Middle East Experience

From Cleveland, Georgia in the US, professional skydiver and stuntwoman Nicole Smith-Ludvik who was featured in Dubai-based Emirates Airlines’ viral advertising campaign, caused a stir all over the world.The advertisement, which did not involve using a green screen or special effects of any sort, showed Smith-Ludvik standing atop the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, holding a sign that said: “Moving the UAE to the Amber list has made us feel on top of the world. Fly Emirates, Fly Better.”For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.The camera then zooms out, showing her standing on top of the mega-skyscraper, which towers at 828 meters high, with views of the entire city of Dubai all around her.“The Emirates stunt is precisely the moment I worked hard on for many years. It is hard to describe the emotions I experienced as I climbed the Burj for the first time. Every ladder rung I climbed was a physical representation of my life’s journey,” Nicole Smith-Ludvik said in an interview with Al Arabiya English.How she was selected for the viral Emirates ad When asked about how she landed the role for the Emirates ad, she said that, initially, the airline had put out a casting call to their own flight attendants to do the stunt. But after careful consideration, Emirates reached out to Prime Productions, a film production and stunt management firm, to cast a professional stuntperson.Smith-Ludvik and her husband travel the world to carry out skydiving demonstrations and teach other how to skydive.“My husband and I have worked with Alan and Marta Gayton, owners of Prime Productions, on several past projects. So, Alan reached out to me about this opportunity and asked me to submit a casting video. Ultimately, Emirates selected me to do the stunt,” she explained.“When I reached the top of the Burj, I took a deep breath and whispered to myself, ‘I’ve made it,’” she said.Smith-Ludvik said that the spotlight she garnered from the Emirates stunt created the perfect global platform to tell her story and “inspire the world.”“I am so humbled by the overwhelmingly supportive public response, and I am so grateful to Emirates and my fantastic team. We've made something special. I am confident people will talk about this for years to come.”‘I have always had a flair for the adventurous’ “It’s easy to watch these advertisements and create a story in your mind about me, the brave girl standing atop the world's largest building. Some call me lucky. Others call me crazy. But there's a lot more to me than what meets the eye,” the stuntwoman said.When asked about how her life had changed since the viral ad campaign, she said: “Though the Emirates advertisement created a global buzz, I have to tell my entire story to answer how things changed.”Smith-Ludvik comes from a little town in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains called Cleveland the state of Georgia.“My parents were supportive of my antics, as I have always had a flair for the adventurous [such as] hiking, climbing, whitewater rafting, rollercoasters, and bungee jumping, so it wasn’t unusual to find me climbing as high as I could in the trees at my grandparent's or miles out on a hiking trail,” she told Al Arabiya English, adding that she lived close to an airport community where she saw planes flying all the time.“I remember lying in the grass, watching them fly, and wondering about how incredible it would be to jump out of one.”Smith-Ludvik pushed that dream to the back of her mind because life got in the way as she began to pursue higher education and a career in business.“It was challenging, fast-paced, and dynamic and taught me a lot about planning, teamwork, and stress management,” she explained.Knowing it was something she always wanted to try, her now-deceased husband gifted her a tandem skydive experience for her birthday which led to her doing her first tandem jump in August 2007.“The freedom of skydiving is tough to explain. It’s sort of like trying to describe the taste of water; you truly have to experience it yourself to understand [it],” she said.“Standing in the door of an airplane, strapped to a stranger, getting ready to jump to what felt like my certain death, was the scariest, most exhilarating, peaceful, liberating experience of my life! That leap of faith planted a seed in my heart. The moment I landed, my videographer asked me, “would you do it again?” I replied enthusiastically,“Absolutely!”,” she said, knowing it would not be the last time she jumped out of an airplane.“Over the years, I did a few more tandem jumps to get my ‘fix,’ but I didn't have the time or desire to do it on my own. Frankly, the thought of jumping by myself scared me.”Widowed at 25 Widowed at 25, Smith-Ludvik told Al Arabiya English that she felt “lost, empty, and detached… like I had lost my sense of purpose.”She continued, “I spent the next year of my life trying to make sense of my circumstances and trying to re-acclimate. I was trying to answer the question, ‘who am I, and what do I want out of this life?’”‘I came face-to-face with my mortality in my mid-20s’ A year later, she decided to pursue her passion for skydiving and signed up for an Accelerated Freefall class (AFF) at her local dropzone.“My instructors were Jeremy Marston and Miki Baranowski. Fast forward to June 2011. I was a newly licensed skydiver in love with the freedom and peace I found [in] skydiving and with my instructor, Jeremy,” she said.However, in June 2011, her and Jeremy got into a car accident when another driver on the road ran a red light and collided with the vehicle they were in.“Unfortunately, Jeremy didn’t make it,” she said. “I have no recollection of the accident or the following 11 days. I was in terrible shape.”She was helicoptered to a trauma hospital in Atlanta to deal with her severe injuries.“I sustained a broken neck, back, tailbone, punctured lung, two broken ribs, four pelvic fractures, and two brain injuries. The doctors prepared my family for the worst. Even if I made it, my parents were told my brain injuries could limit my cognitive abilities, and hip fractures could severely affect my walking ability.”“My body and my heart were shattered.”With a long road of recovery ahead, she moved back in with her parents because she could not take care of herself for several months after the accident.“The car accident changed the entire trajectory of my life and made me reevaluate everything I thought was important. I came face-to-face with my mortality in my mid-20s,” she said, adding that it caused her to re-evaluate her life.“I realized I was not living my life in the present. Instead, I was pushing ‘living’ to retirement. I assumed that I would have the time and the health to do everything I was putting off.I realized no one is guaranteed a second on this planet. I promised myself that I wouldn't waste time on things that didn't serve me or bring me joy. I promised myself to love harder, appreciate deeper, and be thankful for every breath I take,” she added.“I am here for a reason. If that reason didn't exist, I wouldn't be telling my story.”Youngest person to skydive in all 50 states in US After almost one year of physical therapy, she made a full recovery, quit her corporate job and pursued the life she wanted as a professional skydiver. She went on to become the youngest person to skydive in all 50 states in the US.“I have overcome a lot as I look back on the past twelve years,” said. “For me, I didn’t attach myself to the belief that what I was going through was difficult. I was in survival mode. No matter how challenging the journey seemed, I didn't stop climbing. Some days were excruciating physically and emotionally, but I didn’t stop climbing.”“Since then, I have traveled the world, skydiving in some of the most spectacular places on Earth with one goal in mind: spread the message of perseverance and hope so others can be inspired to change their lives for the better.”“Hand over hand, I kept rising, not looking back, not looking down, not allowing myself to fall into the pit of self-pity and pain. I had a task at hand - a goal to get to the top.”Read more:Video shows Will Smith climbing to the top of the Burj KhalifaIn pictures: Emirates Airlines flies A380 Expo 2020 Dubai plane past Burj KhalifaExplainer: Everything you need to know about ‘Tinder Swindler’ Simon Leviev
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Profile: Meet the stuntwoman in Dubai-based Emirates’ viral Burj Khalifa advert

