Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Minister of Foreign Affairs, with Paulo Portas, Portugal’s deputy prime minister, during the second bilateral commission at Palacio Foz in Lisbon. Jose Sena Goulao / EPA
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Minister of Foreign Affairs, with Paulo Portas, Portugal’s deputy prime minister, during the second bilateral commission at Palacio Foz in Lisbon. Jose Sena Goulao / EPA

UAE People & Politics: A week in review



Every week, The National looks at the people and politics of the UAE, as the country steps more confidently forward on the world stage.

July 24

Abdullah receives Egypt’s foreign minister

Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Foreign Minister, received Egypt’s foreign minister, Sameh Shoukry, and his delegation. The visit to the UAE was part of cooperation between the two countries and their peoples. Sheikh Abdullah congratulated his guests on the anniversary of Egypt’s July 23, 1952 revolution.

UAE aid lands in Aden

A UAE military aircraft carrying humanitarian and relief assistance for the Yemeni people landed at Aden International Airport after the legitimate Yemeni government’s forces and resistance fighters regained control of Aden with support from the Saudi-led Arab coalition.

Mohammed and president of Indonesia discuss relations

Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, discussed bilateral relations with Joko Widodo, president of Indonesia.

Al Mazeina receives Sudan’s consul-general

Maj Gen Khamis Al Mazeina, the commander-in-chief of Dubai Police, received Dr Hamdi Al Rasoul Osman, Sudanese consul-general in Dubai, who came to greet him at the end of his tenure in the country.

RAK Ruler pays tribute to Al Khateri family

Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, offered his condolences to Saeed bin Rashid bin Saloma Al Khateri on the death of his son Hussein, at the family residence in Al Hamraniya.

July 25

Ruler appoints chairwoman of Sharjah Arts Foundation

Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, issued an Emiri Decree No 62 for the year 2015, on the appointment to the chair of the Sharjah Arts Foundation. Under the decree, Sheikha Hoor bint Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi has been named to that role.

Khalifa Foundation distributes Ramadan iftar meals in Mali

The Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation said it had distributed about 10,000 iftar meals in the Malian capital, Bamako, during Ramadan.

Sheikha Lubna details aid to Egypt

The UAE has provided Egypt with Dh47.3 billion in humanitarian and development aid between 1971 and last year, with Dh29bn in 2013 and 2014 alone, said Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid Al Qasimi, Minister of International Co-operation and Development.

Sultan bin Zayed attends wedding in Al Ain

Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed, the President’s Representative, attended a reception held by Awadh Zaitoun Al Muhairi to mark the wedding of his son Hamad to the daughter of Saif Zaitoun Al Muhairi. Sheikh Sultan extended his best wishes to the families of the newlyweds.

Praise for UAE’s Aden role

The Yemeni prime minister, Khaled Bahah, met Dr Anwar Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, at the headquarters of Yemen’s interim government in the Saudi capital. The sides discussed developments in Yemen and cooperation in military, political and developmental spheres.

July 26

UAE takes part in ANNHRI

The Emirates Human Rights Association participated in the 12th conference of the Arab Network for National Human Rights Institutions in Amman, Jordan. The UAE’s delegation was headed by Mohammed Salem Al Kaabi, chairman of the EHRA.

President’s message on Maldives’ independence day

President Sheikh Khalifa sent a congratulatory cable to president Abdulla Gayoom of the Maldives Republic on the occasion of his country’s independence day.

RAK Ruler attends wedding

Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, attended a dinner at the Corniche Wedding Hall, Ras Al Khaimah City, hosted by the family of the late Yousuf Al Bazzi to mark the wedding of his son to the daughter of Saeed Jasim Sultan bin Adi.

July 27

Presidential greetings to Peru

President Sheikh Khalifa sent a congratulatory cable to Pollanta Moises Humala Tasso, president of Peru, on the independence anniversary of his country.

UAE takes part in meetings on weapons issues

The UAE participated in the meetings of the Committee of Senior Arab officials concerned with nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction at the headquarters of the General Secretariat of the Arab League.

July 28

Condolences on death of former Indian president

President Sheikh Khalifa sent condolences to Indian president Pranab Mukherjee on the death of former president of India, APJ Abdul Kalam. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, sent similar cables.

RAK Ruler receives Tunisian consul general

Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, met the consul general of Tunisia, Kamal bin Hussein, who paid a courtesy visit to mark the end of his tenure in UAE. Sheikh Saud praised Mr Hussein for his efforts in strengthening the bonds between the countries at many levels.

UAE condemns Iran’s interference in Bahrain

The UAE has strongly condemned Iranian interference in the internal affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain. Dr Anwar Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, condemned Iran’s repeated attempts to stir sectarian strife among the people of Bahrain.

Leading Sudanese jurist receives UAE Ambassador

Dr Haider Ahmed Dafalla, chief justice of the supreme court of Sudan, received Hamad Humaid Al Junaibi, UAE Ambassador to Sudan. Dr Dafalla praised the level of cooperation and exchange of expertise between the two nations.

Nahyan attends opening of ETA’s first Abu Dhabi office

Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak, Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development, attended a ceremony held by the Egyptian Tourism Authority to mark the official opening of its new office in Abu Dhabi.

