This prohibition on mass gatherings includes family reunions, Eid greeting assemblies and collective celebrations of Eid….reports Asian Lite News
Oman has completely banned business activities and movement of individuals and vehicles on Tuesday as part of the country’s efforts to contain the spread of Covid-19 during the Eid holiday.
The new restrictions will end on July 24, 2021, national daily Times of Oman reported.
The sultanate’s Supreme Committee, an inter-agency body tasked with addressing COVID-19 concerns and issues, earlier banned Eid Al-Adha prayers, traditional pre-Eid souks (habta) as well as mass gatherings, according to Arab News reported.
This prohibition on mass gatherings includes family reunions, Eid greeting assemblies and collective celebrations of Eid.
The committee however allowed limited movement of individuals and the opening of some business in the Wilayat of Sur, which was impacted by heavy rains and flooding.
“The Committee took note of the impacts of heavy rains and flooding of wadis on public and private properties in the Wilayat of Sur, despite the efforts undertaken by the authorities concerned,” the Arab News quoted a statement from the committee.
“To help bring life back to normal in a manner that does not contradict the measures and procedures endorsed to curb the pandemic… the COVID-19 Supreme Committee has decided to allow the movement of individuals and the opening of service outlets in the Wilayat of Sur,” it added.
The curfew will be lifted from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Wednesday, July 21, it was reported.
Inauguration of Israeli consulate in Dubai (Pic source WAM)
Israel FM’s revelation of the bilateral trade figure validates the estimates made by some Israeli and UAE officials, soon after announcing the Accords, that even initial bilateral economic engagements would run into hundreds of millions of dollars, Binsal Abdulkader interviews Yair Lapid
Israel-UAE bilateral trade has reached over NIS2.2 billion (AED2.48 billion/US$675.22 million), within ten months of signing the Abraham Accords in September 2020, according to Israel’s top diplomat.
In an exclusive interview, Israel’s Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said, “It is estimated that the bilateral trade potential will multiply many times over in the coming years.”
Lapid, who reached Abu Dhabi on Tuesday morning for a two-day official visit, is the first Israeli minister to visit the UAE since Abraham Accords were signed. This is his second foreign visit since he became the Alternate Prime Minister and Foreign Minister in the new coalition government formed this month. His first visit was to Rome early this week.
Lapid’s revelation of the latest bilateral trade figure validates the estimates made by some Israeli and UAE officials, soon after announcing the Accords, that even initial bilateral economic engagements would run into hundreds of millions of dollars.
Dubai Government announced on 30th January that the emirate’s trade with Israel in five months (September 2020-January 2021) had reached a value of AED1 billion (US$272.26 million).
Pic credits Twitter@IsraelMFA
Not a ceremonial visit
The top Israeli diplomat said “it is a huge honour” to be the first Israeli minister to embark on an official visit to the UAE. “This is not, however, a technical or ceremonial visit; it is part of a deep understanding that begins here with the shared journey of true cooperation.”
“This visit does not occur in a vacuum, it comes after the comprehensive work carried out by many people, which is bearing fruit today. This historic moment is thanks to them, and benefits us all,” he added.
He inaugurated the Israeli Embassy in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday afternoon and met with Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. He also opened the Israeli Consulate General in Dubai on Wednesday.
Real peace not on paper
About the prospects in educational, cultural and sports arenas and people-to-people relations between Israel and the UAE, Lapid said, “Real peace does not exist on paper but in peace between nations, peoples, and cultures. I am happy to see that Israelis are coming to visit the UAE and I am sure that joint tourism will expand, and we look forward to welcoming Emirati tourists to Israel.
“The first year [of Abraham accords and first official visit] are just the beginning of the journey.
Pic credits Twitter@IsraelMFA
“We need to allow our economies to integrate and prosper. We need to preserve the open dialogue and open-mindedness.”
Israel’s pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai, which will open in October, is another stepping stone in the building of relations, he said, added that the initiative, innovation and cooperation in health, education and technology will build ties for many years that will benefit generation to come.
Cooperation in advanced technologies
The Israeli minister said that business cooperation in the field of advanced technologies between Israel and the UAE “finds expression, among other things,” in B2B-level transactions and in the encouragement of Israeli startups to develop technologically and financially and establish branches in the UAE.
“Since September 2020, a number of transactions, valued at tens of millions of dollars, have been signed between Israeli and Emirati companies in the fields of AI, cyber, renewable energy, water security, health and more,” Lapid explained.
UAE, Israel ink key pact on economic, trade cooperation
“The horizons are promising for companies from both countries operating in these and other fields, including food security and desert-tech.”
Apart from ten economic agreements that had been signed between the two governments, other agreements are in the negotiations stage, “as part of the establishment of the bilateral infrastructure agreement between our countries within the framework of the Abraham Accords,” the minister added.
