Direct flights between Sudan and Kuwait will resume for the first time in nearly two decades.
An agreement between the government of Sudan and the Kuwaiti Aviation Authority was signed last week and will see Sudan Airways resume direct flights between Khartoum and Kuwait City after a 17-year hiatus.
Ties between the two countries have been strained since the First Gulf War, in which Sudan supported Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait. In retaliation, Kuwait expelled hundreds of Sudanese workers at the end of the six-month war.
Relations between the two countries have improved since the late 1990s.
"When the Kuwaiti aviation delegation was here, they met with the local airlines and we came to the conclusion that not having a direct flight between the two countries is harming business," said Gamal Osman Eltom, the acting executive director manager of Sudan Airways.
"The demand to fly to Sudan is really from the Kuwaiti side and not our side, since they now have a lot of businesses here in fields like agriculture and irrigation and they need to fly businessmen and labourers in all the time."
Last year, the Sudanese government sold a 49 per cent stake of Sudan Airways to the Kuwait-based Aref Investment Group in a deal worth about US$175 million (Dh643m). "Having Aref on our side certainly helped us reach the agreement of having direct flights," Mr Eltom said.
However, flights from Khartoum to Kuwait City may not begin for two years because Sudan Airways has a fleet of just five aircraft to fly to international destinations.
"Our fleet is very small, but by the end of the year we are hoping to bring in four to five more planes. But from the Kuwaiti side, airlines like Wataniya [Airways] and Al Jezeera Airways could start right away," said Mr Eltom.
Neither Wataniya, which will start operating in January, nor Al Jezeera have yet announced plans to fly to Sudan. "In about a month's time, we will be announcing the destinations we plan to fly to," said a spokesman from Wataniya Airways.
Sudan has a poor reputation for air safety, especially on domestic flights. In June, a Sudan Airways A310 flight crashed at Khartoum airport, killing 30 people. Five years ago, a Boeing 737 crashed near the eastern town of Port Sudan, killing 104 passengers and 11 crew.
Sudan Airways flies to the UAE six times a week, while Emirates airline flies daily to Khartoum and Etihad Airways has five flights a week. "As you can see from other Gulf airlines, the demand is there, so I think this new route will be very profitable," Mr Eltom said.
Meanwhile, Lebanon's national carrier, Middle East Airlines Air Liban, recently said it was considering operating flights to Khartoum.
* With Reuters
abakr@thenational.ae
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Islamophobia definition
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A new relationship with the old country
Treaty of Friendship between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates
The United kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates; Considering that the United Arab Emirates has assumed full responsibility as a sovereign and independent State; Determined that the long-standing and traditional relations of close friendship and cooperation between their peoples shall continue; Desiring to give expression to this intention in the form of a Treaty Friendship; Have agreed as follows:
ARTICLE 1 The relations between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates shall be governed by a spirit of close friendship. In recognition of this, the Contracting Parties, conscious of their common interest in the peace and stability of the region, shall: (a) consult together on matters of mutual concern in time of need; (b) settle all their disputes by peaceful means in conformity with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations.
ARTICLE 2 The Contracting Parties shall encourage education, scientific and cultural cooperation between the two States in accordance with arrangements to be agreed. Such arrangements shall cover among other things: (a) the promotion of mutual understanding of their respective cultures, civilisations and languages, the promotion of contacts among professional bodies, universities and cultural institutions; (c) the encouragement of technical, scientific and cultural exchanges.
ARTICLE 3 The Contracting Parties shall maintain the close relationship already existing between them in the field of trade and commerce. Representatives of the Contracting Parties shall meet from time to time to consider means by which such relations can be further developed and strengthened, including the possibility of concluding treaties or agreements on matters of mutual concern.
ARTICLE 4 This Treaty shall enter into force on today’s date and shall remain in force for a period of ten years. Unless twelve months before the expiry of the said period of ten years either Contracting Party shall have given notice to the other of its intention to terminate the Treaty, this Treaty shall remain in force thereafter until the expiry of twelve months from the date on which notice of such intention is given.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned have signed this Treaty.
DONE in duplicate at Dubai the second day of December 1971AD, corresponding to the fifteenth day of Shawwal 1391H, in the English and Arabic languages, both texts being equally authoritative.
Signed
Geoffrey Arthur Sheikh Zayed
The specs
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Power: 181hp
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PROFILE OF SWVL
Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
Size: 450 employees
Investment: approximately $80 million
Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani
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Result
Qualifier: Islamabad United beat Karachi Kings by eight wickets
Fixtures
Tuesday, Lahore: Eliminator 1 - Peshawar Zalmi v Quetta Gladiators
Wednesday, Lahore: Eliminator 2 – Karachi Kings v Winner of Eliminator 1
Sunday, Karachi: Final – Islamabad United v Winner of Eliminator 2
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