The UAE’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said that victory over the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen was “close”, as the Yemeni forces and the Arab coalition were closing in on the rebel-held port city of Al Hodeidah.
He praised the efforts and sacrifices of the Saudi-led alliance, which intervened in the Yemen war in 2015 at the request of the internationally recognised government of Yemeni President Abdrabu Mansur Hadi.
“We are following the progress towards Al Hodeidah, and we have the right to be proud of the UAE army, its officers, its soldiers, its professionalism, its courage and its honour that have made them a key partner in the Arab coalition that is led by Riyadh to crush the Houthi rebellion,” Dr Gargash tweeted on Thursday morning.
“Our courageous armed forces are part of the vision and hard work that was led by Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed through continuous effort and planning.
“The courage and sacrifices of our sons within the Arab coalition remain the difficult factors that the Houthis did not expect as they tried to take over [Yemen] through their disastrous coup.”
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Read more:
Liberation of Al Hodeidah and its port under way, Yemeni forces say
Beyond the Headlines podcast: Hodeidah's importance to victory in Yemen
Hodeidah: the Houthi's supply hub
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Dr Gargash slammed those attempting to undermine the efforts of the Arab coalition and those who seek to terrorise Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
“Our position in the battle today is the result of the joint sacrifices, and achievements will not be stolen by those who envy and are ungrateful,” he said.
“Yes, the Yemen test was and remains difficult but there is no choice but to face it.
"Days will prove the correct decision and will of the Saudi leadership, supported by the UAE leadership, that will move mountains. Watch out, victory is close."
Al Hodeidah is Yemen’s largest entry point for aid on which millions depend, as the country teeters on the brink of famine.
For the coalition, it is also considered the entry point for rebel weaponry, including ballistic missiles, which it accuses regional rival Iran of supplying.
The Houthis have repeatedly fired missiles at Saudi Arabia, which the US and UN experts say are of Iranian origin, a claim Tehran denies.
On Wednesday, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met with Mr Hadi in Jeddah.
The two men discussed latest development as well as ways to boost humanitarian aid to the Yemeni people, as the country's forces made advances towards Al Hodeidah.
“The forces have advanced another three kilometres and are now less than six kilometres away from Al Hodeidah airport,” Sky News Arabia quoted sources as saying.
“The advances were towards the Taif area and agricultural areas, in which members of the Iranian Houthi militia are holed up, in the province of Al Hodeidah overlooking the Red Sea.”
The Houthis evacuated dozens of Iranian consultants from the city, reported Asharq Al Awsat newspaper.
“More than 50 Iranian experts have been evacuated from the city in the past couple of days and taken to Houthi-controlled area in Sanaa and Haja,” Walid Al Qadimi, secretary of Al Hodeidah district, said.
He added that some left the city in ambulances, while others were transferred to the mountainous region near Al Hodeidah.
Maj Gen Abdulatif Ali, of the Yemeni army, told The National, that the Houthis are using the expertise of the Iranians — which back the powerful Lebanese group Hezbollah — to try and set new military plans as they suffer setbacks in Al Hodeidah and Taez.
Col Abdulbasat Al Baher, a spokesman for the Yemeni army on the Taez front, said that the Iranian experts were not only being consulted for military planning but some were specialised in manufacturing missiles.
"They are also experts in military telecommunications and in planting land and sea mines," he told The National. "Most of them entered Yemen when the Houthis took over the capital Sanaa in September 2014."
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Salah in numbers
€39 million: Liverpool agreed a fee, including add-ons, in the region of €39m (nearly Dh176m) to sign Salah from Roma last year. The exchange rate at the time meant that cost the Reds £34.3m - a bargain given his performances since.
13: The 25-year-old player was not a complete stranger to the Premier League when he arrived at Liverpool this summer. However, during his previous stint at Chelsea, he made just 13 Premier League appearances, seven of which were off the bench, and scored only twice.
57: It was in the 57th minute of his Liverpool bow when Salah opened his account for the Reds in the 3-3 draw with Watford back in August. The Egyptian prodded the ball over the line from close range after latching onto Roberto Firmino's attempted lob.
7: Salah's best scoring streak of the season occurred between an FA Cup tie against West Brom on January 27 and a Premier League win over Newcastle on March 3. He scored for seven games running in all competitions and struck twice against Tottenham.
