Saudi King Salman, speaking to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has relaxed entertainment restrictions in the kingdom since his reign began in 2015. AP
Saudi King Salman, speaking to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has relaxed entertainment restrictions in the kingdom since his reign began in 2015. AP
Saudi King Salman, speaking to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has relaxed entertainment restrictions in the kingdom since his reign began in 2015. AP
Saudi King Salman, speaking to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has relaxed entertainment restrictions in the kingdom since his reign began in 2015. AP

Saudi King appoints woman as deputy Labour minister


Mina Aldroubi
  • English
  • Arabic

Saudi Arabia appointed a woman as deputy Labour minister in a cabinet reshuffle aimed to promote young officials to prominent economic and security posts.

The changes, announced in a string of royal decrees late Monday by King Salman, came a month before the third anniversary of the Saudi-led intervention in the Yemen war.

Tamadur bint Youssef Al Ramah's appointment as deputy Labour minister was seen as a breakthrough for women in the kingdom, while the military chief of staff, air defence and land forces leaders and senior defence and interior ministry officials were removed.

King Salman replaced the heads of ground and air forces as well as several other deputy ministers in a move aimed at updating the country's defence ministry. It includes a new strategy to improve the organisation and governance of the ministry, the national news agency said, without providing further detail.

"Termination of the services of General Abdul Rahman bin Saleh Al Bunyan, Chief of Staff," it said, adding that Fayyad Al Ruwaili had been appointed as his replacement.

No official reason was given for the changes but the decision was made "upon the recommendation" of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is also defence minister, state media said.

Ahmed Al Towayan, a Saudi analyst, speaking on state television, said the new appointments were "pumping young blood" into local government while elevating young commanders into top military posts.

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UK seeks closer Saudi Arabia ties with Mohammed bin Salman visit to London 

Saudi Arabia sees oil cuts reduction next year

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Since Prince Mohammed bin Salman became heir to the thrown the kingdom has began major economic and social reforms.

From June, women will be allowed to drive and have been recruited to work in ground services in airports. While, the appointment of Mrs Al Ramah came one day after the government announced on Sunday that women can apply to be soldiers for the first time in modern history of the country, the state agency announced.

A senior Saudi cleric said last month that women need not wear the abaya, a loose-fitting, full-length robe. Although, Sheikh Al Mutlaq's statement does not necessarily signal a change in the law. But it did mark the first time that a senior Saudi cleric had made such remarks.

The Kingdom also announced that women no longer need the consent of a male relative to open their own businesses, a step away from the kingdom’s guardianship system.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has spearheaded Vision 2030, the Kingdom’s post-oil economic plan, aimed at moving the country away from its economic dependence on oil.

As part of the initiative, the government also aims to increase the percentage of women in the nation’s workforce from 23 per cent to 28 per cent by 2020.

The Crown Prince is proving popular with many Saudi youths, who make up the vast majority of the population.

King Salman's decree also includes the appointment of three deputy governors from among the descendants of Princes Ahmed, Talal and Muqrin – brothers of King Salman.

One of them, the new deputy governor of Asir province, Prince Turki bin Talal, is the brother of billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, who was among the 200-some princes, ministers and tycoons detained in Riyadh's luxury Ritz-Carlton hotel in the government's anti-corruption campaign.

Prince Alwaleed bin Talal was released last month.

The Bio

Favourite place in UAE: Al Rams pearling village

What one book should everyone read: Any book written before electricity was invented. When a writer willingly worked under candlelight, you know he/she had a real passion for their craft

Your favourite type of pearl: All of them. No pearl looks the same and each carries its own unique characteristics, like humans

Best time to swim in the sea: When there is enough light to see beneath the surface

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
LA LIGA FIXTURES

Thursday (All UAE kick-off times)

Sevilla v Real Betis (midnight)

Friday

Granada v Real Betis (9.30pm)

Valencia v Levante (midnight)

Saturday

Espanyol v Alaves (4pm)

Celta Vigo v Villarreal (7pm)

Leganes v Real Valladolid (9.30pm)

Mallorca v Barcelona (midnight)

Sunday

Atletic Bilbao v Atletico Madrid (4pm)

Real Madrid v Eibar (9.30pm)

Real Sociedad v Osasuna (midnight)

How to wear a kandura

Dos

  • Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion 
  • Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
  • Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work 
  • Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester

Don’ts 

  • Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal 
  • Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Defence review at a glance

• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”

• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems

• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.

• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%

• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade

• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels

Emergency phone numbers in the UAE

Estijaba – 8001717 –  number to call to request coronavirus testing

Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111

Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre

Emirates airline – 600555555

Etihad Airways – 600555666

Ambulance – 998

Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries

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Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
  1. Join parent networks
  2. Look beyond school fees
  3. Keep an open mind
'Brazen'

Director: Monika Mitchell

Starring: Alyssa Milano, Sam Page, Colleen Wheeler

Rating: 3/5

Turning%20waste%20into%20fuel
%3Cp%3EAverage%20amount%20of%20biofuel%20produced%20at%20DIC%20factory%20every%20month%3A%20%3Cstrong%3EApproximately%20106%2C000%20litres%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAmount%20of%20biofuel%20produced%20from%201%20litre%20of%20used%20cooking%20oil%3A%20%3Cstrong%3E920ml%20(92%25)%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ETime%20required%20for%20one%20full%20cycle%20of%20production%20from%20used%20cooking%20oil%20to%20biofuel%3A%20%3Cstrong%3EOne%20day%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EEnergy%20requirements%20for%20one%20cycle%20of%20production%20from%201%2C000%20litres%20of%20used%20cooking%20oil%3A%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E%E2%96%AA%20Electricity%20-%201.1904%20units%3Cbr%3E%E2%96%AA%20Water-%2031%20litres%3Cbr%3E%E2%96%AA%20Diesel%20%E2%80%93%2026.275%20litres%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

Electoral College Victory

Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate. 

 

Popular Vote Tally

The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.

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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
 
Started: 2021
 
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
 
Based: Tunisia 
 
Sector: Water technology 
 
Number of staff: 22 
 
Investment raised: $4 million 
Normcore explained

Something of a fashion anomaly, normcore is essentially a celebration of the unremarkable. The term was first popularised by an article in New York magazine in 2014 and has been dubbed “ugly”, “bland’ and "anti-style" by fashion writers. It’s hallmarks are comfort, a lack of pretentiousness and neutrality – it is a trend for those who would rather not stand out from the crowd. For the most part, the style is unisex, favouring loose silhouettes, thrift-shop threads, baseball caps and boyish trainers. It is important to note that normcore is not synonymous with cheapness or low quality; there are high-fashion brands, including Parisian label Vetements, that specialise in this style. Embraced by fashion-forward street-style stars around the globe, it’s uptake in the UAE has been relatively slow.

Race card

5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,600m
5.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m
6pm: Arabian Triple Crown Round-1 Listed (PA) Dh230,000 (T) 1,600m
6.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,400m
7pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 (T) 2,400m

House-hunting

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

  1. Edinburgh, Scotland 
  2. Westminster, London 
  3. Camden, London 
  4. Glasgow, Scotland 
  5. Islington, London 
  6. Kensington and Chelsea, London 
  7. Highlands, Scotland 
  8. Argyll and Bute, Scotland 
  9. Fife, Scotland 
  10. Tower Hamlets, London