Saudi Arabia had an obligation to intervene in Yemen after the country descended into civil war, senior statesman Prince Turki Al Faisal told The National.
The former ambassador to the US and UK said the kingdom had a "double responsibility to defend its own interest and the region's as well", and would continue to play a role on the world stage.
He said it was the Houthis who started the war, but that fact had been over looked by the press.
The Iran-backed rebel's takeover of the capital Sanaa in September 2014 disrupted a process of political transition brokered by the GCC with international backing.
"Saudi was morally obliged to come to the aid of Yemen's legitimate government," Prince Turki said during a policy briefing at the Beirut Institute Summit in Abu Dhabi.
A Saudi-led Arab coalition intervened in Yemen in 2015 to push back the Houthi rebels and restore the government of President Abdrabu Mansur Hadi.
Prince Turki said the international community needed to remember that Saudi Arabia has been the biggest contributor of humanitarian aid to Yemen’s since the 1970s.
“Unfortunately, when we put out good news about Saudi Arabia it is not mentioned in the news because they are not exciting enough for the editorial boards of major news outlets, because they choose to portray negative aspects of the Yemen war,” he said.
The UN is leading efforts to bring Yemen’s government and the Houthi rebels to the negotiating table in Sweden next month after more than three years of war have left eight million Yemeni civilians severely affected by food shortages and plunged the country into economic crisis. Previous peace initiatives have failed, most recently in September when the rebels refused to attend talks in Geneva.
“The kingdom and the coalition partners including the UAE have been trying to get peace talks going since 2014,” Prince Turki said.
He called for the international community to push for the Sweden talks to take place, adding the Houthis were now under pressure to negotiate.
“The advancement of Arab coalition in the port city of Hodeidah and in Saada near the border with Saudi are the reasons why the Houthis are seeking negotiated settlement,” he said.
Saada province in northern Yemen is a Houthi stronghold. Government troops have recently reported big gains in the Marran district where rebel leader Abdulmalik Al Houthi is thought to be in hiding.
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UAE with Saudi through thick and thin, says Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid
Saudi FM says Kingdom presumed guilty over Khashoggi death
The Arab world has a pivotal role to play in an emerging global future
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On the killing of Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Prince Turki said the murder has horrified all of Saudi Arabia, from the leadership down.
He said the murder of the former government insider turned self-exiled critic was a “horrific” and a “dastardly act” and that the perpetrators would be brought to justice.
“The kingdom has taken steps to meet the challenge of that event by trying the people who are responsible for it and bringing them to court, and hopefully they will get the justice they deserve,” Prince Turki said.
Quoting a verse from the Quran, he said the killing of an innocent person was like “the killing of all humanity” and said the murder of Khashoggi “falls into that context”.
Prince Turki described Khashoggi as a “professional journalist”. The two had worked together between 2003 and 2007, when the prince was the Saudi ambassador in London and then Washington.
“I employed him as a spokesman for the Saudi embassy in London and for the embassy in Washington when I served there — he was a professional journalist,” Prince Turki said.
Khashoggi's murder has put Saudi Arabia in the international spotlight. The government has said the killing was unsanctioned and carried out by security officials without the knowledge of the country’s leaders.
“[The murder] has had its impact on the image of Saudi Arabia. It will be helpful of course if others, instead of jumping to conclusions, that they will wait until the process and investigation is carried out,” Prince Turki said.
The kingdom has repeatedly dismissed suggestions that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had any involvement or previous knowledge of the plot.
“In today’s media-mad world presumptions and assumptions and prior decisions take priority over truth and orderly process so it’s something that we just have to face,” the prince said.
Saudi prosecutors investigating the case say they have arrested 21 people so far, 11 of whom had been charged. They said they were seeking the death sentence for five of the suspects.
“My expectation is that everything will be brought out on the table," Prince Turki said.
The way forward, he said, is to put out what precisely happened. He called on Turkey to co-operating with the Saudi authorities in their investigation.
“It is not useful to use media leaks as a way to reach the truth. Our Foreign Minister [Adel Al Jubeir] has requested from the Turkish authorities to hand over all details and evidence that is available to them,” he said, pointing out that both sides have an interest in arriving at the truth about the incident.
On the rapid development and changes taking place in Saudi Arabia under Crown Prince Mohammed, Prince Turki said the kingdom had three main goals to accomplish.
Saudi Arabia aims to end reliance on oil income, and to elevate the position of women so they can become participants and partners in Saudi's economy and society, Prince Turki said.
And, finally, the kingdom seeks to be "a contributor for the benefit of humanity", he said.
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
Du Football Champions
The fourth season of du Football Champions was launched at Gitex on Wednesday alongside the Middle East’s first sports-tech scouting platform.“du Talents”, which enables aspiring footballers to upload their profiles and highlights reels and communicate directly with coaches, is designed to extend the reach of the programme, which has already attracted more than 21,500 players in its first three years.
How it works
Booklava works on a subscription model. On signing up you receive a free book as part of a 30-day-trial period, after which you pay US$9.99 (Dh36.70) per month to gain access to a library of books and discounts of up to 30 per cent on selected titles. You can cancel your subscription at any time. For more details go to www.booklava.com
'The Predator'
Dir: Shane Black
Starring: Olivia Munn, Boyd Holbrook, Keegan-Michael Key
Two and a half stars
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
if you go
The flights
Emirates flies to Delhi with fares starting from around Dh760 return, while Etihad fares cost about Dh783 return. From Delhi, there are connecting flights to Lucknow.
