Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has pledged to work with Cop28 host the UAE to mobilise action on a $100 billion package to support lower-income communities around the world affected by climate change.
Mr Rutte made the commitment during discussions with President Sheikh Mohamed on Tuesday to support the UAE in delivering the $100 billion funding for climate action in the developing world.
In Abu Dhabi for a day packed with meetings with the government, business leaders and youth, Mr Rutte told The National in an exclusive interview he was hopeful of a successful Cop28 and wanted to be part of mobilising forces to deliver the long-stalled funding.
My main message is this relationship, for us, is crucially important
Mark Rutte,
Dutch Prime Minister
“We want to be one of the drivers, co-drivers, to make it happen,” Mr Rutte said.
“I pledged to His Highness the President that he can count on us to do everything we can in this direction to make sure that we collectively deliver a successful Cop.”
In the run-up to the global climate summit starting in November, the UAE has called on countries to deliver on the annual funding target that was promised to developing nations in Copenhagen in 2009.
“We will very much help driving results on the $100 billion pledge, which is still an irritant for the South and I think we are close to getting an agreement at this Cop and that will be a fantastic success if that is possible,” Mr Rutte said.
“It will take away a huge sticking point, an irritant between the North and the Global South.”
Green hydrogen
During Tuesday's talks with Sheikh Mohamed, Mr Rutte also focused on developing a green hydrogen supply chain from Abu Dhabi to Europe.
Masdar had signed an agreement with four Dutch companies to explore exporting green hydrogen from Abu Dhabi that involves production in the emirate and export to the Netherlands through the Port of Amsterdam.
“Together we can do a lot in terms of innovation, research and development,” he said.
“The Netherlands is very good in transport and in Europe we have this very intricate piping system through the country but also to the rest of Europe.”
He said working together on the green hydrogen project was key to plans for the ministries taking discussions forward.
As part of the official visit, Mr Rutte and Dr Thani Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, agreed to strengthen co-operation in key sectors such as renewable energy, space industry, artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship, agri-tech and smart mobility solutions.
The two men witnessed the signing of a partnership on water management following a roundtable in Dubai held under the theme, 'energising the future'.
Mr Rutte will be back in the UAE for Cop28 and also plans to return to Abu Dhabi early next year to follow up on the hydrogen talks.
On Tuesday, he spoke of deepening and strengthening ties between the UAE and the Netherlands.
“My main message is this relationship for us is crucially important,” Mr Rutte said.
“Yes, we have a very good relationship – it is very much trade-based and there is so much more we can do.
“From today onwards, our relationship will be about much more – it will be a strategic relationship.”
Co-operation on green hydrogen, artificial intelligence, safe sea routes, education, water, working on free trade between the UAE and Europe and expanding cultural exchange between the two nations was also discussed.
Longest-serving Dutch prime minister
Mr Rutte is the country’s longest-serving prime minister and has been in office since 2010.
After 13 years in power, following a dispute over immigration that led to the collapse of his coalition government, he announced his retirement from politics in July.
He will stay on in a caretaker role, even after the elections in November as it will be months before a new team is assembled.
Migration has been a major issue in the Netherlands and across Europe and Mr Rutte’s coalition has spoken out against the unchecked flow of economic migrants.
“The main areas to focus on for the next government will absolutely be migration because that is out of control at the moment,” Mr Rutte said.
“Somehow, we have to make sure we can get back in control and particularly help the most vulnerable.
“At the moment we are not helping the most vulnerable because we have so many economic migrants.”
Mr Rutte has been a staunch supporter of Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, with the Dutch government committing to transfer F-16 fighter jets to his country.
He said the public continued to be supportive of Ukraine in the war with Russia.
“This is, of course, about Ukraine but also about us,” he said. “You cannot as a big country invade a small country.
“We cannot accept in these days and times this kind of aggression.
“There is an issue of values at stake here but also that our own security is at stake because if [Russian President Vladimir] Putin were to win in Ukraine, he will not stop there – he will continue. And that makes the whole of Europe unstable.”
Why does a queen bee feast only on royal jelly?
Some facts about bees:
The queen bee eats only royal jelly, an extraordinary food created by worker bees so she lives much longer
The life cycle of a worker bee is from 40-60 days
A queen bee lives for 3-5 years
This allows her to lay millions of eggs and allows the continuity of the bee colony
About 20,000 honey bees and one queen populate each hive
Honey is packed with vital vitamins, minerals, enzymes, water and anti-oxidants.