From media to politics
Lapid, who was a media celebrity before entering politics, said, “The decision to leave life in the media and television was easy for me. I love the State of Israel and I knew that real change is made through political work in the Knesset [parliament] and government.”
His father, Yosef Lapid, a Holocaust survivor and an antireligious politician, once also headed a centrist party and served as justice minister. His mother, Shulamit Lapid, is a well-known novelist.
UAE, Israel ink key pact on economic, trade cooperation@AmbAlKhaja
Although many people and events throughout the life have shaped him, one of the biggest influencers was his father, he revealed.
“His history and his story as a child in the ghetto during the Holocaust whose childhood was stripped away from him, and the deep understanding that Jews need a state and that children need protection, are foundational elements in my worldview. My intelligent mother and her family, as well as my wife and my three children, are also part of who I am today, from my decision-making process through to what drives me,” he said.
Jordan king holds talks with Abbas ahead of Biden summit.Pic credits @RHCJO
The Jordan king will be the first Arab leader to meet at the White House with President Joe Biden and his team….reports Asian Lite News
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas held talks with King Abdullah before the Jordanian monarch’s key visit to Washington.
The king will be the first Arab leader to meet at the White House with President Joe Biden and his team.
Two Jordanian army helicopters flew to Ramallah to transport Abbas and his team to the talks.
After a one-on-one meeting in the presence of Crown Prince Hussein, Jordanian and Palestinian teams joined their leaders.
Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Malki, senior Fatah official Hussein Sheikh, Palestinian intelligence service chief Majed Faraj, and senior diplomatic adviser Majdi Khalidi attended the meeting.
On the Jordanian side, Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh, Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, General Intelligence Director Ahmad Hosni and other officials were present, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa.
Jordan king holds talks with Abbas ahead of Biden summit.Pic credits @RHCJO
Jordan’s Petra news agency said the king reiterated Jordan’s support for Palestinians “to obtain their just and legitimate rights in establishing their independent, sovereign and viable state, on the June 4, 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.”
King Abdullah stressed the need to translate the cease-fire agreement in Gaza into a permanent truce in order to pave the way for Palestinian rights, Petra said.
Abbas highlighted Jordan’s critical role in defending the rights of Palestinians in international circles.
Samir Habashneh, a former Jordanian interior minister, told Arab News that the Biden administration has yet to decide on its approach to the Palestinian conflict.
“For sure, it is different from the Trump administration’s direction and for sure it is in support of the two-state solution, but it hasn’t yet identified the alternative,” he said.
Jordan king holds talks with Abbas ahead of Biden summit.Pic credits @RHCJO
Habashneh, a leading member of a reform committee set up by King Abdullah, said that in a recent meeting the monarch stressed the importance of support for the two-state solution.
“The king’s strong opposition to the Trump plan played a major role in its defeat, but we need to work out the mechanism for how to move forward,” he said.
Habashneh said that he hopes Jordan can influence a Palestinian reconciliation.
“If I can whisper in the ears of our Palestinian brethren, it would be to move fast in the reconciliation process in order to block Israeli efforts to avoid dealing with the Palestinian leadership.”
Hazem Kawasmi, a Jerusalem-based political activist, told Arab News that the situation is quickly deteriorating and there is a need to “find ways to put out all these fires.”
Jordan king holds talks with Abbas ahead of Biden summit.Pic credits @RHCJO
He said: “Things in Jerusalem, and especially in Silwan, with tens of homes slated for destruction, are worrying as is the internal Palestinian protests in light of the death of Nizar Banat and the attacks on peaceful Palestinian protesters by the Palestinian security.”
The family of Banat, a prominent critic of the Palestinian Authority, who died in detention on June 24, said that security forces broke into his house in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron and hit him repeatedly with a metal rod before arresting him.
Oraib Rantawi, director of Al-Quds Center for Political Affairs, told Arab News that the Biden administration is stepping up its coordination with Jordan and Egypt, while “Trump and his people gave preference to the Gulf countries, and disregarded Jordan and Egypt.”
Jordan king holds talks with Abbas ahead of Biden summit
Rantawi said: “I expect that the internal situation is worrying Jordan, and Abbas will most certainly receive friendly advice from King Abdullah on the need to address internal issues that have weakened Abbas and his administration.”
Lamis Andoni, a longtime observer of Jordanian-Palestinian relations, told Arab News: “What is happening in Jerusalem, and its effects on the region and the future, will be an important topic discussed between them.”
Trump’s policies were a major problem for both Jordan and Palestine, she added.
“The policies of the previous US administration gave legitimacy to Israel to increase its expansion into Palestinian lands,” Andoni said.