Zain KSA has approved the sale of over 8,000 tower infrastructure to the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) and a consortium of investors, according to a statement issued by the telecommunications company on Wednesday.Zain KSA is a mobile telecommunications company based in Saudi Arabia that is publicly traded on the Saudi Stock Exchange, Tadawul.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.The sale marks an 80 percent stake for the investors and has reportedly been valued at $807 million (SAR 3,026 million).Of the investors who have own a stake, PIF will acquire 60 percent, while Prince Saud Bin Fahad and Sultan Holding Company will each receive a 10 percent stake.The remaining 20 percent will be owned by Zain KSA, with a call option from the PIF that reserves the right for it to buy Zain KSA’s stake at an undisclosed price.The statement from Zain KSA said: “The deal builds on PIF’s strategy to develop the Kingdom’s innovation capabilities and to position it as a globally competitive hub for technology, media, and telecom (TMT).”Meanwhile, a statement from PIF said: “The Fund aims to enhance and develop the technology, media & telecom sector, one of PIF’s strategic sectors domestically, by localizing cutting-edge technology and knowledge in line with Saudi Vision 2030.”The deal will also “help Zain KSA move to a capex light model and focus its investments on innovation and value-added services” said the statement, adding that “the final offers are subject to obtaining required regulatory approvals and completing other necessary conditions as agreed between PIF, the consortium and Zain KSA.”Shares of Zain KSA have risen by 10.91 percent over the past month and recorded a 2.06 percent increase after news of the sale broke.Read more:Four Saudi women listed in Forbes top 50 most powerful businesswomenSaudi Telecom sets up new wholly-owned entity for data centers, cable assetsLEAP 2022: Huawei announces plans to build new cloud region in Saudi Arabia
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Zain KSA sells 80 pct infrastructure stake worth 7 million to PIF, investors