3: This season Salah became the first player in Premier League history to win the player of the month award three times during a term. He was voted as the division's best player in November, February and March.
40: Salah joined Roger Hunt and Ian Rush as the only players in Liverpool's history to have scored 40 times in a single season when he headed home against Bournemouth at Anfield earlier this month.
30: The goal against Bournemouth ensured the Egyptian achieved another milestone in becoming the first African player to score 30 times across one Premier League campaign.
8: As well as his fine form in England, Salah has also scored eight times in the tournament phase of this season's Champions League. Only Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo, with 15 to his credit, has found the net more often in the group stages and knockout rounds of Europe's premier club competition.
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
Dubai World Cup nominations
UAE: Thunder Snow/Saeed bin Suroor (trainer), North America/Satish Seemar, Drafted/Doug Watson, New Trails/Ahmad bin Harmash, Capezzano, Gronkowski, Axelrod, all trained by Salem bin Ghadayer
USA: Seeking The Soul/Dallas Stewart, Imperial Hunt/Luis Carvajal Jr, Audible/Todd Pletcher, Roy H/Peter Miller, Yoshida/William Mott, Promises Fulfilled/Dale Romans, Gunnevera/Antonio Sano, XY Jet/Jorge Navarro, Pavel/Doug O’Neill, Switzerland/Steve Asmussen.
Japan: Matera Sky/Hideyuki Mori, KT Brace/Haruki Sugiyama. Bahrain: Nine Below Zero/Fawzi Nass. Ireland: Tato Key/David Marnane. Hong Kong: Fight Hero/Me Tsui. South Korea: Dolkong/Simon Foster.
At a glance - Zayed Sustainability Prize 2020
Launched: 2008
Categories: Health, energy, water, food, global high schools
Prize: Dh2.2 million (Dh360,000 for global high schools category)
Winners’ announcement: Monday, January 13
Impact in numbers
335 million people positively impacted by projects
430,000 jobs created
10 million people given access to clean and affordable drinking water
50 million homes powered by renewable energy
6.5 billion litres of water saved
26 million school children given solar lighting
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
Types of policy
Term life insurance: this is the cheapest and most-popular form of life cover. You pay a regular monthly premium for a pre-agreed period, typically anything between five and 25 years, or possibly longer. If you die within that time, the policy will pay a cash lump sum, which is typically tax-free even outside the UAE. If you die after the policy ends, you do not get anything in return. There is no cash-in value at any time. Once you stop paying premiums, cover stops.
Whole-of-life insurance: as its name suggests, this type of life cover is designed to run for the rest of your life. You pay regular monthly premiums and in return, get a guaranteed cash lump sum whenever you die. As a result, premiums are typically much higher than one term life insurance, although they do not usually increase with age. In some cases, you have to keep up premiums for as long as you live, although there may be a cut-off period, say, at age 80 but it can go as high as 95. There are penalties if you don’t last the course and you may get a lot less than you paid in.
Critical illness cover: this pays a cash lump sum if you suffer from a serious illness such as cancer, heart disease or stroke. Some policies cover as many as 50 different illnesses, although cancer triggers by far the most claims. The payout is designed to cover major financial responsibilities such as a mortgage or children’s education fees if you fall ill and are unable to work. It is cost effective to combine it with life insurance, with the policy paying out once if you either die or suffer a serious illness.
Income protection: this pays a replacement income if you fall ill and are unable to continue working. On the best policies, this will continue either until you recover, or reach retirement age. Unlike critical illness cover, policies will typically pay out for stress and musculoskeletal problems such as back trouble.
Profile of Hala Insurance
Date Started: September 2018
Founders: Walid and Karim Dib
Based: Abu Dhabi
Employees: Nine
Amount raised: $1.2 million
Funders: Oman Technology Fund, AB Accelerator, 500 Startups, private backers
Aldar Properties Abu Dhabi T10
*November 15 to November 24
*Venue: Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
*Tickets: Start at Dh10, from ttensports.com
*TV: Ten Sports
*Streaming: Jio Live
*2017 winners: Kerala Kings
*2018 winners: Northern Warriors
Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi
Director: Kangana Ranaut, Krish Jagarlamudi
Producer: Zee Studios, Kamal Jain
Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Ankita Lokhande, Danny Denzongpa, Atul Kulkarni
Rating: 2.5/5
