Leading members of the UAE's Palestinian community have backed the country's 'sovereign' decision to strike a peace accord with Israel. Victor Besa / The National.
Leading members of the UAE's Palestinian community have backed the country's 'sovereign' decision to strike a peace accord with Israel. Victor Besa / The National.
Leading members of the UAE's Palestinian community have backed the country's 'sovereign' decision to strike a peace accord with Israel. Victor Besa / The National.
Leading members of the UAE's Palestinian community have backed the country's 'sovereign' decision to strike a peace accord with Israel. Victor Besa / The National.

UAE 'has been and will always be' a supporter of our cause, says Palestinian diaspora

The Palestinian community in the Emirates rejects any criticism of the decision to agree a peace accord with Israel

The National

August 19, 2020

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Leading members of the UAE’s Palestinian diaspora have rejected any criticism of the UAE's historic move towards a full normalisation of relations with Israel in exchange for it suspending its planned annexation of parts of the occupied West Bank.

An agreement between the two countries, known as the Abraham Accord, followed a joint call between Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last Thursday.

Some factions in Palestine have issued statements denouncing the agreement.

But the Palestinian community in the UAE has expressed its confidence in the Emirati leadership and people “who have been supporting the Palestinian cause in establishing an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital.”

“The UAE is an independent and sovereign state ruled by leaders who have great wisdom and insight. It has the right to choose its foreign policy and draw up agreements in line with its strategic interests,”  Palestinian businessmen and leaders based in the Emirates said during a virtual meeting.

“The leadership and people of the UAE have been and are the best supporters of the Palestinian cause,” they said in a statement.

The Palestinian Business Council in Abu Dhabi said on Tuesday the UAE has been and will be a staunch supporter of the Palestinian cause.

The council said it believes that the "UAE will never abandon the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people and will support them at all events in establishing an independent state in its capital in Jerusalem."

It commended the UAE's humanitarian role in supporting Palestinians.

The UAE has said the accord does not change its view of the peace process.

It remains committed to the Arab plan of a negotiated two-state solution, with East Jerusalem as the capital of an independent Palestinian state.

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh said while some officials have rejected the normalisation of relations between UAE and Israel, it does not diminish his respect for the Emirati people.

“The Emirati people are our people. The UAE flag is an Arab flag. Our rejection of normalisation does not affect our respect towards our people in the UAE,” Mr Shtayyeh said on Twitter.

There is still little detail on the timeline but the accord includes the establishment of diplomatic missions, travel between the two countries, the opening of trade relations – including of technology and goods – and co-operation in areas such as food security, climate change and energy.

  • US President Donald Trump speaks during a press conference at the White House in Washington, DC. Bloomberg
    US President Donald Trump speaks during a press conference at the White House in Washington, DC. Bloomberg
  • The agreement, known as the Abraham Accord, was announced on Thursday after a phone conversation between US President Donald Trump, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.. AP Photo
    The agreement, known as the Abraham Accord, was announced on Thursday after a phone conversation between US President Donald Trump, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.. AP Photo
  • The city hall in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv is lit up in the colours of the UAE national flag after the deal was announced. AFP
    The city hall in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv is lit up in the colours of the UAE national flag after the deal was announced. AFP
  • The city hall in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv is lit up in the colours of the UAE national flag after the deal was announced. Reuters
    The city hall in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv is lit up in the colours of the UAE national flag after the deal was announced. Reuters
  • The UAE agreed to establish diplomatic relations with Israel in exchange for the suspension of Israel's plan to annex large area of Palestinian territory in the West Bank. AFP
    The UAE agreed to establish diplomatic relations with Israel in exchange for the suspension of Israel's plan to annex large area of Palestinian territory in the West Bank. AFP
  • The accord envisages travel between the UAE and Israel, , trade and co-operation in areas such as food security, climate change and energy, according to a statement released by the US.. AFP
    The accord envisages travel between the UAE and Israel, , trade and co-operation in areas such as food security, climate change and energy, according to a statement released by the US.. AFP
  • The accord was welcomed by the United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres and the UN Special Co-ordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Nikolay Mladenov. AP Photo
    The accord was welcomed by the United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres and the UN Special Co-ordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Nikolay Mladenov. AP Photo
The national orchestra
Three tips from La Perle's performers

1 The kind of water athletes drink is important. Gwilym Hooson, a 28-year-old British performer who is currently recovering from knee surgery, found that out when the company was still in Studio City, training for 12 hours a day. “The physio team was like: ‘Why is everyone getting cramps?’ And then they realised we had to add salt and sugar to the water,” he says.

2 A little chocolate is a good thing. “It’s emergency energy,” says Craig Paul Smith, La Perle’s head coach and former Cirque du Soleil performer, gesturing to an almost-empty open box of mini chocolate bars on his desk backstage.

3 Take chances, says Young, who has worked all over the world, including most recently at Dragone’s show in China. “Every time we go out of our comfort zone, we learn a lot about ourselves,” she says.

While you're here
While you're here
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Islamophobia definition

A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.

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.”

Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
  • George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
  • Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
  • Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
  • Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills. 
Hunting park to luxury living
  • Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
  • The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
  • Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds

 

10 tips for entry-level job seekers
  • Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
  • Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
  • Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
  • For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
  • Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
  • Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
  • Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
  • Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
  • Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
  • Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.

Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz

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