UAE flags are lowered at the Abu Dhabi Municipality offices. Ravindranath K / The National
UAE flags are lowered at the Abu Dhabi Municipality offices. Ravindranath K / The National

Sheikh Khalifa leads nation in mourning five Emiratis killed in Afghanistan bombing



ABU DHABI // President Sheikh Khalifa has announced three days of mourning after the loss of Emirati life in Afghanistan on Tuesday night.

Flags across the country will also be lowered to half mast as a mark of respect to the five in the UAE delegation who were killed in the bomb blast.

Emiratis in the capital were in shock at the news of the deaths but said that they did not die in vain and they represented the country’s willingness to help others through humanitarian work.

The five who were killed were Mohammed Ali Al Bastaki, 62, from Abu Dhabi, delegate minister at the UAE Embassy in Kabul; Abdullah Mohammed Al Kaabi, 35, from Al Ain, third secretary at the embassy; Ahmed Rashid Al Mazroui, 40, from Sharjah, a deputy aid director; Ahmed Abdul Rahman Al Tunaiji, 45, from Ras Al Khaimah, and Abdul Hamid Sultan Al Hammadi, 53, from Abu Dhabi, both advisers at the embassy.

Two explosions inside the heavily-guarded governor’s compound killed at least seven people, including the five Emiratis, and wounded 18 others. The bomb was hidden inside a sofa.

Among those injured were Juma Al Kaabi, UAE Ambassador to Afghanistan, and the governor of Kandahar, Homayun Azizi.

In addition, at least 52 people were killed in the Afghan capital, Kabul, and the south of the country in a day of violence.

The Taliban, which admitted to the bomb blasts in Kabul, denied planting a bomb in the Kandahar attack. The group issued a short statement on Wednesday blaming an “internal local rivalry”.

UAE leaders and officials mourned those killed and condemned the attack.

“The attack will not deter the UAE from continuing its efforts to fight terrorists, who targeted a meeting that was discussing a better future for Kandahar,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, said the country mourned with pride the heroes who died while carrying out humanitarian work.

“Five martyrs have given their lives while striving to serve the weak, the children and the needy,” he said.

“There is no humane, moral or religious justification behind the explosion and the killing of those who seek to help others.”

Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, said: “Abhorrent acts of terror conducted by forces of evil and darkness won’t deter us from walking the path of giving and charity.”

Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed, Deputy Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, said that losing heroes on the “path of good and supporting our brothers in humanity” marks the difference between the UAE and terror.

“Sheikh Zayed’s UAE always believes that giving does not come without sacrifice and our martyrs today in Kandahar have been added to the UAE’s record, on the blank pages of might and glory,” he said.

A relative of Abdulhamid Sultan Al Hammadi said that as sad the death of his mother’s cousin is, it is also an honour to family.

Recalling the times he spent with Abdulhamid, Faisal Al Hammadi said that the man was always willing to help and was considerably humble.

“Whenever I’d see him at weddings or other gatherings, he’d always be helping in making the environment perfect for the people that come, he was always helping with the food, etcetera,” said the 31-year-old. “He’s the only person in the family who would do that, and it shows the kind of person he is: always helping.

“Now that I think about it, when I go to his funeral I want to do the same thing and help with the preparation. I think it will let people know that even though he has passed, his good deeds will not be forgotten.”

Although he said that this is a moment of sadness for the family, Faisal also said that it is “the time for us to be the strongest as a country”.

Others who had never met any of those who died still considered them part of an extended Emirati family.

“From my perspective, all Emiratis are one, so when one of us is helping another, he is representing all of the UAE,” said Omar Sharif. “I’m proud of them, of course. I’m proud of all Emiratis who venture out into the world to help others.”

To the families of the martyrs he said that the death is as sad as it is an honour.

“You expect news [like this] from Yemen but on a humanitarian mission, it is just sad,” he said. “To the families I’d like to say that rest assured, they are martyrs, they have the highest glory. I’ve already made peace with myself that my brother, who fights in Yemen, God forbid, could be a martyr any day. As Muslims, we know that’s the highest glory.”

Shaima Faraj, a New York University Abu Dhabi employee, said: “After hearing the news, my mum started crying. We feel so bad for the families and the people of Kandahar. We hope this will not change the situation and our humanitarian work in other countries.”

Having been involved in a humanitarian project in Egypt herself, building houses, she said that the bomb happening while people were undertaking humanitarian work was what truly shocked her.

“It could have been any of us, it could have been me in Egypt or my brother in Yemen. It is such a tragedy to us,” she said

“Even though we are seven emirates, we are all unified.”

nalwasmi@thenational.ae

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  1. Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
  2. Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
  3. Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
  4. Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
  5. Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
  6. The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
  7. Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269

*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year

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Favourite books: 'Ruth Bader Ginsburg: A Life' by Jane D. Mathews and ‘The Moment of Lift’ by Melinda Gates

Favourite travel destination: Greece, a blend of ancient history and captivating nature. It always has given me a sense of joy, endless possibilities, positive energy and wonderful people that make you feel at home.

Favourite pastime: travelling and experiencing different cultures across the globe.

Favourite quote: “In the future, there will be no female leaders. There will just be leaders” - Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook.

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Favourite Author: Kahlil Gibran

Favourite Artist: Meryl Streep

 

 

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat 

Austrian Grand Prix race timings

Weekend schedule for Austrian Grand Prix - all timings UAE

Friday

Noon-1.30pm First practice

4-5.30pm Second practice

Saturday

1-2pm Final practice

4pm Qualifying

Sunday

4pm Austrian Grand Prix (71 laps)

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Match info

Deccan Gladiators 87-8

Asif Khan 25, Dwayne Bravo 2-16

Maratha Arabians 89-2

Chadwick Walton 51 not out

Arabians won the final by eight wickets

UK's plans to cut net migration

Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.

Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.

But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.

Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.

Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.

The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.

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.”

The National's picks

4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young

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Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg

Rating: 4/5

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat 

ICC Women's T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier 2025, Thailand

UAE fixtures
May 9, v Malaysia
May 10, v Qatar
May 13, v Malaysia
May 15, v Qatar
May 18 and 19, semi-finals
May 20, final

House-hunting

Top 10 locations for inquiries from US house hunters, according to Rightmove

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  10. Tower Hamlets, London 

 

Where to donate in the UAE

The Emirates Charity Portal

You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.

The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments

The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.

Al Noor Special Needs Centre

You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.

Beit Al Khair Society

Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.

Dar Al Ber Society

Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.

Dubai Cares

Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.

Emirates Airline Foundation

Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.

Emirates Red Crescent

On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.

Gulf for Good

Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.

Noor Dubai Foundation

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).

At a glance

Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.

 

Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year

 

Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month

 

Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30 

 

Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse

 

Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth

 

Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances

Day 3 stumps

New Zealand 153 & 249
Pakistan 227 & 37-0 (target 176)

Pakistan require another 139 runs with 10 wickets remaining

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Cry Macho

Director: Clint Eastwood

Stars: Clint Eastwood, Dwight Yoakam

Rating:**

Titanium Escrow profile

Started: December 2016
Founder: Ibrahim Kamalmaz
Based: UAE
Sector: Finance / legal
Size: 3 employees, pre-revenue  
Stage: Early stage
Investors: Founder's friends and Family