Egyptian president Abdel Fattah El Sisi (R) walks with Saudi Arabia's King Salman (C), and Abdrabu Mansur Hadi during the 26th Arab Summit in Sharm El Sheikh on March 28, 2015. EPA/Office of the Egyptian President/Handout
Egyptian president Abdel Fattah El Sisi (R) walks with Saudi Arabia's King Salman (C), and Abdrabu Mansur Hadi during the 26th Arab Summit in Sharm El Sheikh on March 28, 2015. EPA/Office of the Egyptian President/Handout
Egyptian president Abdel Fattah El Sisi (R) walks with Saudi Arabia's King Salman (C), and Abdrabu Mansur Hadi during the 26th Arab Summit in Sharm El Sheikh on March 28, 2015. EPA/Office of the Egypt
Saudi-led campaign to continue until ‘stability is restored’
The 'aggression' of Yemeni Shiite rebels, known as Houthis, represents 'a big threat to the security and ability of the region', King Salman told the Arab League summit
CAIRO // King Salman said on Saturday that a Saudi-led offensive against rebels in Yemen would continue until his neighbour’s stability is restored.
The “aggression” of Iran-backed Shiite rebels, known as Houthis, represents “a big threat to the security and ability of the region,” the Saudi Arabian leader said at a meeting of Arab leaders in the Egyptian resort of Sharm El Sheikh.
It came as Saudi Arabia led a coalition of 10 Arab nations, including the UAE and Egypt, in launching attacks against Houthi targets in Yemen for a third day.
Meanwhile, Yemen’s embattled president Abdrabu Mansur Hadi called the Houthis “stooges of Iran” at the Arab League summit, directly blaming Tehran for the chaos in his country and demanding that air strikes continue until the rebels surrender.
Mr Hadi fled Yemen earlier this week, making his way to Saudi Arabia after leaving the southern city of Aden in the face of a push into southern Yemen by the Houthis and their allies, including forces loyal to ousted leader Ali Abdullah Saleh.
Other leaders, including the heads of Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, obliquely referenced Iran, blaming the Shiite country for meddling in the affairs of Arab nations. Egyptian president Abdel Fattah El Sisi said Iran was “spreading its ailment in the body”, without actually referring to the country by name.
Mr Hadi also hailed the Saudi-led intervention aimed at bringing him back to power, calling it a “practical application” of the kind of joint military action that is being urged by Mr El Sisi.
The Egyptian president, who was elected after toppling his predecessor Mohammed Morsi, has endorsed his powerful army as a cornerstone of a joint Arab force.
He warned leaders that the Arab nation was in its “darkest hour”.
“This nation ... has never been faced [with] a challenge to its existence and a threat to its identity like the one it’s facing now,” Mr El Sisi said. “This threatens our national security and [we] cannot ignore its consequences for the Arab identity.”
Foreign ministers meeting before the summit began on Saturday approved a proposal to establish a joint Arab rapid response military force, which the leaders were set to approve.
“This is the first time that a force will be created and work under the name of Arab states,” said Arab League secretary general Nabil Al Arabi, calling the move “historic”.
The issue has come to the fore with the Saudi-led offensive against the Houthis who took over the Yemeni capital Sanaa and are now threatening Aden.
However, UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon urged the leaders to find a peaceful resolution in the country.
“It is my fervent hope that at this Arab League summit, leaders will lay down clear guidelines to peacefully resolve the crisis in Yemen,” he said.
Despite the support for a joint Arab force, it would still take months to create and then operate on an ad hoc basis.
Mr El Sisi said in a recent interview that the proposal for a joint force was welcomed, especially by Jordan, which might participate alongside Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Kuwait.
“Each of these countries would bring a different capability,” said Aaron Reese, deputy research director at the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War.
The two-day Sharm El Sheikh summit, which ends on Sunday, is being held under tight security, with extra police and army on the streets of what is normally a tourist resort, and with military aircraft patrolling its skies.
The Israeli-Palestinian peace process, as in every Arab summit, also features prominently on the agenda, with the battle against ISIL in Iraq, Syria and Libya another high priority.
