Middle East Experience

“I shed a tear,” said Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan after watching a heartfelt video of residents in the UAE singing the country’s national anthem from their balconies.For more coronavirus news, visit our dedicated page.“May God protect you and protect the country that you are in, that you are loyal to like its own people. And God willing we will get through this phase with you safe and sound,” the Crown Prince said.The video he is referring to shows UAE citizens and residents singing the national anthem from their balconies and homes in an expression of gratitude and solidarity with health aid workers during the nationwide disinfection program.The campaign, which began on March 26 and has been extended until April 5, is part of the UAE government's efforts to curb the spread of coronavirus.The UAE has recorded 664 cases of the virus so far, while the virus-related death toll currently stands at six.A drive-through testing site where people can get tested while remaining in their cars has also been set up.Meanwhile, distance learning for all government and private schools and universities was extended until the end of the 2019-2020 academic year.
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: ‘I shed a tear’ Abu Dhabi Crown Prince shares heartfelt message amid coronavirus

The UAE will begin testing for coronavirus at a massive laboratory reportedly built in the country in just 14 days, according to a joint announcement on Tuesday by genomics company BGI and Group 42 (G42), the leading technology company based in Abu Dhabi.The UAE already has already been testing people for coronavirus and has confirmed 611 cases in the country. Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed visited the UAE's first drive-through testing site in Abu Dhabi this week, and the UAE is set to launch several more across the country in the coming days.But according to the announcement by BGI and G42, this new laboratory - reportedly set up over two weeks in the UAE's Masdar City - will take testing in the UAE to a much larger scale."This high throughput lab provides the scale and firepower to enable all people in Abu Dhabi and the UAE to access the most reliable PCR tests, which are also provided by G42 in partnership with BGI. We thank the UAE leadership's support in protecting the health and wellbeing of the country's residents against this pandemic," said G42 President Peng Xiao.According to the G42 website, the lab will use RT-PCR diagnostic kits developed by BGI. RT-PCR stands for "real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction(rRT-PCR) test," a form of tests which looks for the disease in specimens collected from respiratory tests. The diagnostic kits have received approvals from China (NMPA), Europe (CE-IVD), the United States (FDA) and the World Health Organization (WHO).Read more:‘I shed a tear’ says Abu Dhabi Crown Prince after watching residents sing anthemCoronavirus: UAE introduces new guidelines for employees hit by downturnCoronavirus: Defer Hajj, Umrah plans urges Saudi Arabia amid pandemic“In such challenging times, we feel compelled to leverage our expertise, technological resources and international partnerships to bring rapid, accurate testing capabilities on a massive scale and bolster the detection efforts led by authorities,” he added.G42 said the laboratory will prioritize testing specimens from the UAE and neighboring countries, without specifying which."Together with our partners at G42, we can bring the world’s best technology and experience in fighting global health threats to help the people of the UAE and beyond,” said Wang Jian, Co-founder and Chairman of BGI Group.
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: UAE set up massive coronavirus testing laboratory in 14 days: Science companies

