US president-elect Joe Biden on Monday nominated distinguished diplomat William Burns to head of the CIA, bringing in a senior negotiator who served in both Russia and the Middle East to head the agency.
Mr Burns, 64, is a career diplomat who has served under successive US Republican and Democratic presidents from Ronald Reagan to Barack Obama. He brings 33 years of diplomatic experience to the CIA, an unprecedented resume in the history of the agency.
He brings in a vast knowledge of the Middle East, having been ambassador in the region, intimately involved with the Iran negotiations since 2006 and as the former assistant secretary of state for Near East affairs. He is also fluent in Russian and also speaks Arabic and French.
Among key positions that Mr Burns held at the State Department were deputy secretary of state (2011-2014), under-secretary of political affairs (2008-2011), ambassador to Russia (2005-2008), ambassador to Jordan (1998-2001) and assistant-secretary for near east affairs (2001-2005).
In a statement, Mr Biden hailed Ambassador Burns’ record as “a consummate professional full of integrity who will bring the facts and independence that our national security demands.”
Mr Biden listed cyberattacks emanating from Moscow, the challenge China poses and the threat “faced from terrorists and other non-state actors” as key challenges that Mr Burns is equipped to handle.
"He shares my profound belief that intelligence must be apolitical and that the dedicated intelligence professionals serving our nation deserve our gratitude and respect," Mr Biden, who takes office next week, said in a statement.
His nomination is being met by high praise from both sides of the aisle in Washington, suggesting that he will have a smooth confirmation in the Senate.
Two other contenders for the post, Michael Morell and David Cohen, praised Mr Burns’ nomination.
“His command of the issues, his deep respect for intelligence, and his care for people” will make him successful in the role Mr Morell said on Twitter.
Former diplomat Alberto Fernandez, who is conservative-leaning and worked with Mr Burns in Jordan and at the State Department, called the nomination “a superb choice.”
“He is a man of the highest integrity and ability,” Mr Fernandez said on Twitter.
It is the last high-profile nomination awaited from Mr Biden before he takes office on January 20.
Mr Burns’ nomination is another indication of Mr Biden’s cohesive foreign policy team, and one that increases the chances of negotiations with Iran.
The nominee worked closely with incoming national security advisor Jake Sullivan in conducting the secret negotiating channel with Iran in 2011 that led to the signing of the nuclear deal in 2015.
Outgoing US President Donald Trump abandoned the deal in 2018, eliciting harsh criticism from Mr Burns and Mr Sullivan in a piece they co-authored for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace where the CIA nominee is president.
"Contacts with the Iranians are not a reward for bad behaviour and we should have no illusions that they will engage productively on all our concerns,” Mr Burns and Mr Sullivan wrote.
"But diplomacy is the best way to test intentions and define the realm of the possible, repair the damage our unilateral turn has inflicted on our international partnerships, and invest in more effective coercion if and when it's needed to focus minds in Tehran," they said.
The bio
Date of Birth: April 25, 1993
Place of Birth: Dubai, UAE
Marital Status: Single
School: Al Sufouh in Jumeirah, Dubai
University: Emirates Airline National Cadet Programme and Hamdan University
Job Title: Pilot, First Officer
Number of hours flying in a Boeing 777: 1,200
Number of flights: Approximately 300
Hobbies: Exercising
Nicest destination: Milan, New Zealand, Seattle for shopping
Least nice destination: Kabul, but someone has to do it. It’s not scary but at least you can tick the box that you’ve been
Favourite place to visit: Dubai, there’s no place like home
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
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.”
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Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
CHELSEA SQUAD
Arrizabalaga, Bettinelli, Rudiger, Christensen, Silva, Chalobah, Sarr, Azpilicueta, James, Kenedy, Alonso, Jorginho, Kante, Kovacic, Saul, Barkley, Ziyech, Pulisic, Mount, Hudson-Odoi, Werner, Havertz, Lukaku.
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Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
Surianah's top five jazz artists
Billie Holliday: for the burn and also the way she told stories.
Thelonius Monk: for his earnestness.
Duke Ellington: for his edge and spirituality.
Louis Armstrong: his legacy is undeniable. He is considered as one of the most revolutionary and influential musicians.
Terence Blanchard: very political - a lot of jazz musicians are making protest music right now.
Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, Group C
Liverpool v Red Star Belgrade
Anfield, Liverpool
Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
World%20Food%20Day%20
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In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
UAE SQUAD
Ahmed Raza (Captain), Rohan Mustafa, Jonathan Figy, CP Rizwan, Junaid Siddique, Mohammad Usman, Basil Hameed, Zawar Farid, Vriitya Aravind (WK), Waheed Ahmed, Karthik Meiyappan, Zahoor Khan, Darius D'Silva, Chirag Suri
The%20Roundup
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
Company%20Profile
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![Deputy Secretary of State William Burns meets with United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed in Abu Dhabi, United Arab EmiDeputy Secretary of State William Burns meets with United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, December 14, 2012. [State Department photo/ Public Domain]rates, December 14, 2012. [State Department photo/ Public Domain]](https://www.thenationalnews.com/resizer/v2/CDIJLEHLX3B5QKGKOTSWXNL2UE.jpg?smart=true&auth=deafc2c45c1ad4293487ba167d33a0be8df2017a8d06e9f73688431419700fb3&width=800&height=450)
![Deputy Secretary of State William Burns participates in the 3rd ministerial meeting of the Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF) in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, December 14, 2012. [State Department photo/ Public Domain]](https://www.thenationalnews.com/resizer/v2/4WDD434OUV3PYE5W4YAZBWAHPU.jpg?smart=true&auth=c7d3b5a0b3e7c3e888a83f5a5eb87720a691d3678d344c0c6a618799e884edb3&width=800&height=450)