* Bloomberg, Associated Press and Agence France-Presse
Sanju
Produced: Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Rajkumar Hirani
Director: Rajkumar Hirani
Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Vicky Kaushal, Paresh Rawal, Anushka Sharma, Manish’s Koirala, Dia Mirza, Sonam Kapoor, Jim Sarbh, Boman Irani
Rating: 3.5 stars
Three ways to boost your credit score
Marwan Lutfi says the core fundamentals that drive better payment behaviour and can improve your credit score are:
1. Make sure you make your payments on time;
2. Limit the number of products you borrow on: the more loans and credit cards you have, the more it will affect your credit score;
3. Don't max out all your debts: how much you maximise those credit facilities will have an impact. If you have five credit cards and utilise 90 per cent of that credit, it will negatively affect your score.
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Emirates flies from Dubai to Seattle from Dh5,555 return, including taxes. Portland is a 260 km drive from Seattle and Emirates offers codeshare flights to Portland with its partner Alaska Airlines.
The car
Hertz (www.hertz.ae) offers compact car rental from about $300 per week, including taxes. Emirates Skywards members can earn points on their car hire through Hertz.
Parks and accommodation
For information on Crater Lake National Park, visit www.nps.gov/crla/index.htm. Because of the altitude, large parts of the park are closed in winter due to snow. While the park’s summer season is May 22-October 31, typically, the full loop of the Rim Drive is only possible from late July until the end of October. Entry costs $25 per car for a day. For accommodation, see www.travelcraterlake.com. For information on Umpqua Hot Springs, see www.fs.usda.gov and https://soakoregon.com/umpqua-hot-springs/. For Bend, see https://www.visitbend.com/.
2:01:39: Eliud Kipchoge (KEN) on 16/9/19 in Berlin
2:02:57: Dennis Kimetto (KEN) on 28/09/2014 in Berlin
2:03:23: Wilson Kipsang (KEN) on 29/09/2013 in Berlin
2:03:38: Patrick Makau (KEN) on 25/09/2011 in Berlin
2:03:59: Haile Gebreselassie (ETH) on 28/09/2008 in Berlin
2:04:26: Haile Gebreselassie (ETH) on 30/09/2007 in Berlin
2:04:55: Paul Tergat (KEN) on 28/09/2003 in Berlin
2:05:38: Khalid Khannouchi (USA) 14/04/2002 in London
2:05:42: Khalid Khannouchi (USA) 24/10/1999 in Chicago
2:06:05: Ronaldo da Costa (BRA) 20/09/1998 in Berlin
THE SPECS
Engine: AMG-enhanced 3.0L inline-6 turbo with EQ Boost and electric auxiliary compressor
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 429hp
Torque: 520Nm
Price: Dh360,200 (starting)
Key facilities
Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
Premier League-standard football pitch
400m Olympic running track
NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
600-seat auditorium
Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
Specialist robotics and science laboratories
AR and VR-enabled learning centres
Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
THE 12 BREAKAWAY CLUBS
England
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur
Italy
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus
Spain
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid
UAE SQUAD
Omar Abdulrahman (Al Hilal), Ali Khaseif, Ali Mabkhout, Salem Rashed, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Khalfan Mubarak, Zayed Al Ameri, Mohammed Al Attas (Al Jazira), Khalid Essa, Ahmed Barman, Ryan Yaslam, Bandar Al Ahbabi (Al Ain), Habib Fardan, Tariq Ahmed, Mohammed Al Akbari (Al Nasr), Ali Saleh, Ali Salmin (Al Wasl), Adel Al Hosani, Ali Hassan Saleh, Majed Suroor (Sharjah), Ahmed Khalil, Walid Abbas, Majed Hassan, Ismail Al Hammadi (Shabab Al Ahli), Hassan Al Muharrami, Fahad Al Dhahani (Bani Yas), Mohammed Al Shaker (Ajman)
Open Men (bonus points in brackets)
New Zealand 125 (1) beat UAE 111 (3)
India 111 (4) beat Singapore 75 (0)
South Africa 66 (2) beat Sri Lanka 57 (2)
Australia 126 (4) beat Malaysia -16 (0)
Open Women
New Zealand 64 (2) beat South Africa 57 (2)
England 69 (3) beat UAE 63 (1)
Australia 124 (4) beat UAE 23 (0)
New Zealand 74 (2) beat England 55 (2)
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
Countries recognising Palestine
France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra
The Al Barzakh Festival takes place on Wednesday and Thursday at 7.30pm in the Red Theatre, NYUAD, Saadiyat Island. Tickets cost Dh105 for adults from platinumlist.net
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.
