Minister of State Zaki Nusseibeh appointed chancellor of UAE University

Minister of State Zaki Nusseibeh has been appointed as United Arab Emirates University’s new chancellor.

President Sheikh Khalifa issued a decree appointing the minister.

Mr Nusseibeh is the Minister for Cultural Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation as well as the Cultural Adviser at the Ministry of Presidential Affairs.

Mr Nusseibeh succeeds Saeed Ahmed Ghobash, the former chancellor of UAE University, which is ranked 284 by international higher education analysts Quacquarelli Symonds.

It was founded by Sheikh Zayed in 1976.

As the chancellor of the university, Mr Nusseibeh will help develop its vision and speak at the annual convocation ceremony.

Minister of State Zaki Nusseibeh at Louvre Abu Dhabi with Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation. Courtesy: Office of Dr Zaki Nusseibeh.

Previously, he was on the board of trustees at the Sorbonne University in Abu Dhabi.

This year, the minister was elected a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, one of the oldest societies in the US.

Originally from Jerusalem, Mr Nusseibeh arrived in the UAE in 1967 after studying economics at Cambridge in the UK.

He has held important positions in the UAE government since 1968.

When the Arab-Israeli War broke out, he came to Abu Dhabi on the advice of his father.

The war was a brief conflict fought in June 1967 between Israel and the Arab states of Egypt, Syria and Jordan.

Mr Nusseibeh came to the UAE with a few personal items and about 100 books.

After a brief spell with a family-owned contracting company, he took a job as a stringer for foreign media outlets who had a growing interest in the emerging Gulf states.

This led to work as the translator and adviser of Sheikh Zayed, who would become the country’s founding President when the United Arab Emirates formed in 1971.

Mr Nusseibeh has served at the forefront of Abu Dhabi's cultural development.

He has been a cultural adviser at the Presidential Court since 1975, and founded two classical music festivals.

TUESDAY'S ORDER OF PLAY

Centre Court

Starting at 2pm:

Elina Svitolina (UKR) [3] v Jennifer Brady (USA)

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) v Belinda Bencic (SUI [4]

Not before 7pm:

Sofia Kenin (USA) [5] v Elena Rybakina (KAZ)

Maria Sakkari (GRE) v Aryna Sabalenka (BLR) [7]

Court One

Starting at midday:

Karolina Muchova (CZE) v Katerina Siniakova (CZE)

Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) v Aliaksandra Sasnovich (BLR)

Veronika Kudermetova (RUS) v Dayana Yastermska (UKR)

Petra Martic (CRO) [8] v Su-Wei Hsieh (TPE)

Sorana Cirstea (ROU) v Anett Kontaveit (EST)

UK’s AI plan

AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
£10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
£100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
£250m to train new AI models

On Women's Day

Dr Nawal Al-Hosany: Why more women should be on the frontlines of climate action

Shelina Janmohamed: Why shouldn't a spouse be compensated fairly for housework?

Samar Elmnhrawy: How companies in the Middle East can catch up on gender equality

The National Editorial: Is there much to celebrate on International Women's Day 2021?

More on Yemen's civil war

Saeed Al Batati: How the war played a role in Africa's locust swarm

National Editorial: Thanking the UAE troops for protecting the country

National Editorial: Riyadh deal paves the way for peace in Yemen

National Editorial: The UAE a leader in giving humanitarian aid

The specs

AT4 Ultimate, as tested

Engine: 6.2-litre V8

Power: 420hp

Torque: 623Nm

Transmission: 10-speed automatic

Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)

On sale: Now

Need to know

The flights: Flydubai flies from Dubai to Kilimanjaro airport via Dar es Salaam from Dh1,619 return including taxes. The trip takes 8 hours.

The trek: Make sure that whatever tour company you select to climb Kilimanjaro, that it is a reputable one. The way to climb successfully would be with experienced guides and porters, from a company committed to quality, safety and an ethical approach to the mountain and its staff. Sonia Nazareth booked a VIP package through Safari Africa. The tour works out to $4,775 (Dh17,538) per person, based on a 4-person booking scheme, for 9 nights on the mountain (including one night before and after the trek at Arusha). The price includes all meals, a head guide, an assistant guide for every 2 trekkers, porters to carry the luggage, a cook and kitchen staff, a dining and mess tent, a sleeping tent set up for 2 persons, a chemical toilet and park entrance fees. The tiny ration of heated water provided for our bath in our makeshift private bathroom stall was the greatest luxury. A standard package, also based on a 4-person booking, works out to $3,050 (Dh11,202) per person.

When to go: You can climb Kili at any time of year, but the best months to ascend are January-February and September-October. Also good are July and August, if you’re tolerant of the colder weather that winter brings.

Do not underestimate the importance of kit. Even if you’re travelling at a relatively pleasant time, be geared up for the cold and the rain.

Skewed figures

In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.