Middle East Experience

Dubai's ports are ready to store the COVID-19 vaccine, said the chariman of United Arab Emirates logistics company DP World on Sunday.DP World CEO Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem made the comments at the inaugural UAE-Israel Future Digital Economy Summit, which is taking place under GITEX technology week.GITEX is one of the first major in-person events to be held in the UAE since the coronavirus outbreak.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.Future trade with IsraelSulayem also pointed to future colloboration with Israel, suggesting trade between the two countries could grow to at least $5 billion."We estimate at least $5 billion of trade will happen between our countries in the beginning and this will grow," he said.Sulayem also described Israel as a logical and strategic link for DP World's ports.The comments come as the United Arab Emirates and Israel continue to forge trade links following the normalization of relations in September.DP World has since struck deals with Israeli firms, including a joint bid with Israel Shipyards Industries to privatize Israel’s Haifa Port.Read more:UAE-Israel relations: Dubai’s Fresh Market opens first-ever Israeli produce display Israel venture capital firm JVP in talks for potential UAE innovation hubDubai's DP World, Israel's Shipyards sign for joint privatization of Haifa Port
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Dubai is ready to store COVID-19 vaccine, expand trade with Israel, says DP World

European Union foreign ministers evaluated grounds on Monday for sanctions against Turkey over a Mediterranean gas dispute before the bloc’s leaders decide at a summit on Dec. 10-11 whether to make good on their threat to impose punitive measures.Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country would not “bow down to threats and blackmail” but repeated his call for negotiations over the conflicting claims to continental shelves and rights to potential energy resources.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.Tensions flared in August when Turkey - a NATO ally and candidate for EU membership - sent a survey vessel to map out energy drilling prospects in waters also claimed by Greece.Germany, current holder of the EU’s six-month presidency, holds the key to whether sanctions go ahead. It had hoped to mediate between Athens and Ankara, but was angered when Turkey resumed its gas exploration off Cyprus in October after a pause. “There have been too many provocations, and tensions between Turkey, Cyprus and Greece have prevented any direct talks,” German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas told reporters in Brussels. “For this reason, we will talk about what consequences we should draw - also with a view to the EU summit this week.” EU leaders told Turkey in October to stop exploring in the disputed eastern Mediterranean waters or face consequences. France and the European Parliament, which formally called for sanctions on Nov. 26, say it is time to punish Turkey, which is seen in Brussels as fuelling the dispute for domestic political reasons. Greece has said it will not begin formal talks with Turkey over maritime claims while Turkish vessels remain in the contested waters. “Turkey must demonstrate, in practice, that it supports the idea of this dialogue,” Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias said on Twitter late on Sunday. “However, this choice on Turkey’s part must have continuity.”The Turkish vessel, Oruc Reis, returned to port again last week, helping to calm tensions, but European Council President Charles Michel warned Turkey not to play “cat and mouse” by returning exploration ships to port just before EU summits, only to redeploy them after they had finished. EU officials say broader issues of disagreement - over Libya, Syria, Russia and Turkey’s own drift towards authoritarianism - have hardened European positions towards Ankara. Read more:Turkish exploration vessel Oruc Reis back in port ahead of EU summitSanctions may be expected if Turkey continues eastern Med provocations: GermanyEU extends sanctions framework on Turkey over East Mediterranean drilling
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: EU foreign ministers to evaluate sanctions against Turkey

France, Germany and Britain said on Monday they were alarmed by an Iranian announcement that it intended to install additional, advanced uranium-enriching centrifuges and by legislation that could expand its nuclear program.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.“If Iran is serious about preserving a space for diplomacy, it must not implement these steps,” the three powers, who along with China and Russia are party to a 2015 nuclear containment deal with Tehran, known as the JCPoA, said in a joint statement.A confidential International Atomic Energy Agency report obtained by Reuters said Iran plans to install three more cascades, or clusters, of advanced IR-2m centrifuges in its enrichment plant at Natanz, which was built underground apparently to withstand any aerial bombardment.Iran’s nuclear deal with major powers says Tehran can only use first-generation IR-1 centrifuges, which refine uranium much more slowly, at Natanz and that those are the only machines with which Iran may accumulate enriched stocks.“Iran’s recent announcement to the IAEA that it intends to install an additional three cascades of advanced centrifuges at the Fuel Enrichment Plant in Natanz is contrary to the JCPoA and deeply worrying,” the three powers said of the UN watchdog report, which has yet to be made public.The powers further said a new law obliging Iran’s government to halt UN inspections of its nuclear sites and step up enrichment beyond the deal’s limits was also incompatible with the accord and Iran’s wider non-proliferation commitments.“Such a move would jeopardize our shared efforts to preserve the JCPOA and also risks compromising the important opportunity for a return to diplomacy with the incoming US administration,” they said, referring to Joe Biden, who defeated President Donald Trump in the Nov. 3 election.“A return to the JCPOA would also be beneficial for Iran,” the three added, referring to Tehran’s decisions to reverse some of its nuclear commitments in response to the Trump administration’s 2018 pull-out from the deal and reimposition of tough sanctions that have crippled the Iranian economy.Read more: Any new Iran deal must prevent Tehran from having nuclear weapons: GCC chief at IISS
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: France, Britain, Germany say Iran’s recent uranium enrichment ‘deeply worrying’

