UK Prime Minister Liz Truss speaks in Parliament, as Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, to the right of her, looks on. AFP
UK Prime Minister Liz Truss speaks in Parliament, as Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, to the right of her, looks on. AFP
UK Prime Minister Liz Truss speaks in Parliament, as Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, to the right of her, looks on. AFP
UK Prime Minister Liz Truss speaks in Parliament, as Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, to the right of her, looks on. AFP

Opinion

Comment

Will Liz Truss' Britain pivot back to the Gulf?

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September 08, 2022

Now that Liz Truss has completed the formation of her government, one of the UK Prime Minister’s first priorities must be to improve relations with the country’s long-standing allies in the Gulf.

While Boris Johnson said he was sympathetic to the concerns of the Gulf states, the reality was that, during his three-year term as prime minister, London showed little interest in the region. Britain’s neglectful attitude was best summed up by the decision to end the long-standing practice of having a dedicated Foreign Office minister to look after the Middle East.

For decades, the British government had a minister of state at the Foreign Office with special responsibilities for maintaining good relations with key Arab states such as the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Often the holders of this office were politicians of high calibre, such as Alistair Burt, who played a key role in restoring relations with the region during David Cameron’s premiership.

The decision to abolish the post last February as part of an administrative reshuffle suggested that, as long as Mr Johnson was prime minister, his government had other priorities to consider.

His resignation has now provided his successor with an opportunity to revitalise relations.

Ms Truss has already demonstrated that she wants her administration to make a clean break with the Johnson era. Only a handful of those who served in Mr Johnson’s cabinet have been given positions in the new government. Nearly all the advisers and officials who worked at 10 Downing Street are being removed.

Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, the UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, with James Cleverly, then UK's minister for Middle East and North Africa, in Abu Dhabi. Wam
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, the UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, with James Cleverly, then UK's minister for Middle East and North Africa, in Abu Dhabi. Wam

In a clear sign that Ms Truss wants her administration to adopt a more professional approach, her staff has been ordered to dress appropriately, with men required to wear jackets and ties.

An indication of Ms Truss' ruthless approach – as part of a determination to distance herself from the chaos that characterised the Johnson era, and resulted in his unceremonious exit – can be seen in her decision to dismiss Stephen Lovegrove, Britain’s widely respected national security adviser.

Previously responsible for running the Ministry of Defence, Mr Lovegrove has been a key figure in the radical modernisation programme involving the British Armed Forces. He is also credited with persuading Mr Johnson to provide military support to Ukraine, including the deadly NLAW anti-tank weapons that played a crucial role in thwarting Russian attempts to capture Kyiv at the start of the conflict.

Mr Lovegrove is to be replaced by Tim Barrow, a former British ambassador to Moscow who was involved in the Brexit negotiations and is understood to have formed a close partnership with Ms Truss during her stint as foreign secretary. His appointment is very much in keeping with Ms Truss’s desire to appoint trusted associates to key positions in her government.

It is a policy that has resulted in James Cleverly, who worked with her as a junior minister at the Foreign Office, becoming the country’s new Foreign Secretary. Mr Cleverly, 53, was a staunch supporter of Ms Truss’ leadership challenge in the governing Conservative party right from the beginning of a gruelling six-week campaign.

His appointment, moreover, suggests that Ms Truss is keen to rebuild relations with Britain’s Gulf allies, with Mr Cleverly well-known in the region from his period as Middle East minister from February 2020 until it was abolished last year. During this spell, he developed close ties with the leadership in each of the six GCC member states.

He also demonstrated that he wasn't afraid to make difficult decisions regarding regional security issues. He was heavily criticised after announcing significant reductions to Britain’s foreign aid contributions to Yemen, a decision Mr Cleverly said had to be made because of the financial burden placed on London by the pandemic. He also resisted calls for the UK to stop selling arms to the Saudi-led coalition fighting to restore Yemen’s democratically elected government.

