: Wam
  • The plane carried 34 team members as well as heavy machinery and equipment to help victims of the flooding caused by Storm Daniel
    The plane carried 34 team members as well as heavy machinery and equipment to help victims of the flooding caused by Storm Daniel
  • The aid plane contained vehicles, jet skis and search and rescue equipment
    The aid plane contained vehicles, jet skis and search and rescue equipment
  • The plane landed at Benghazi Airport on Tuesday
    The plane landed at Benghazi Airport on Tuesday
  • President Sheikh Mohamed on Monday ordered urgent aid as well as search and rescue teams to be sent to Libya
    President Sheikh Mohamed on Monday ordered urgent aid as well as search and rescue teams to be sent to Libya
  • The deadly floods caused by Storm Daniel in Libya have killed more than 2,000
    The deadly floods caused by Storm Daniel in Libya have killed more than 2,000
  • At least 10,000 people are thought to be missing so far
    At least 10,000 people are thought to be missing so far

UAE

UAE search-and-rescue team arrives in Libya after deadly Storm Daniel flooding

Crew members landed at Benghazi Airport on Tuesday

Jessica Morgan

September 12, 2023

  • English
  • Arabic

A UAE search-and-rescue team has arrived in Libya to help survivors of the flooding caused by Storm Daniel.

The plane carrying 34 team members equipped with vehicles, jet skis and search-and-rescue equipment landed at Benghazi Airport on Tuesday evening, state news agency Wam reported.

The flight comes after President Sheikh Mohamed on Monday ordered urgent aid as well as search-and-rescue teams to Libya after floods that have killed more than 2,000.

At least 10,000 people are thought to be missing.

Storm Daniel has caused havoc and flash floods in many towns in eastern Libya, with the worst damage in the city of Derna, where dams were destroyed and floodwaters washed away entire neighbourhoods, authorities said.

A relief plane has already left the UAE, carrying a large amount of shelter, food supplies and other necessities, according to Hamoud Abdullah Al Junaibi of the Emirates Red Crescent (ERC).

An ERC delegation is escorting the shipment to help distribute the aid and lead relief operations on the field.

The Libyan Red Crescent on Tuesday said its teams have counted more than 300 dead in Derna, a city which authorities have declared a disaster zone.

The storm intensified overnight after making landfall on the Libyan coast at the weekend, leaving a trail of flooding and destruction, as Egypt now braces for it to hit western parts of the country.

"At least 150 people were killed as a result of flooding and torrential rains left by Storm Daniel in Derna, the Jabal Al Akhdar region and the suburbs of Al Marj," Mohamed Massoud, a spokesman for the Libyan government, told AFP.

