In among the snippets of news about parts of Syrian territory being “liberated” from “terrorists”, the Syrian government's official news agency released a short statement on Saturday that appeared to suggest the regime had complied with a key demand of the United Nations.
The statement from the foreign ministry said the regime had handed Russian and Iranian ambassadors a list of members nominated to a constitutional committee – a key demand the United Nations and the Russians have been making and one which Bashar Al Assad apparently agreed to two weeks ago on a surprise visit to see Vladimir Putin in Sochi. Was the Assad regime actually agreeing to rewrite Syria's constitution?
Well...barely, and only in the most cosmetic manner.
The United Nations had wanted the Syrian constitution to be rewritten for some years. This was a key demand of the opposition, along with the removal of Mr Al Assad.
The opposition imagined that the constitution would be rewritten after Mr Al Assad stepped aside but since that has not happened – and appears so unlikely to take place that even major western powers have stopped referring to it – the focus of negotiations has been on how the constitution rewriting could take place.
A constitutional committee was to be formed that would rewrite it and it was to this committee that the regime had nominated members.
Since both peace processes – the western-sponsored Geneva track and the Russian-sponsored Astana track – appear to be moribund, little progress has been made at all and the focus has been the battlefield.
But two weeks ago, Mr Al Assad made a surprise visit to see Mr Putin, after which he agreed to proffer some names, something he had previously refused to do.
Yet the devil, as ever, was in the detail and since the committee was announced, the regime and its backers have consistently undermined the possibility of genuine change. If Mr Al Assad has agreed to a key UN demand, he has only done so on his own terms and in a way that means even this breakthrough will only entrench his regime in power.
In January the UN, which had attended the Russian-backed Astana talks, said that a new constitution should be created.
A 50-strong commission would be put together to write this new constitution, with names drawn from a pool suggested by Russia, Iran, Turkey and the Assad regime.
Crucially, though, the UN's special envoy Staffan de Mistura said that he would have the final say on the composition of the constitutional committee, that the opposition – including those who had boycotted Sochi because of the involvement of the regime – would be included and that the regime would not be able to veto any member of the committee.
Piece by piece, those elements have fallen away. Russia is now insisting that the regime has to sign off on the final committee names, which would immediately eliminate any opposition figures that the regime dislikes. Indeed, it will kill the very possibility of change, because the “opposition” that the regime favours tend to be Syrian figures inside the country who broadly favour the existing regime, with minor tweaks.
Damascus then insisted that its choices for the committee must number at least 51 per cent of the allocated places, giving it veto power on the final rewrite.
But the most significant change came in one word from Bashar Al Assad. In his statement after he met Mr Putin in Sochi two weeks ago, he said Syria would send a list of delegates to a constitutional committee that would “discuss amendments to the current constitution”. The essential word was “amendments”. The UN had talked of a new constitution.
That political bait-and-switch is significant. A committee that reviews the constitution and proposes “amendments” is very different to one which rewrites the whole thing.
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Read more on Syria:
US walks out as Syria takes lead at disarmament conference
Decree 10: yet another obstacle to Syrians dreaming of a return to their homeland
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The Syrian constitution has long been a battleground for the opposition – but it has also been a key tool for how the regime has sought to create a veneer of public legitimacy for its rule.
In 2012, when the revolution was still in its first year, Mr Al Assad offered what appeared to be a major concession: the constitution would be rewritten. What emerged was something that was both significantly different but also geared to maintaining the regime’s rule.
The key change in 2012 was removing the clause that the Baath Party would be “the leading party in society and the state”, effectively ending one-party rule. At the same time, the constitution stipulated that any presidential contender must have lived in Syria for a decade, effectively neutralising any genuine challengers, who would have long been exiled.
The new constitution was put to a referendum, passed and was adopted – but did nothing to dampen the protests.
A similar process is taking place again. The regime is fighting furiously for its political survival, even as its removal by military means seems increasingly remote. It won’t even allow the most minimal changes.
What the regime, under Russian pressure, appears to be willing to tolerate are minor amendments to the constitution, assembled by a committee on which it holds veto power, with the rest of the seats allocated by foreign countries wedded to the regime’s survival, which would then be put to a vote only in areas of the country under regime control.
This is the only recipe for reform that the regime will accept and it has had to be dragged kicking and screaming to even this most minimal position.
No wonder then that most opposition figures and many in the international community think boycotting is the best option, removing even the fig leaf of legitimacy that participation provides.
The idea that the regime, having fought a bloody and brutal war for seven years, would now freely offer a concession is fanciful. Far from accepting the need to reform, the regime is hellbent on ensuring nothing but the most minor changes are made.
Mr Al Assad has torn apart his country to avoid giving up an ounce of power. He is not about to start reforming now a victory is in sight.