  • New Conservative Party leader and Britain's Prime Minister-elect Liz Truss delivers a speech after being announced the winner of the Tory Party leadership contest in central London on September 5, 2022. Ms Truss is the UK's third female prime minister following Theresa May and Margaret Thatcher. AFP
    New Conservative Party leader and Britain's Prime Minister-elect Liz Truss delivers a speech after being announced the winner of the Tory Party leadership contest in central London on September 5, 2022. Ms Truss is the UK's third female prime minister following Theresa May and Margaret Thatcher. AFP
  • Liz Truss during a hustings event in Darlington in August 2022. Ms Truss and Rishi Sunak are awaiting the results of a poll of Conservative Party members deciding which of them has been selected as the new party leader, and next prime minister. PA
    Liz Truss during a hustings event in Darlington in August 2022. Ms Truss and Rishi Sunak are awaiting the results of a poll of Conservative Party members deciding which of them has been selected as the new party leader, and next prime minister. PA
  • Liz Truss playing pool during a visit to the Onside Future Youth Zone in London in August 2022. PA
    Liz Truss playing pool during a visit to the Onside Future Youth Zone in London in August 2022. PA
  • Boris Johnson and Ms Truss arriving for an extraordinary summit at Nato headquarters in Brussels, in March 2022. AFP
    Boris Johnson and Ms Truss arriving for an extraordinary summit at Nato headquarters in Brussels, in March 2022. AFP
  • Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Ms Truss arrive for talks in Moscow in February 2022. AP
    Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Ms Truss arrive for talks in Moscow in February 2022. AP
  • Ms Truss in Red Square during a visit to Moscow in February 2022. Photo: No. 10, Downing Street
    Ms Truss in Red Square during a visit to Moscow in February 2022. Photo: No. 10, Downing Street
  • Ms Truss meeting European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic (not seen) for talks in central London on the Northern Ireland Protocol on 11th February 2022. PA
    Ms Truss meeting European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic (not seen) for talks in central London on the Northern Ireland Protocol on 11th February 2022. PA
  • Ms Truss with Marise Payne, the Australian minister of foreign affairs, at Government House in Sydney, Australia, in January 2022. Photo: No. 10, Downing Street
    Ms Truss with Marise Payne, the Australian minister of foreign affairs, at Government House in Sydney, Australia, in January 2022. Photo: No. 10, Downing Street
  • Liz Truss hosts Vice President of the European Commission Maros Sefcovic at Chevening House in January 2022 to discuss the Northern Ireland protocol. Photo: No. 10, Downing Street
    Liz Truss hosts Vice President of the European Commission Maros Sefcovic at Chevening House in January 2022 to discuss the Northern Ireland protocol. Photo: No. 10, Downing Street
  • Ms Truss visits British troops in Estonia as they operate alongside other Nato troops in Tapa in November 2021. Photo: No. 10, Downing Street
    Ms Truss visits British troops in Estonia as they operate alongside other Nato troops in Tapa in November 2021. Photo: No. 10, Downing Street
  • Liz Truss walks through the old town in Tallinn, Estonia, in November 2021. Photo: No. 10, Downing Street
    Liz Truss walks through the old town in Tallinn, Estonia, in November 2021. Photo: No. 10, Downing Street
  • Ms Truss greeting Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Cop26 summit in Glasgow, in November 2021. PA
    Ms Truss greeting Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Cop26 summit in Glasgow, in November 2021. PA
  • Ms Truss at the Red Fort in New Delhi during a trip to India in October 2021. Photo: No. 10, Downing Street
    Ms Truss at the Red Fort in New Delhi during a trip to India in October 2021. Photo: No. 10, Downing Street
  • The British foreign secretary on the Plaza de la Constitucion in Mexico City, during a trip to Mexico in September 2021. Photo: No. 10, Downing Street
    The British foreign secretary on the Plaza de la Constitucion in Mexico City, during a trip to Mexico in September 2021. Photo: No. 10, Downing Street