She said that the Jordan visit is intended to strengthen Abbas’ standing amid growing protests and criticism directed at the Palestinian leader, she said.
The event was in implementation of the executive programme of the Arab-India Cooperation Forum…reports Asian Lite News
Arab-India Energy Forum (AIEF) on Tuesday concluded the first edition of its two-day (June 8-9) meeting in a virtual format under the co-chairship of India and the Kingdom of Morocco.
The event was in implementation of the Executive Programme of the Arab-India Cooperation Forum (AICF) and the decision of the third meeting of the Senior Officials of India and the League of Arab States (LAS) held virtually on January 12, 2021.
The inaugural session of the Forum was addressed by R. K. Singh, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Power, New and Renewable Energy of India; Aziz Rabbah, Minister of Energy, Mines and Environment of Morocco; and Dr. Kamal Hasan Ali, Assistant Secretary General for Economic Affairs of the LAS.
The subsequent plenary sessions explored potential and challenges of cooperation in the fields of energy transition, intra-regional power trading, hydrocarbons and nuclear power generation.
The panelists were drawn from a wide range of public and private sector institutions from India and LAS member states as also key regional organisations such as the Organisation of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) and Arab Atomic Energy Agency (AAEA).
The Forum witnessed exchange of knowledge, expertise and best practices in the fields of energy efficiency programmes for different economic sectors, accelerated development of new & renewable energy, fostering regional power sharing arrangements, enhanced oil recovery, tight gas extraction, and safe nuclear power generation etc.
There was also discussion on respective national regulatory policies governing these sectors, investment opportunities as well as R&D and training collaboration possibilities.
The experts noted that even as India and several LAS member states strived to transition towards clean and green energy economies, their reliance on hydrocarbons will likely continue in the near future.
In conclusion, the participants conveyed their sincere appreciation to the two Ministers for their co-chairship and gracious patronage of the Forum, and also thanked the General Secretariat of the LAS for their excellent coordination in putting together a substantive programme.
They agreed to convene the second edition of the AIEF in India during the year 2023. (INN)
Arab Parliament reiterated that “security of Saudi is a basic pillar in the Arab national security”…reports Asian Lite News
The Arab Parliament (AP) has condemned the Yemeni Houthi militia attacks using explosive-laden drones and ballistic missiles on targets in southwestern Saudi Arabia.
“The continuing escalation and targeting of civilians in Saudi Arabia reflect the Houthis’ challenge of the international law and rejection for all the political efforts to end the crisis in Yemen,” the AP said in a statement on Monday.
It reiterated its support for Saudi Arabia in the measures taken to protect the safety and security of its lands, adding that “security of Saudi is a basic pillar in the Arab national security”, reports Xinhua news agency.
The AP attributed the aggression of the Houthi militia to the reluctance of the international community to take a firm stand for deterring all the violating practices.
Saudi-owned Al Arabiya TV reported on Sunday night that the Riyadh-led coalition had intercepted and destroyed six bomb-laden drones and a ballistic missile fired by the Houthi militia from Yemen toward Saudi southern border cities.
The attack came a day after the Houthi militia lost dozens of fighters in a battle with the Yemeni government forces backed by the Saudi-led coalition airstrikes in the oil-rich Marib province.
In February, the Houthis launched a major offensive to capture the province.
They have since stepped up cross-border missile and drone attacks against Saudi cities and oil facilities.
Most of the attacks were reportedly foiled by the coalition.
Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014 when the Iran-backed Houthi group seized control of several northern Yemeni provinces and forced the internationally recognised government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi out of the capital Sanaa.
The Saudi-led Arab coalition intervened in the Yemeni conflict in March 2015 to support Hadi’s government.
“The Arab countries and US haven’t sent any financial aid during 2020 until now”, said Prime Minister Mohammed Ishtaye…reports Asian Lite News
Palestine has not received financial aid from any Arab country for more than one year, Prime Minister Mohammed Ishtaye said.
“Due to lack of Arab funds, the deficiency in the Palestinian budget climbed to $1 billion,” Xinhua news agency quoted Ishtaye as saying at a press conference here on Wednesday.
“The Arab countries haven’t sent any financial aid during 2020 until now. In addition, the US has suspended its financial support, which amounted to $500 million,” he said.
At the conference on the coronavirus crisis in Palestine, Ishtaye said the government is ready for austerity and reducing its running cost.
“This will not be at the expense of the health, the safety and security of the citizen and the education in Palestine,” he said.
The Prime Minister added the economic establishments, whether it is large, medium, or small, have all been affected by the repercussions of coronavirus crisis.
“The unemployment rate in the West Bank rose to 19 per cent, while the situation in the Gaza Strip is much worse,” Ishtaye said.