July 29

President congratulates Moroccan king

President Sheikh Khalifa sent a congratulatory cable to King Mohammed VI of Morocco, on the occasion of Throne Day, July 30. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed sent similar cables.

Barzani receives UAE Ambassador to Iraq

Masoud Barzani, the president of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, received Hasan Ahmed Al Shehhi, Ambassador of the UAE to Iraq.

UAE participates in Opec meeting on climate change

A delegation from the UAE participated in an Opec meeting on climate change, held in Vienna, Austria. The meeting focused on climate change negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which is expected to deliver a new agreement in December.

UAE diplomat attends US president speech

Acting Charge d’Affaires at the UAE Embassy in Ethiopia, Ali Al Omaira, attended the speech delivered by US president Barack Obama at the African Union headquarters.

Minister receives Tunisian envoy

Dr Anwar Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, received Tunisian ambassador to the UAE Tariq Beltayeb, who paid a courtesy call to mark the end of his tenure.

UAE Envoy in Khartoum meets Sudanese minister

Hamad Mohammed Al Junaibi, the UAE’s Ambassador to Sudan, met the Sudanese minister for animal resources and fisheries, Mousa Teben Mousa Adam. They discussed cooperation, focusing on livestock.

July 30

UAE humanitarian relief ship arrives in Aden

Under the directives of President Sheikh Khalifa, and the orders of Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, a ship carrying a cargo of humanitarian aid arrived at the port of Aden in southern Yemen as part of the country’s efforts to help people affected by the ongoing crisis. The UAE’s latest shipment included foods and medical supplies provided within the framework of international humanitarian relief efforts implemented by the Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation.

President issues amended law on Federal Customs Authority

President Sheikh Khalifa has issued the amended Federal Law No 8 of the year 2015 on the Federal Customs Authority introducing amendments in line with efforts of the UAE Government to streamline the work to safeguard the community, boost the reputation of the country as a hub nurturing businesses and investments, facilitate trade, and improves the UAE’s global competitiveness.

Joker: Folie a Deux

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson

Director: Todd Phillips 

Rating: 2/5

ADCC AFC Women’s Champions League Group A fixtures

October 3: v Wuhan Jiangda Women’s FC
October 6: v Hyundai Steel Red Angels Women’s FC
October 9: v Sabah FA

EA Sports FC 25
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Name: ARDH Collective
Based: Dubai
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Sector: Sustainability
Total funding: Self funded
Number of employees: 4
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Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
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Did you know?

Brunch has been around, is some form or another, for more than a century. The word was first mentioned in print in an 1895 edition of Hunter’s Weekly, after making the rounds among university students in Britain. The article, entitled Brunch: A Plea, argued the case for a later, more sociable weekend meal. “By eliminating the need to get up early on Sunday, brunch would make life brighter for Saturday night carousers. It would promote human happiness in other ways as well,” the piece read. “It is talk-compelling. It puts you in a good temper, it makes you satisfied with yourself and your fellow beings, it sweeps away the worries and cobwebs of the week.” More than 100 years later, author Guy Beringer’s words still ring true, especially in the UAE, where brunches are often used to mark special, sociable occasions.

How to get exposure to gold

Although you can buy gold easily on the Dubai markets, the problem with buying physical bars, coins or jewellery is that you then have storage, security and insurance issues.

A far easier option is to invest in a low-cost exchange traded fund (ETF) that invests in the precious metal instead, for example, ETFS Physical Gold (PHAU) and iShares Physical Gold (SGLN) both track physical gold. The VanEck Vectors Gold Miners ETF invests directly in mining companies.

Alternatively, BlackRock Gold & General seeks to achieve long-term capital growth primarily through an actively managed portfolio of gold mining, commodity and precious-metal related shares. Its largest portfolio holdings include gold miners Newcrest Mining, Barrick Gold Corp, Agnico Eagle Mines and the NewMont Goldcorp.

Brave investors could take on the added risk of buying individual gold mining stocks, many of which have performed wonderfully well lately.

London-listed Centamin is up more than 70 per cent in just three months, although in a sign of its volatility, it is down 5 per cent on two years ago. Trans-Siberian Gold, listed on London's alternative investment market (AIM) for small stocks, has seen its share price almost quadruple from 34p to 124p over the same period, but do not assume this kind of runaway growth can continue for long

However, buying individual equities like these is highly risky, as their share prices can crash just as quickly, which isn't what what you want from a supposedly safe haven.

Moon Music

Artist: Coldplay

Label: Parlophone/Atlantic

Number of tracks: 10

Rating: 3/5

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What is Bitcoin?

Bitcoin is the most popular virtual currency in the world. It was created in 2009 as a new way of paying for things that would not be subject to central banks that are capable of devaluing currency. A Bitcoin itself is essentially a line of computer code. It's signed digitally when it goes from one owner to another. There are sustainability concerns around the cryptocurrency, which stem from the process of "mining" that is central to its existence.

The "miners" use computers to make complex calculations that verify transactions in Bitcoin. This uses a tremendous amount of energy via computers and server farms all over the world, which has given rise to concerns about the amount of fossil fuel-dependent electricity used to power the computers. 


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