Apart from honey, five other products are royal jelly, the special food bees feed their queen
Pollen is their protein source, a super food that is nutritious, rich in amino acids
Beewax is used to construct the combs. Due to its anti-fungal, anti-bacterial elements, it is used in skin treatments
Propolis, a resin-like material produced by bees is used to make hives. It has natural antibiotic qualities so works to sterilize hive, protects from disease, keeps their home free from germs. Also used to treat sores, infection, warts
Bee venom is used by bees to protect themselves. Has anti-inflammatory properties, sometimes used to relieve conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, nerve and muscle pain
Honey, royal jelly, pollen have health enhancing qualities
The other three products are used for therapeutic purposes
Is beekeeping dangerous?
As long as you deal with bees gently, you will be safe, says Mohammed Al Najeh, who has worked with bees since he was a boy.
“The biggest mistake people make is they panic when they see a bee. They are small but smart creatures. If you move your hand quickly to hit the bees, this is an aggressive action and bees will defend themselves. They can sense the adrenalin in our body. But if we are calm, they are move away.”
The Limehouse Golem
Director: Juan Carlos Medina
Cast: Olivia Cooke, Bill Nighy, Douglas Booth
Three stars
The flights: South African Airways flies from Dubai International Airport with a stop in Johannesburg, with prices starting from around Dh4,000 return. Emirates can get you there with a stop in Lusaka from around Dh4,600 return.
The details: Visas are available for 247 Zambian kwacha or US$20 (Dh73) per person on arrival at Livingstone Airport. Single entry into Victoria Falls for international visitors costs 371 kwacha or $30 (Dh110). Microlight flights are available through Batoka Sky, with 15-minute flights costing 2,265 kwacha (Dh680).
Accommodation: The Royal Livingstone Victoria Falls Hotel by Anantara is an ideal place to stay, within walking distance of the falls and right on the Zambezi River. Rooms here start from 6,635 kwacha (Dh2,398) per night, including breakfast, taxes and Wi-Fi. Water arrivals cost from 587 kwacha (Dh212) per person.
The Africa Institute 101
Housed on the same site as the original Africa Hall, which first hosted an Arab-African Symposium in 1976, the newly renovated building will be home to a think tank and postgraduate studies hub (it will offer master’s and PhD programmes). The centre will focus on both the historical and contemporary links between Africa and the Gulf, and will serve as a meeting place for conferences, symposia, lectures, film screenings, plays, musical performances and more. In fact, today it is hosting a symposium – 5-plus-1: Rethinking Abstraction that will look at the six decades of Frank Bowling’s career, as well as those of his contemporaries that invested social, cultural and personal meaning into abstraction.
A%20MAN%20FROM%20MOTIHARI
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Name: Colm McLoughlin
Country: Galway, Ireland
Job: Executive vice chairman and chief executive of Dubai Duty Free
Favourite golf course: Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club
Favourite part of Dubai: Palm Jumeirah
Indika
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDeveloper%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2011%20Bit%20Studios%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Odd%20Meter%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EConsole%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20PlayStation%205%2C%20PC%20and%20Xbox%20series%20X%2FS%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Brief scoreline
Switzerland 0
England 0
Result: England win 6-5 on penalties
Man of the Match: Trent Alexander-Arnold (England)
AIDA%20RETURNS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ECarol%20Mansour%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAida%20Abboud%2C%20Carol%20Mansour%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203.5.%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
3%20Body%20Problem
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECreators%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20David%20Benioff%2C%20D%20B%20Weiss%2C%20Alexander%20Woo%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBenedict%20Wong%2C%20Jess%20Hong%2C%20Jovan%20Adepo%2C%20Eiza%20Gonzalez%2C%20John%20Bradley%2C%20Alex%20Sharp%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
CONCRETE COWBOY
Directed by: Ricky Staub
Starring: Idris Elba, Caleb McLaughlin, Jharrel Jerome
3.5/5 stars
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3ECompany%20name%3A%20Znap%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarted%3A%202017%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EFounder%3A%20Uday%20Rathod%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EBased%3A%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EIndustry%3A%20FinTech%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EFunding%20size%3A%20%241m%2B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EInvestors%3A%20Family%2C%20friends%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