  • Queen Elizabeth II greeting Ms Truss at a reception for international business and investment leaders at Windsor Castle in October 2021. PA
    Queen Elizabeth II greeting Ms Truss at a reception for international business and investment leaders at Windsor Castle in October 2021. PA
  • Liz Truss with Antony Blinken, the US secretary of state, in New York, in September 2021. Photo: No. 10, Downing Street
    Liz Truss with Antony Blinken, the US secretary of state, in New York, in September 2021. Photo: No. 10, Downing Street
  • Ms Truss on a morning jog over Brooklyn Bridge in New York in September 2021. Photo: No. 10, Downing Street
    Ms Truss on a morning jog over Brooklyn Bridge in New York in September 2021. Photo: No. 10, Downing Street
  • Former Chancellor Philip Hammond, centre, holding his red ministerial box outside 11, Downing Street, flanked by Treasury colleagues Ms Truss and Mel Stride in October 2018. PA
    Former Chancellor Philip Hammond, centre, holding his red ministerial box outside 11, Downing Street, flanked by Treasury colleagues Ms Truss and Mel Stride in October 2018. PA
  • Ms Truss, then secretary of state for justice, being escorted around HMP Brixton by prison governor David Bamford in November 2016. PA
    Ms Truss, then secretary of state for justice, being escorted around HMP Brixton by prison governor David Bamford in November 2016. PA
  • Ms Truss as she became the first woman ever to hold the role of Lord Chancellor, arriving at the Royal Courts of Justice before being installed in July 2016. PA
    Ms Truss as she became the first woman ever to hold the role of Lord Chancellor, arriving at the Royal Courts of Justice before being installed in July 2016. PA
  • In April 2016, the former environment secretary Liz Truss listening to former chancellor of the exchequer George Osborne (not seen) during his speech at the National Composites Centre in Bristol. PA
    In April 2016, the former environment secretary Liz Truss listening to former chancellor of the exchequer George Osborne (not seen) during his speech at the National Composites Centre in Bristol. PA
  • When she was environment minister, Ms Truss visited the bridge over the River Wharfe in Tadcaster, which collapsed after heavy flooding in December 2015. Getty Images
    When she was environment minister, Ms Truss visited the bridge over the River Wharfe in Tadcaster, which collapsed after heavy flooding in December 2015. Getty Images
  • Addressing the Conservative party conference in Birmingham in 2014 when she was secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs. Getty Images
    Addressing the Conservative party conference in Birmingham in 2014 when she was secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs. Getty Images
  • Mr Truss on the Sawnnington Farm to Fork stand at the Norfolk Food Festival at the Houses Of Parliament in October 2011. PA
    Mr Truss on the Sawnnington Farm to Fork stand at the Norfolk Food Festival at the Houses Of Parliament in October 2011. PA
  • Conservative Parliamentary candidate for South-West Norfolk Elizabeth Truss, while canvassing in the village of West Walton during the 2010 General Election campaign. PA
    Conservative Parliamentary candidate for South-West Norfolk Elizabeth Truss, while canvassing in the village of West Walton during the 2010 General Election campaign. PA
  • The former Conservative Shadow Home Secretary, Dominic Grieve, centre, speaking at the launch Reform's Lawful Society report on the nature of crime and the incentives in the criminal justice system while Ms Truss looks on, in September 2008. PA
    The former Conservative Shadow Home Secretary, Dominic Grieve, centre, speaking at the launch Reform's Lawful Society report on the nature of crime and the incentives in the criminal justice system while Ms Truss looks on, in September 2008. PA
  • Former Conservative Leader William Hague meeting conservative candidate for Calder valley Ms Truss, during the General Election Campaign for 2005. PA
    Former Conservative Leader William Hague meeting conservative candidate for Calder valley Ms Truss, during the General Election Campaign for 2005. PA