The recent revelation that intelligence officers at Iran's consulate in Turkey instigated the killing of Iranian dissident Masoud Molavi Vardanjani last November is just the latest example of a long-standing foreign policy practice of the Islamic Republic regime, experts say.Turkish officials told Reuters that two intelligence officers at Iran's consulate in Istanbul were behind the assassination last November of Vardanjani, who criticized Tehran’s political and military leaders.“Terrorism, and more specifically, the killing of dissidents abroad has been a sad hallmark of the Islamic Republic’s foreign policy. This activity seemed to have peaked in Europe after the Iran-Iraq War and under the presidency of Hashemi-Rafsanjani in the 1990s,” said Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow covering Iran at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies think-tank in DC.Read more: Turkish officials say Iranian diplomats instigated killing of dissident in IstanbulBen Taleblu said that while there has been a perceived decade-long pause in such operations, there has been an uptick in recent years, especially in Europe.“The Vardanjani example is merely the latest,” he added.Masoud Molavi Vardanjani was shot dead on an Istanbul street on November 14, 2019. He had previously worked in cyber security at Iran's defense ministry but defected and became a vocal critic of the Iranian authorities.According to a police report into the killing seen by Reuters, Vardanjani had posted a message on social media targeting Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps in August, three months before he was shot dead.The fact that the killing took place in Turkey came as no surprise to Michael Rubin, a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, where he specializes in Iran, Turkey and the broader Middle East.“Turkey is one of the few countries – Venezuela, Ecuador and Azerbaijan being the others – where Iranians can travel without a visa. This means that it is easy to infiltrate Iranian intelligence operatives and assassins into these countries,” Rubin explained.While the conclusions of the investigation by the Turks seemed plausible, Rubin said that the problem with the case lies with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.“Erdogan is always more interested in playing politics than justice. He won't lay a finger on the Iranians if he thinks he can get something from them, either diplomatic favors or, personally, a lot of cash,” Rubin said.Read more: Turkey’s Erdogan weaponizing refugees by opening borders with EU: AnalysisBoth analysts drew comparisons with how Turkish authorities handled Vardanjani’s assassination to that of the gruesome killing of Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi in October 2018.Rubin said it was unlikely for Turkey to treat the latest incident in the same way as it did with the Saudis in the aftermath of Khashoggi’s murder.“Turkey is a lifeline for Iran with regard to smuggling and sanctions-busting. They have put aside their sectarian divide as well in order to cooperate in their diplomatic efforts to undermine Saudi Arabia,” said Rubin.Ben Taleblu described the relationship between Turkey and Iran as a “kaleidoscope [that] best embodies the simultaneous friendship and enmity between Erdogan’s Turkey and Khamenei’s Iran.”“Turkey has long-been a permissive jurisdiction for Iranian malign activities, but the publication of this information citing unnamed Turkish officials is sure to hurt ties, particularly as both parties are on opposing sides of the Syrian conflict, with a particular emphasis on Idlib,” Ben Taleblu said.Read more: Iran campaign for sanctions relief seeks to cover up negligence over coronavirusIn 2018, several European countries expelled Iranian diplomats from its soil after the revelation that Tehran plotted to bomb an annual Iranian opposition conference in France.The Dutch Intelligence service AIVD expelled two Iranian embassy staff in July 2018 while the Austrian foreign ministry stripped an Iranian embassy official of his diplomatic immunity after his arrest in Germany for “conspiracy to blow up an Iranian opposition meeting in France.”“Iranian embassies often double as intelligence gathering hubs as well as a base to coordinate terror operations. The question here is, which security organ, the Ministry of Intelligence or the IRGC, gave the order?” Ben Taleblu asked.The two officials who spoke to Reuters about the investigation into Vardanjani’s killing said Ankara would be making a statement soon.“We will see. It's brinkmanship, but I do not think Turkey will go as far with Iran as it went with Saudi Arabia. It will leave an 'out' or some sort of diplomatic way to de-escalate,” Rubin said.Tommy Hilton contributed to this report.
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Iran assassination in Istanbul latest regime murder abroad, say experts

The UAE has launched a new website designed to raise public health awareness about coronavirus and the guidelines put in place to slow its spread.Weqaya (www.weqaya.ae) was launched by the National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority (NCEMA) on Wednesday. The website contains an information and FAQ section about coronavirus, the latest announcements from the authorities, and guidelines on how to practice social distancing and stay safe.The platform helps consolidate some of the various measures the UAE has taken to slow the spread of coronavirus, including establishing a curfew during its national sanitization campaign which is running until April 5.Developing.Read more: Coronavirus do’s and don’ts: What are you allowed to do in the UAE?
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: UAE launches Weqaya website with COVID-19 information, FAQs

The 23-nation network is due to meet again in June, but what state their union will be in by that point is highly uncertain
Source: Arabian Business
Full Article: OPEC supply rises in March amid Saudi-Russia price war

The Islamic Republic has been hit hard by the virus, with more than 3,000 deaths and 47,593 cases
Source: Arabian Business
Full Article: Iran to offer neighbors coronavirus testing kits

Fewer than 5% of the retail giant's stores remain open, said acting CEO John Hadden
Source: Arabian Business
Full Article: Coronavirus: Alshaya Group revenues plummet 95% amid store closures

The aggregator's move comes as restaurants rely heavily on delivery companies to survive the coronavirus pandemic
Source: Arabian Business
Full Article: Zomato owner Talabat orders restaurants to cancel agreements with Uber Eats, Deliveroo

Kuwaiti actress Hayat al-Fahad triggered an uproar when she said….
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Quarantine all foreigners in the desert, says Kuwait actress amid coronavirus outbreak

Food ordering platform which owns Zomato said restaurants are free to work with any delivery company
Source: Arabian Business
Full Article: Talabat apologises to restaurants, retracts ban on Uber Eats, Deliveroo