Company%20profile
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Empty Words
By Mario Levrero
(Coffee House Press)
Meghan%20podcast
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UFC Fight Night 2
1am – Early prelims
2am – Prelims
4am-7am – Main card
7:30am-9am – press cons
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
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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Abu Dhabi GP schedule
Friday: First practice - 1pm; Second practice - 5pm
Saturday: Final practice - 2pm; Qualifying - 5pm
Sunday: Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (55 laps) - 5.10pm
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What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
ITU Abu Dhabi World Triathlon
'Saand Ki Aankh'
Produced by: Reliance Entertainment with Chalk and Cheese Films
Director: Tushar Hiranandani
Cast: Taapsee Pannu, Bhumi Pednekar, Prakash Jha, Vineet Singh
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Uefa Nations League: How it Works
The Uefa Nations League, introduced last year, has reached its final stage, to be played over five days in northern Portugal. The format of its closing tournament is compact, spread over two semi-finals, with the first, Portugal versus Switzerland in Porto on Wednesday evening, and the second, England against the Netherlands, in Guimaraes, on Thursday.
The winners of each semi will then meet at Porto’s Dragao stadium on Sunday, with the losing semi-finalists contesting a third-place play-off in Guimaraes earlier that day.
Qualifying for the final stage was via League A of the inaugural Nations League, in which the top 12 European countries according to Uefa's co-efficient seeding system were divided into four groups, the teams playing each other twice between September and November. Portugal, who finished above Italy and Poland, successfully bid to host the finals.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
match info
Southampton 0
Arsenal 2 (Nketiah 20', Willock 87')
Red card: Jack Stephens (Southampton)
Man of the match: Rob Holding (Arsenal)
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
OPTA'S PREDICTED TABLE
1. Liverpool 101 points
2. Manchester City 80
3. Leicester 67
4. Chelsea 63
5. Manchester United 61
6. Tottenham 58
7. Wolves 56
8. Arsenal 56
9. Sheffield United 55
10. Everton 50
11. Burnley 49
12. Crystal Palace 49
13. Newcastle 46
14. Southampton 44
15. West Ham 39
16. Brighton 37
17. Watford 36
18. Bournemouth 36
19. Aston Villa 32
20. Norwich City 29
About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
VEZEETA PROFILE
Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
Size: 300 employees
Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
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<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html" charset="UTF-8" /></head><body><!--PSTYLE=* Labels%3aFH Label 18 Sport--><p>Beach soccer</p><!--PSTYLE=BY Byline--><p>Amith Passela</p><p /></body></html>
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The biog:
From: Wimbledon, London, UK
Education: Medical doctor
Hobbies: Travelling, meeting new people and cultures
Favourite animals: All of them
More coverage from the Future Forum
The bio:
Favourite film:
Declan: It was The Commitments but now it’s Bohemian Rhapsody.
Heidi: The Long Kiss Goodnight.
Favourite holiday destination:
Declan: Las Vegas but I also love getting home to Ireland and seeing everyone back home.
Heidi: Australia but my dream destination would be to go to Cuba.
Favourite pastime:
Declan: I love brunching and socializing. Just basically having the craic.
Heidi: Paddleboarding and swimming.
Personal motto:
Declan: Take chances.
Heidi: Live, love, laugh and have no regrets.
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THE SPECS
Engine: 4.4-litre V8
Transmission: Automatic
Power: 530bhp
Torque: 750Nm
Price: Dh535,000
On sale: Now
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
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
Profile of Whizkey
Date founded: 04 November 2017
Founders: Abdulaziz AlBlooshi and Harsh Hirani
Based: Dubai, UAE
Number of employees: 10
Sector: AI, software
Cashflow: Dh2.5 Million
Funding stage: Series A
Match info
Wolves 0
Arsenal 2 (Saka 43', Lacazette 85')
Man of the match: Shkodran Mustafi (Arsenal)
RACE CARD
6.30pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 Group 1 (PA) Dh119,373 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.05pm Handicap (TB) Dh102,500 (D) 1,200m
7.40pm Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (Turf) 1,800m
8.15pm UAE 1000 Guineas Trial (TB) Dh183,650 (D) 1,400m
9.50pm Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (D) 1,600m
9.25pm Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,000m
MWTC info
Tickets to the MWTC range from Dh100 and can be purchased from www.ticketmaster.ae or by calling 800 86 823 from within the UAE or 971 4 366 2289 from outside the country and all Virgin Megastores. Fans looking to attend all three days of the MWTC can avail of a special 20 percent discount on ticket prices.
Profile of Bitex UAE
Date of launch: November 2018
Founder: Monark Modi
Based: Business Bay, Dubai
Sector: Financial services
Size: Eight employees
Investors: Self-funded to date with $1m of personal savings
