A US delegation led by senior White House and State Department officials Brett McGurk and Derek Chollet, will be making its first visit to the region in the coming days, multiple sources confirmed to The National on Wednesday.
“A senior inter-agency delegation will be travelling over the coming week to discuss a number of important matters related to US national security and ongoing efforts towards a de-escalation of tension in the Middle East region,” a US official said.
A regional diplomatic source in Washington told The National the delegation would visit Saudi Arabia and the UAE to discuss the status of current talks with Iran.
Reuters reported the tentative itinerary also includes Egypt and Jordan.
Besides Mr McGurk, co-ordinator for the Middle East and North Africa at the National Security Council, and State Department counsellor and undersecretary Mr Chollet, the acting assistant secretary for Near East affairs, Joey Hood, and the head of the Middle East desk at the Pentagon, Dana Stroul, will also join the delegation, a State Department official told The National. They are expected to arrive in the Middle East this weekend.
This is the largest and highest-level delegation from President Joe Biden's administration to visit the region since he took office on January 20.
Ongoing indirect negotiations between the US and Iran are expected to top the agenda. The Biden administration has been updating and consulting with its regional partners on progress in the Vienna talks focused on the US return to the nuclear deal.
On Tuesday, US Special Envoy on Iran Robert Malley consulted with GCC allies before flying to Vienna for the next round of talks. The consultations were attended by Dr Anwar Gargash, Diplomatic Adviser to President Sheikh Khalifa.
In the UAE, US officials are expected to discuss the recent decision to go ahead with the sale to the UAE of $23 billion in military hardware, including 50 F-35 fighters and 18 military drones, Reuters reported.
A US official confirmed to The National Washington's intention to move ahead with the F-35 sale.
“We can confirm that the administration intends to move forward with these proposed defence sales to the UAE, even as we continue reviewing details and consulting with Emirati officials to ensure we have developed mutual understandings with respect to Emirati obligations before, during and after delivery,” the official said.
Nicholas Heras, a senior analyst at the Newlines Institute, said the trip is an opportunity to further security co-ordination with regional states.
"This trip is an opportunity for the Biden administration to make a big first impression with the states in the Middle East," Mr Heras told The National.
He described the tentative itinerary as “a rolodex" of close US security partners in the region.
“The intention of the trip is very likely to tell these partners that although Washington is planning to return to the nuclear deal and going to spend more time and energy on East Asia, their concerns in the Middle East will be taken into account,” he said.
Enabling US partners and furthering regional cooperation and stability is a key goal for this administration, the expert argued.
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
At Everton Appearances: 77; Goals: 17
At Manchester United Appearances: 559; Goals: 253
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
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
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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
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
Types of bank fraud
1) Phishing
Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
2) Smishing
The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
3) Vishing
The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
4) SIM swap
Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
5) Identity theft
Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
6) Prize scams
Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Another way to earn air miles
In addition to the Emirates and Etihad programmes, there is the Air Miles Middle East card, which offers members the ability to choose any airline, has no black-out dates and no restrictions on seat availability. Air Miles is linked up to HSBC credit cards and can also be earned through retail partners such as Spinneys, Sharaf DG and The Toy Store.
An Emirates Dubai-London round-trip ticket costs 180,000 miles on the Air Miles website. But customers earn these ‘miles’ at a much faster rate than airline miles. Adidas offers two air miles per Dh1 spent. Air Miles has partnerships with websites as well, so booking.com and agoda.com offer three miles per Dh1 spent.
“If you use your HSBC credit card when shopping at our partners, you are able to earn Air Miles twice which will mean you can get that flight reward faster and for less spend,” says Paul Lacey, the managing director for Europe, Middle East and India for Aimia, which owns and operates Air Miles Middle East.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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