Mar Saba Monastery near Bethlehem attracts thousands of tourists each year, all the while facing constant attacks by Israeli settlers.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Inside Mar Saba Monastery in the West Bank

The United Arab Emirates detected 1,148 new coronavirus cases on Monday.While the daily increase was marginally lower than recent days, it means that the country now has its highest ever point of active infections — 17,272 as of Monday.The vast majority of coronavirus patients have recovered — 159,711 out of 177,577 — including the 579 patients who recovered over the last 24 hours.For more coronavirus news, visit our dedicated page.The latest infections were detected after authorities conducted 87,635 tests over 24 hours, according to the country's Ministry of Health.A further two people died from coronavirus-related complications, bringing the death toll to 594, reported the ministry.The UAE has witnessed a surge of coronavirus cases since September, with the daily increase in cases consistently above 1,000.The country has established an expansive testing system, frequently conducting over 100,000 tests a day in a country with approximately 9.8 million people.On Monday, the Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA) announced that it would cut the price of its COVID-19 PCR nose swab test to 85 dirhams ($23.15), in a move aimed at further expanding the number of tests carried out daily.SEHA has testing facilities across the UAE, including Abu Dhabi and Dubai.Dubai’s ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said on Saturday that the UAE would be the fastest country in the world to recover from the coronavirus pandemic.He was speaking on the first day of the GITEX technology show, one of the first major events to be taking place in person since the pandemic forced the cancelation of events and gatherings across the world.Read more:Abu Dhabi’s SEHA cuts COVID-19 PCR test cost to 85 dirhamsCoronavirus: Dubai is ready to store COVID-19 vaccine, says DP WorldCoronavirus: UAE reports 1,311 COVID-19 cases, one death
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: UAE detects 1,148 COVID-19 cases, bringing active cases to highest point

The German government has ceased funding to aid organization Islamic Relief Worldwide over its alleged ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, the Interior Ministry said in response to a request for information from an opposition party.A spokesman for the ministry told journalists it had information that both Islamic Relief Worldwide and Islamic Relief Deutschland (IRD) had “significant personal links to the Muslim Brotherhood” or related organizations and affiliates.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.The Muslim Brotherhood - a transnational Sunni Islamist organization founded in Egypt by Islamic scholar and schoolteacher Hassan al-Banna in 1928 – has long been denounced as a terrorist organization by Germany.In 2018, a local German news outlet, citing German Intelligence and security sources, said an official report has concluded that German security authorities consider the Muslim Brotherhood group as “more dangerous” to Germany’s democracy, compared to the ISIS.The ceasing of aid followed a question from Germany’s Free Democratic Party on donations by the government to Islamic Relief Worldwide , earmarked for the implementation of humanitarian aid in Syria, in particular to support health facilities with medicines and medical suppliesThe decision to stop donations follows news reports in August that IR’s leadership resigned en masse after the discovery that the aid organization’s new director had labeled terrorists “heroes”.The director had described leaders of the Hamas extremist group as “great men” who were answering "the #divine and holy call of the Muslim Brotherhood.”The comments were made in social media posts between 2014 and 2015 and uncovered by terrorism researchers.Headquartered in Birmingham, UK, Islamic Relief describes itself on its website as “an international aid agency that has served humanity for over 30 years by striving to make the world a better, fairer place.”It adds: “We remain guided by the timeless values and teachings of the Quran and prophetic example. As such, you don’t need to be a Muslim to work for us, but you will need to show a commitment to our faith-inspired values – sincerity, excellence, compassion, social justice and custodianship.”The organization employs more than 2,000 staff across 40 offices around the world.Read more:Muslim Brotherhood more dangerous to Germany than ISIS, Qaeda, says report The Brotherhood’s news in German landEurope must stand united against all extremism: Hamas, Hezbollah & Muslim Brotherhood
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Germany cuts funding for Islamic Relief aid group over ties to Muslim Brotherhood

Owner of Beitar Jerusalem soccer club Moshe Hogeg is determined to ignore threats by La Familia fan club against partnering with an Emirati investor.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Beitar Jerusalem soccer club pursues talks with Emirati investor

How an experienced investment banking team came together to make SkyKapital possible
Source: Arabian Business
Full Article: A bridge between markets

Sheikha Intisar AlSabah speaks out after none of the 28 women candidates were elected in latest polls
Source: Arabian Business
Full Article: Kuwaiti princess calls for quota system to help females secure parliament roles

With 2020 seeing an acceleration in the shift to electronic banking and payments, cybersecurity has taken on unprecedented importance
Source: Arabian Business
Full Article: Gulf cyber threat grows as region embraces cashless payments