One year ago today, the US removed Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis and group officials from terror blacklists shortly after President Joe Biden announced an end to support for Saudi Arabia’s “offensive operations” inside Yemen.The Biden administration cited humanitarian concerns despite making it one of the president’s first foreign policy moves, which also included freezing arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, both part of the coalition fighting in Yemen.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.Biden also declassified a report that alleged that Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman approved the 2018 operation that led to the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Saudi Arabia’s Istanbul consulate. Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry denied the allegations following the report’s publication.There was an effort by the Biden administration to highlight its so-called focus on human rights. But a year later, Biden and his top officials appear to be reconsidering their rushed policy moves on Yemen that placed much of the blame on Saudi Arabia and the coalition it leads.Last month, Biden declared that he was reconsidering designating the Houthis as a terrorist organization following multiple attacks on the UAE’s capital Abu Dhabi.Analysts say that doing so may not have much impact as the first decision already emboldened the Houthis.“Removing [the designation] once it had been put in place was a powerful signal to the Houthis that the new administration was leaning towards them and encouraged them to be intransigent,” Ali Shihabi told Al Arabiya English.“Had it never been put in place, it would have made little difference; but removing it once it was in place was the huge mistake,” argued Shihabi, a political analyst with a focus on Saudi Arabia.State Department officials say that no decision has been made and that the move is still being considered. Sources familiar with the Biden administration’s thinking say that specific sanctions on Houthi leaders could be announced in the coming weeks.The Houthis have threatened to keep targeting the UAE so long as it backs groups in Yemen fighting against the militia.The UAE is part of the coalition, which intervened in Yemen in 2015 to restore the internationally recognized government of Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.The Arab Coalition and pro-government groups have been making gains in Yemen, reclaiming provinces from under the control of the Houthis.Washington has since approved millions of dollars of arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the UAE in a bid to help both countries defend themselves against attacks from the Houthis and other Iran-backed groups in the region.Biden’s top diplomat for Yemen, Tim Lenderking, has also repeatedly said the Houthis were at fault for blocking any real efforts towards a political solution in Yemen.He has also said that there is no military solution to the war, which has pitted the Houthis against the internationally recognized government.The group escalated its offensive on the oil-rich province of Marib and increased its attacks on Saudi Arabia following Biden’s decision to remove the group from the Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) list and revoking its Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGT) designation.Houthi militants have ransacked the US Embassy in Sanaa and detained multiple US and UN employees. The local staff that worked for the US continue to be held more than four months after being detained.Meanwhile, the Biden administration sanctioned several Houthi officials and have vowed to continue doing so for their role in the yearslong Yemen war.The Biden administration has grown increasingly frustrated with the Houthis due to their lack of cooperation with efforts to reach a solution. This will be reflected in the moves expected to be made soon, sources familiar with the US administration’s thinking say.Changing views on the HouthisOne year later, things on the ground have changed, even for those who initially opposed designating the Houthis.“My view is that the FTO issue should be revisited,” former US Ambassador to Yemen Gerald Feierstein told Al Arabiya English.Despite being one of the 100 former US diplomats to publicly criticize the Trump administration’s move to designate the Houthis, Feierstein now says, “things have changed.”“The past year has demonstrated that the Houthis will not return to the negotiating table until they accept that there is no alternative to a political resolution,” he wrote in an article Tuesday titled ‘A peacemaker’s case for designating the Houthis.’Citing Saudi Arabia and the Yemeni government’s willingness to engage in a ceasefire, the former US diplomat wrote: “As a member of Iran’s ‘axis of resistance,’ uncontested Houthi control of Yemen would pose an enduring challenge not only to the well-being of the Yemeni people but also to vital US interests...”Yet, he suggested crafting new sanctions and designations in a way that prevented unintended humanitarian consequences.Such a move, as Shihabi argued, may not have a direct impact on the Houthi leadership, but it would send a message “that delegitimizes the Houthi movement as a participant in Yemen’s political future.”For her part, Nadwa al-Dawsari said the FTO designation has little value other than delegitimizing the Houthis as an actor in the country.“Nothing short of a substantial military campaign that is consistent and coordinated to weaken the Houthis would help bring Yemen closer to peace,” she told Al Arabiya English, arguing that re-designating the group could have a “devastating impact” on ordinary Yemenis.“Houthis are not interested in negotiations or compromise, and they made that very clear through their statements and actions,” said al-Dawsari, a non-resident scholar at the Washington-based Middle East Institute.Asked what the Biden administration could do differently in Yemen, she said sanctions against Houthi leaders and cracking down on their “money-making machines” in the region. “It should also step up operations in the Red Sea to prevent the smuggling of weapons to the Houthis.”Read more: US condemns Iran-backed Houthi attack on Saudi Arabia’s Abha airport
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Biden eased pressure on the Houthis one year ago; has it worked?