Thousands feared dead after flooding sweeps Libya – in pictures

  • Before and after pictures after a powerful storm and heavy rainfall hit the country, in Derna. Reuters/ Planet Labs
    Before and after pictures after a powerful storm and heavy rainfall hit the country, in Derna. Reuters/ Planet Labs
  • A damaged car in Derna, Libya, after a powerful storm and heavy rain hit the country. Reuters
    A damaged car in Derna, Libya, after a powerful storm and heavy rain hit the country. Reuters
  • Members of Libyan Red Crescent Ajdabiya push a vehicle through the mud in an area affected by flooding. Reuters
    Members of Libyan Red Crescent Ajdabiya push a vehicle through the mud in an area affected by flooding. Reuters
  • Workers at Marka military airport in Amman, Jordan, load a military plane with humanitarian aid for Libya. AFP
    Workers at Marka military airport in Amman, Jordan, load a military plane with humanitarian aid for Libya. AFP
  • Storm damage in Derna, Libya. Reuters
    Storm damage in Derna, Libya. Reuters
  • A man surveys the damage in Derna after a powerful storm and heavy rainfall hit Libya. Reuters
    A man surveys the damage in Derna after a powerful storm and heavy rainfall hit Libya. Reuters
  • An apartment block after floodwaters washed away surrounding homes in Derna, eastern Libya. AFP
    An apartment block after floodwaters washed away surrounding homes in Derna, eastern Libya. AFP
  • A car crushed against the side of a building in the aftermath of flash-floods in Derna. AFP
    A car crushed against the side of a building in the aftermath of flash-floods in Derna. AFP
  • Libyans survey the devastation from floods caused by Storm Daniel in Derna. AFP
    Libyans survey the devastation from floods caused by Storm Daniel in Derna. AFP
  • Floodwaters washed away entire neighbourhoods in Derna, leaving thousands of people dead or missing, authorities said. AFP
    Floodwaters washed away entire neighbourhoods in Derna, leaving thousands of people dead or missing, authorities said. AFP
  • People survey the flood damage in Derna, which was most affected. AFP
    People survey the flood damage in Derna, which was most affected. AFP
  • Members of the Libyan Red Crescent rescuing people from floods at an unidentified location in eastern Libya. AFP
    Members of the Libyan Red Crescent rescuing people from floods at an unidentified location in eastern Libya. AFP
  • Members of Libya's Youth Hostels Association unload medical aid from a plane at Al Abraq Airport, for the victims of the floods. Reuters
    Members of Libya's Youth Hostels Association unload medical aid from a plane at Al Abraq Airport, for the victims of the floods. Reuters
  • Roads engulfed by floodwater in eastern Libya after Storm Daniel left its mark. AFP
    Roads engulfed by floodwater in eastern Libya after Storm Daniel left its mark. AFP
  • Thousands remain unaccounted for in eastern Libya amid widespread and heavy flooding. AFP
    Thousands remain unaccounted for in eastern Libya amid widespread and heavy flooding. AFP
  • The collapse of nearby dams sent a wall of water that 'erased everything in its way', said a survivor in Derna. AFP
    The collapse of nearby dams sent a wall of water that 'erased everything in its way', said a survivor in Derna. AFP
  • Members of the Libyan Red Crescent working on opening roads engulfed by floods in eastern Libya. AFP
    Members of the Libyan Red Crescent working on opening roads engulfed by floods in eastern Libya. AFP
  • Damage in Benghazi in the wake of Storm Daniel. AFP
    Damage in Benghazi in the wake of Storm Daniel. AFP
  • Devastating floods swept away entire neighbourhoods in several coastal towns. AFP
    Devastating floods swept away entire neighbourhoods in several coastal towns. AFP
  • A damaged van in Shahat city. Reuters
    A damaged van in Shahat city. Reuters
  • Flooded streets in Marj. AP
    Flooded streets in Marj. AP
  • A seaside road collapsed after heavy flooding caused by Storm Daniel in Derna. AP
    A seaside road collapsed after heavy flooding caused by Storm Daniel in Derna. AP
  • Flooding in the aftermath of Storm Daniel in Marj. Many of the thousands missing are believed to have been carried away by the waters. AP
    Flooding in the aftermath of Storm Daniel in Marj. Many of the thousands missing are believed to have been carried away by the waters. AP
  • Cars piled on the sea bank in Derna, after being carried away by floodwater. AP
    Cars piled on the sea bank in Derna, after being carried away by floodwater. AP
  • Cars stacked on top each other, after being washed away by floodwaters in Derna. AP
    Cars stacked on top each other, after being washed away by floodwaters in Derna. AP
  • A car propped up against a shopfront in Derna. AP
    A car propped up against a shopfront in Derna. AP
  • The damage in Derna is widespread. AP
    The damage in Derna is widespread. AP
  • Flooding caused by Storm Daniel in Al Mukhaili, Libya. Reuters
    Flooding caused by Storm Daniel in Al Mukhaili, Libya. Reuters
  • Storm Daniel broke dams and swept away entire neighbourhoods in the east of the country. Reuters
    Storm Daniel broke dams and swept away entire neighbourhoods in the east of the country. Reuters
  • Streets flooded as a result of Storm Daniel in Benghazi. AFP
    Streets flooded as a result of Storm Daniel in Benghazi. AFP
  • People stranded after Storm Daniel caused heavy rainfall in Shahat. Reuters
    People stranded after Storm Daniel caused heavy rainfall in Shahat. Reuters
  • A road in Shahat badly damaged by the storm. Reuters
    A road in Shahat badly damaged by the storm. Reuters
  • A residential street flooded in Marj. AP
    A residential street flooded in Marj. AP
Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut

Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”

The smuggler

Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple. 
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.

