The UAE's Minister of State Noura Al Kaabi stood proudly in Mosul's Al Nuri Mosque, witnessing a project close to her heart come to life.
Seven years after she signed the first agreement in the Iraqi capital, what began as a funding push became a full-scale project to remove the scars of ISIS.
"When the President [Sheikh Mohamed] instructed us in 2018 to fly to Baghdad and sign an MOU between us and between the Ministry of Culture and Unesco, he didn't want us to waste time," the Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told The National in an interview in Mosul on Monday.
"He wanted the culture of life, the culture of hope, to defeat the culture of death that Daesh wanted to spread in this region," added Ms Al Kaabi, speaking inside one of two churches that the UAE-led project helped restore as well.
"It's a wonderful feeling. I feel incredible, but I feel there's more to do."
The battle for the city, in its alleys and centuries-old streets, was among the most brutal in Iraq’s recent history. It marked the beginning of the end for ISIS after the extremists had seized 30 per cent of Iraq and threatened Baghdad itself.
Other remnants of destruction are still visible in Mosul, particularly in the old neighbourhood, where ruined homes and piles of rubble bear witness to the fierce battles.
But the seven-year project in the 2,500-year-old Iraqi city, which created training and job opportunities for around 3,500 Moslawis, stands as an inspiration and a beacon of hope for the region to reclaim its reputation as a diverse city and an important hub.
"I feel for the UAE, to be one of the leading countries to be proactive and donate for the restoration ... that by itself shows what the UAE is about, what the legacy or the ethos of Sheikh Zayed is about," affirmed Ms Al Kaabi, speaking from the newly rebuilt Clock Church.
The UAE funded Unesco in a $50.4 million initiative driven by its Ministry of Culture, part of a total of $115 million mobilised for the project.
However, the success of the project in the minister's eyes goes beyond the funding and beyond the bricks placed to restore such buildings.
"It's the people-to-people, it's their commitment," she insisted, after walking the centuries-old alleys of the city and being greeted with music and dance by residents as they celebrated the completion of project Revive the Spirit of Mosul.
"When you give hope to people and you bring back the spirit of a place that they are part of, we share the same," she added.
"We share how important is restoring and reawakening such monuments, not just for the facade, but for living in a place that is prosperous, a place that celebrates people from multicultural backgrounds, people from different faiths."
ISIS fighters shell-shocked Iraq and the world when they seized Mosul in June 2014 after a brief battle with the army which quickly withdrew, turning the city and its ancient labyrinth of alleyways into a launchpad for a brutal regional campaign.
It was from the same mosque that ISIS’s former leader, Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi, declared a “caliphate” in July that year. His video, climbing the stairs to deliver his first sermon, is etched into the collective memory of Iraqis and the world.
For Ms Al Kaabi, "coexistence and stability" are what will bring hope to the young Muslims and to the region.
"I believe the darkness that Daesh wanted to spread is now lit by the people of Mosul, by the women and children of Mosul," she affirmed. "We will never be able to forget the history or the past, but I think we can redefine what the future is."
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The biog
First Job: Abu Dhabi Department of Petroleum in 1974
Current role: Chairperson of Al Maskari Holding since 2008
Career high: Regularly cited on Forbes list of 100 most powerful Arab Businesswomen
Achievement: Helped establish Al Maskari Medical Centre in 1969 in Abu Dhabi’s Western Region
Future plan: Will now concentrate on her charitable work
Company%20profile
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Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
Brief scoreline:
Manchester United 0
Manchester City 2
Bernardo Silva 54', Sane 66'
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
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