In addition, he was directly involved in efforts to revive the controversial 2015 nuclear deal with Iran. He met Iranian officials in November 2021 to discuss the terms of a new deal and attempted to negotiate the release of British-Iranian nationals Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, Anoosheh Ashoori and Morad Tahbaz. Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Mr Ashoori have since been released and returned to the UK, while Tahbaz was released from prison on temporary furlough in July.

With negotiations over a new nuclear deal said to be entering a critical phase, Mr Cleverly will probably call for London to adopt a hawkish approach, an attitude that will help to reassure the Gulf states that their concerns regarding Tehran's destabilising behaviour in the region are not being ignored.

Mr Cleverly’s appointment has also raised hopes that the new government will reinstate the position of a dedicated Middle East minister. Two new ministers of state have now been appointed at the Foreign Office. Leo Docherty is a former Scots Guards officer who has good knowledge of the Gulf region. Jesse Norman is an Old Etonian who has previously worked at the Treasury.

The formation of this powerful new ministerial team certainly suggests that, under Ms Truss’s leadership, Britain will be showing a greater willingness to safeguard the interests of its Arab allies.

UK’s AI plan
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  • £10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
  • £100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
  • £250m to train new AI models
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COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: BorrowMe (BorrowMe.com)

Date started: August 2021

Founder: Nour Sabri

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: E-commerce / Marketplace

Size: Two employees

Funding stage: Seed investment

Initial investment: $200,000

Investors: Amr Manaa (director, PwC Middle East) 

Dhadak 2

Director: Shazia Iqbal

Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri 

Rating: 1/5

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Glitterbeat 

Business Insights
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Various artists, Sony Music Turkey 

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.”

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  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
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Tokenisation refers to the issuance of a blockchain token, which represents a virtually tradable real, tangible asset. A tokenised asset is easily transferable, offers good liquidity, returns and is easily traded on the secondary markets. 

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Rating: 1/5

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THE BIO

Bio Box

Role Model: Sheikh Zayed, God bless his soul

Favorite book: Zayed Biography of the leader

Favorite quote: To be or not to be, that is the question, from William Shakespeare's Hamlet

Favorite food: seafood

Favorite place to travel: Lebanon

Favorite movie: Braveheart

The story in numbers

18

This is how many recognised sects Lebanon is home to, along with about four million citizens

450,000

More than this many Palestinian refugees are registered with UNRWA in Lebanon, with about 45 per cent of them living in the country’s 12 refugee camps

1.5 million

There are just under 1 million Syrian refugees registered with the UN, although the government puts the figure upwards of 1.5m

73

The percentage of stateless people in Lebanon, who are not of Palestinian origin, born to a Lebanese mother, according to a 2012-2013 study by human rights organisation Frontiers Ruwad Association

18,000

The number of marriages recorded between Lebanese women and foreigners between the years 1995 and 2008, according to a 2009 study backed by the UN Development Programme

77,400

The number of people believed to be affected by the current nationality law, according to the 2009 UN study

4,926

This is how many Lebanese-Palestinian households there were in Lebanon in 2016, according to a census by the Lebanese-Palestinian dialogue committee

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Tearful appearance

Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday. 

Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow. 

She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.

A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.

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Real estate tokenisation project

Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.

The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.

Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.

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Emergency phone numbers in the UAE

Estijaba – 8001717 –  number to call to request coronavirus testing

Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111

Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre

Emirates airline – 600555555

Etihad Airways – 600555666

Ambulance – 998

Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries

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Based: Riyadh

Offices: UAE, Vietnam and Germany

Founded: September, 2020

Number of employees: 70

Sector: FinTech, online payment solutions

Funding to date: $116m in two funding rounds  

Investors: Checkout.com, Impact46, Vision Ventures, Wealth Well, Seedra, Khwarizmi, Hala Ventures, Nama Ventures and family offices

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Updated: September 08, 2022, 2:05 PM