Lebanon’s Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said on Wednesday the group has been producing drones and has the capability of turning thousands of rockets to precision missiles.“We have been producing drones in Lebanon for a long time and whoever wants to buy them, submit an order,” he said in a televised speech to his followers.Nasrallah said his group is able to transform standard rockets into precision missiles with the help of “experts” from Iran, and that the production has been prompted by arch-enemy Israel's increased use of drone technology.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app. Israel has long viewed the Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon as an enemy. Lebanon and Israel are still in a formal state of war and have long contested their land and maritime borders. Israel has also carried out hundreds of air strikes in neighboring Syria in recent years against suspected Iranian military deployments or arms transfers to Hezbollah.Israeli military officials assessed that Hezbollah’s military capabilities are the “second most serious threat” facing Israel, after an Iranian nuclear weapon.Read more:Lebanon’s Hezbollah chief describes Kuwaiti proposals to Lebanon as ‘dictates’Lebanon's Hezbollah says it expects parliamentary election on timeLebanon's answer to Gulf terms for thawing relations will be studied: Kuwait
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Hezbollah has started producing drones, can create precision missiles: Nasrallah

The Australian Embassy is encouraging both businesses and individuals who are planning to move to Australia to utilise the country's fast-tracked Global Talent Visa..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Australian Embassy in Qatar offers fast-track visa

The Biden administration has committed to aggressively confront anti-Israel bias in the UNHRC wherever and whenever it appears.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: US State Department official addresses return to UN Human Rights Council

Saget's wife and other family members said photos, videos and other recordings from the Orange County Sheriff's investigation into the comedian's death should only be released to the family.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Bob Saget's family sues to block public release of death records

The Hezbollah leader added that the movement is able to manufacture drones and will sell to whoever wants to buy.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Nasrallah brags about missiles, drones, reminisces on 1st Lebanese War

The tournament kicked off on Monday and will run until 19 February. British champion Andy Murray triumphed Japan’s Taro Daniel in a spectacular 6-2, 6-2 win at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha on Tuesday. The win comes after his January defeat to Daniel at the second round of the Australian Open. The 34-year old ..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: UK champion Andy Murray tackles Japan's Taro Daniel in Qatar ExxonMobil Open

Clashes have started again in the east Jerusalem neighborhood. How did all this happen?
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: What's all the fuss about Sheikh Jarrah? - explainer