Where to stay
It is advisable to stay in Lucknow and make a day trip to Kannauj. A stay at the Lebua Lucknow hotel, a traditional Lucknowi mansion, is recommended. Prices start from Dh300 per night (excluding taxes).
RESULT
Manchester City 5 Swansea City 0
Man City: D Silva (12'), Sterling (16'), De Bruyne (54' ), B Silva (64' minutes), Jesus (88')
Start-up hopes to end Japan's love affair with cash
Across most of Asia, people pay for taxi rides, restaurant meals and merchandise with smartphone-readable barcodes — except in Japan, where cash still rules. Now, as the country’s biggest web companies race to dominate the payments market, one Tokyo-based startup says it has a fighting chance to win with its QR app.
Origami had a head start when it introduced a QR-code payment service in late 2015 and has since signed up fast-food chain KFC, Tokyo’s largest cab company Nihon Kotsu and convenience store operator Lawson. The company raised $66 million in September to expand nationwide and plans to more than double its staff of about 100 employees, says founder Yoshiki Yasui.
Origami is betting that stores, which until now relied on direct mail and email newsletters, will pay for the ability to reach customers on their smartphones. For example, a hair salon using Origami’s payment app would be able to send a message to past customers with a coupon for their next haircut.
Quick Response codes, the dotted squares that can be read by smartphone cameras, were invented in the 1990s by a unit of Toyota Motor to track automotive parts. But when the Japanese pioneered digital payments almost two decades ago with contactless cards for train fares, they chose the so-called near-field communications technology. The high cost of rolling out NFC payments, convenient ATMs and a culture where lost wallets are often returned have all been cited as reasons why cash remains king in the archipelago. In China, however, QR codes dominate.
Cashless payments, which includes credit cards, accounted for just 20 per cent of total consumer spending in Japan during 2016, compared with 60 per cent in China and 89 per cent in South Korea, according to a report by the Bank of Japan.
Liverpool 4-1 Shrewsbury
Liverpool
Gordon (34'), Fabinho (44' pen, 90' 3), Firmino (78')
Shrewsbury
Udoh (27'minutes)
Man of the Match: Kaide Gordon (Liverpool)
Squad for first two ODIs
Kohli (c), Rohit, Dhawan, Rayudu, Pandey, Dhoni (wk), Pant, Jadeja, Chahal, Kuldeep, Khaleel, Shami, Thakur, Rahul.
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
The 10 Questions
- Is there a God?
- How did it all begin?
- What is inside a black hole?
- Can we predict the future?
- Is time travel possible?
- Will we survive on Earth?
- Is there other intelligent life in the universe?
- Should we colonise space?
- Will artificial intelligence outsmart us?
- How do we shape the future?
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
Four-day collections of TOH
Day Indian Rs (Dh)
Thursday 500.75 million (25.23m)
Friday 280.25m (14.12m)
Saturday 220.75m (11.21m)
Sunday 170.25m (8.58m)
Total 1.19bn (59.15m)
(Figures in millions, approximate)
MATCH INFO
Manchester City 3 (Silva 8' &15, Foden 33')
Birmginahm City 0
Man of the match Bernado Silva (Manchester City)
The five types of long-term residential visas
Obed Suhail of ServiceMarket, an online home services marketplace, outlines the five types of long-term residential visas:
Investors:
A 10-year residency visa can be obtained by investors who invest Dh10 million, out of which 60 per cent should not be in real estate. It can be a public investment through a deposit or in a business. Those who invest Dh5 million or more in property are eligible for a five-year residency visa. The invested amount should be completely owned by the investors, not loaned, and retained for at least three years.
Entrepreneurs:
A five-year multiple entry visa is available to entrepreneurs with a previous project worth Dh0.5m or those with the approval of an accredited business incubator in the UAE.
Specialists
Expats with specialised talents, including doctors, specialists, scientists, inventors, and creative individuals working in the field of culture and art are eligible for a 10-year visa, given that they have a valid employment contract in one of these fields in the country.
Outstanding students:
A five-year visa will be granted to outstanding students who have a grade of 95 per cent or higher in a secondary school, or those who graduate with a GPA of 3.75 from a university.
Retirees:
Expats who are at least 55 years old can obtain a five-year retirement visa if they invest Dh2m in property, have savings of Dh1m or more, or have a monthly income of at least Dh20,000.
((Disclaimer))
The Liechtensteinische Landesbank AG (“Bank”) assumes no liability or guarantee for the accuracy, balance, or completeness of the information in this publication. The content may change at any time due to given circumstances, and the Liechtensteinische Landesbank AG is under no obligation to update information once it has been published. This publication is intended for information purposes only and does not constitute an offer, a recommendation or an invitation by, or on behalf of, Liechtensteinische Landesbank (DIFC Branch), Liechtensteinische Landesbank AG, or any of its group affiliates to make any investments or obtain services. This publication has not been reviewed, disapproved or approved by the United Arab Emirates (“UAE”) Central Bank, Dubai Financial Services Authority (“DFSA”) or any other relevant licensing authorities in the UAE. It may not be relied upon by or distributed to retail clients. Liechtensteinische Landesbank (DIFC Branch) is regulated by the DFSA and this advertorial is intended for Professional Clients (as defined by the DFSA) who have sufficient financial experience and understanding of financial markets, products or transactions and any associated risks.
Saturday's schedule at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
GP3 race, 12:30pm
Formula 1 final practice, 2pm
Formula 1 qualifying, 5pm
Formula 2 race, 6:40pm
Performance: Sam Smith
