President Joe Biden used his first major foreign policy address in office to fulfil his campaign pledge to end US support for the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Mr Biden's announcement on Thursday that the US would end all support for the coalition's operation is a stark turnaround in Washington's stance on the six-year civil war.
He was vice president when the Obama administration agreed to back the Saudi-led coalition’s campaign and bolster Yemen’s internationally recognised government against the Houthi rebels.
That support included logistical, intelligence, targeting and mid-air refuelling support for the Saudi-led campaign.
At the time, there was little opposition from Washington’s foreign policy establishment against US involvement in the war, and a vote to block arms sales to Saudi Arabia during the conflict failed by 71-27 in the Senate.
But under former president Donald Trump, opposition to US involvement in the war intensified, with anti-war advocacy groups lobbying Congress to force him to end US support for the conflict.
Several former Obama administration officials who first supported the coalition joined the anti-war advocacy efforts through a non-profit organisation called National Security Action.
National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan sat on National Security Action's advisory board before joining the Biden White House.
The lobbying was fruitful. Under the Trump administration, Congress passed bipartisan bills to end US involvement in the Yemen war and blocked an $8 billion arms sale to Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Mr Trump ultimately vetoed all four bills, but his administration did end mid-air refuelling to the Saudi coalition in 2018 amid a growing congressional backlash.
However, the logistical, targeting and intelligence support remained in place throughout the rest of his presidency.
And while the Biden administration initiated a review of US relations with Saudi Arabia, including a temporary freeze on the Trump administration's last-minute arms sales to Riyadh, the president said that the US was committed to defending the kingdom against threats from Iran and its regional proxies.
“Saudi Arabia faces missile attacks, UAV strikes and other threats from Iranian-supplied forces in multiple countries,” Mr Biden said.
“We’re going to continue to help Saudi Arabia defend its sovereignty and its territorial integrity and its people.”
Saudi Arabia welcomed Mr Biden's "commitment to co-operate with the kingdom to defend its sovereignty and counter threats against it", in a statement released on the official Saudi Press Agency.
It also reiterated its commitment to finding a political solution to end the Yemen conflict.
Aside from Yemen, Mr Biden made no mention of other regional conflicts, such as that in Libya.
He also failed to touch on Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan, where US troops are stationed.
Mr Biden made no mention of the Arab-Israeli conflict, countering terrorism or the Iran nuclear deal.
This is in stark contrast to his predecessors. George W Bush made the war on Al Qaeda an early priority, as did Barack Obama on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and Iran nuclear negotiations, and Mr Trump made early moves to counter Iran.
For the Biden administration, ending US offensive support in Yemen is a goal that has bipartisan backing in Congress and fulfils a campaign promise.
It is low-hanging fruit in comparison with the Syrian conflict, Iran nuclear negotiations or talks with the Taliban in Afghanistan.
The National reported on Thursday that the administration is re-evaluating its Syria policy, although naming an envoy to the country, unlike Tim Lenderking's recent appointment as envoy to Yemen, will have to wait.
Mr Biden, without mentioning the Trump administration specifically, also tried to emphasise the sharp contrast with the previous approach to the Middle East.
He has not yet called any Middle East leader, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
While he pledged to continue work on the Abraham Accord, Mr Biden is not giving priority to Arab-Israeli negotiations.
Instead, the speech confirmed the US focus and swing to global priorities such as the rising influence of China, confronting Russia and mending ties with Nato allies.
At the same time, the speech did not signal US abandonment of traditional commitments in the Middle East.
Mr Biden did not announce partial withdrawals of troops from the region, sought by Mr Trump, and is instead suspending those to Germany and Afghanistan pending a review.
The speech offered a preliminary view of US priorities in the Middle East but ones that fit an American audience and remain in synch with Mr Biden’s domestic policies.
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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Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
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- 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.
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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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Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
Fitness problems in men's tennis
Andy Murray - hip
Novak Djokovic - elbow
Roger Federer - back
Stan Wawrinka - knee
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UK’s AI plan
- AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
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Who is Mohammed Al Halbousi?
The new speaker of Iraq’s parliament Mohammed Al Halbousi is the youngest person ever to serve in the role.
The 37-year-old was born in Al Garmah in Anbar and studied civil engineering in Baghdad before going into business. His development company Al Hadeed undertook reconstruction contracts rebuilding parts of Fallujah’s infrastructure.
He entered parliament in 2014 and served as a member of the human rights and finance committees until 2017. In August last year he was appointed governor of Anbar, a role in which he has struggled to secure funding to provide services in the war-damaged province and to secure the withdrawal of Shia militias. He relinquished the post when he was sworn in as a member of parliament on September 3.
He is a member of the Al Hal Sunni-based political party and the Sunni-led Coalition of Iraqi Forces, which is Iraq’s largest Sunni alliance with 37 seats from the May 12 election.
He maintains good relations with former Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki’s State of Law Coaliton, Hadi Al Amiri’s Badr Organisation and Iranian officials.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Match info
UAE v Bolivia, Friday, 6.25pm, Maktoum bin Rashid Stadium, Dubai