Khouli conviction

Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.

For sale

A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.

- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico

- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000

- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat 

While you're here

Jeff Buckley: From Hallelujah To The Last Goodbye
By Dave Lory with Jim Irvin

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The Voice of Hind Rajab

Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees

Director: Kaouther Ben Hania

Rating: 4/5

The Bio

Name: Lynn Davison

Profession: History teacher at Al Yasmina Academy, Abu Dhabi

Children: She has one son, Casey, 28

Hometown: Pontefract, West Yorkshire in the UK

Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Favourite Author: CJ Sansom

Favourite holiday destination: Bali

Favourite food: A Sunday roast

While you're here
Getting there

The flights

Emirates and Etihad fly to Johannesburg or Cape Town daily. Flights cost from about Dh3,325, with a flying time of 8hours and 15 minutes. From there, fly South African Airlines or Air Namibia to Namibia’s Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport, for about Dh850. Flying time is 2 hours.

The stay

Wilderness Little Kulala offers stays from £460 (Dh2,135) per person, per night. It is one of seven Wilderness Safari lodges in Namibia; www.wilderness-safaris.com.

Skeleton Coast Safaris’ four-day adventure involves joining a very small group in a private plane, flying to some of the remotest areas in the world, with each night spent at a different camp. It costs from US$8,335.30 (Dh30,611); www.skeletoncoastsafaris.com

PRO BASH

Thursday’s fixtures

6pm: Hyderabad Nawabs v Pakhtoon Warriors

10pm: Lahore Sikandars v Pakhtoon Blasters

Teams

Chennai Knights, Lahore Sikandars, Pakhtoon Blasters, Abu Dhabi Stars, Abu Dhabi Dragons, Pakhtoon Warriors and Hyderabad Nawabs.

Squad rules

All teams consist of 15-player squads that include those contracted in the diamond (3), platinum (2) and gold (2) categories, plus eight free to sign team members.

Tournament rules

The matches are of 25 over-a-side with an 8-over power play in which only two fielders allowed outside the 30-yard circle. Teams play in a single round robin league followed by the semi-finals and final. The league toppers will feature in the semi-final eliminator.

MATCH INFO

Inter Milan 2 (Vecino 65', Barella 83')

Verona 1 (Verre 19' pen)

All or Nothing

Amazon Prime

Four stars

While you're here
On Women's Day
RESULTS

5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 2,200m
Winner: Arjan, Fabrice Veron (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer).

5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m​​​​​​​
Winner: Jap Nazaa, Royston Ffrench, Irfan Ellahi.

6pm: Al Ruwais Group 3 (PA) Dh300,000 1,200m​​​​​​​
Winner: RB Lam Tara, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinal.

6.30pm: Shadwell Gold Cup Prestige Dh125,000 1,600m​​​​​​​
Winner: AF Sanad, Bernardo Pinheiro, Khalifa Al Neyadi.

7pm: Shadwell Farm Stallions Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,600m​​​​​​​
Winner: Jawal Al Reef, Patrick Cosgrave, Abdallah Al Hammadi.

7.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh80,000 1,600m​​​​​​​
Winner: Dubai Canal, Harry Bentley, Satish Seemar.

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Infiniti QX80 specs

Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6

Power: 450hp

Torque: 700Nm

Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000

Available: Now

MATCH INFO

England 241-3 (20 ovs)

Malan 130 no, Morgan 91

New Zealand 165 all out (16.5ovs)

Southee 39, Parkinson 4-47

England win by 76 runs

Series level at 2-2

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Updated: September 13, 2023, 8:37 AM
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