Oman, one of the few Arab countries not to cut ties with Syria over the ongoing civil war, has appointed a new ambassador to the conflict-torn country.
Syria’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister, Walid Al Muallim, received the credentials of Oman’s representative Sayyid Turki Al Busaidi on Sunday.
Oman maintained ties with Syria after the 2011 uprising turned into the ongoing violent civil war, saying its role in the conflict would be to provide humanitarian support. But Mr Al Busaidi is the first ambassador of a Gulf state to actually travel to the mission in Damascus to represent the country from inside Syria since 2012. He was appointed to the post in March by royal decree.
The United Arab Emirates re-opened its mission to Damascus in late 2018 and has a charge d'affaires there. Kuwait has said it would re-open its mission in Damascus if there is an agreement at the Arab League, which suspended Syria's membership in 2011.
Mr Al Muallim and Mr Al Busaidi discussed Oman’s regional policies as well as relations between the two nations.
The reappointment of an Omani diplomat in Syria signals that Sultan Haitham will maintain the policies of his predecessor after taking power in January.
Sultan Qaboos, who led Oman from 1970 until he passed away earlier this year, was a well-known negotiator and cultivated a network of ties across the region and further afield in order to be able to channel diplomatically between sides during crises.
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Sultan Haitham, who has a lot of experience in foreign affairs, has been expected to keep Oman on the same course as a regional broker.
In 2019, former foreign minister Yusuf bin Alawi met Syrian President Bashar Al Assad and discussed ways to “restore stability to the region”. It came a year after, Damascus opened an embassy in Oman.
In nearly a decade of war, hundreds of thousands of Syrians have been killed – the vast majority by regime shelling, in government jails and through siege-and-starve tactics used by Damascus. Tens of thousands were also killed by extremist and terrorist groups such as ISIS and Al Qaeda as they gained ground over the largely secular and moderate opposition in the early years of the war.
Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
Yuki Means Happiness
Alison Jean Lester
John Murray
UAE%20ILT20
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MATCH INFO
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Vinicius Junior (71') Mariano (90 2')
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TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
