NEW YORK // The UN could substantially increase its scale of operations from the Emirates after a terror strike in Pakistan forced the second round of staff relocations to Dubai in the past three months.
In the wake of a bomb attack at the World Food Programme (WFP) offices in Islamabad in October, the UN is removing at least 20 per cent of its 250 expatriates from the turbulence in Pakistan, said a spokesman for the world body, Farhan Haq. Most are going to Dubai, he said.
The evacuation follows the relocation of some 600 staff from Afghanistan following a suicide attack in Kabul in the same month, more than 80 of whom continue to work from International Humanitarian City, Dubai's burgeoning aid hub.
The UN influx, largely a response to a wave of increasingly brazen Taliban attacks, has spurred organisational planners to question whether Dubai could become a permanent base of operations for its work in the region.
"A lot of the UN agencies are considering exactly that because Dubai is a regional logistical hub, it has the availability and it also has the drive," said Kayan Jaff, the world body's resident co-ordinator to the UAE and Qatar.
"The Government of Dubai is very keen on establishing these type of operational hubs that could be useful for the UN's work in turbulent areas across the region, such as Afghanistan, Somalia and Pakistan."
While Mr Haq described the moves as being temporary until the militant threat diminishes, he acknowledged the relocation of Afghanistan-based staff "was meant to be a matter of weeks, but that is now looking like months".
UN envoys have held talks with Emirati officials about hosting more agencies, including a permanent office for the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, which aims to improve governance and fight corruption.
The UN footprint in the Emirates has grown from about 45 to 75 permanent staff over the past five years with the addition of officials from UN Development Programme and a recently opened Food and Agricultural Organisation office in Abu Dhabi.
Dubai hosts the bulk of UN agencies, including the Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (Ocha); Unicef, the children's agency; the UN refugee agency; the WFP and the UN Department for Safety and Security.
Mr Jaff predicted more UN agencies and aid groups and the companies that supply them will follow suit.
Dubai's aid warehouses have become vital in supplying tents, blankets, water purifiers and emergency supplies to disaster zones across the region, including refugees from the ongoing conflict in north Yemen.
UAE officials are reportedly encouraging greater co-operation with the world body, offering low-cost office space in areas such as International Humanitarian City, a government-built free zone under the direction of Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein.
Collaboration often takes place through Princess Haya, the wife of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, who brokered the transfer of Afghan staff to Dubai with the UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon.
Although ties between the Government and the UN have steadily expanded, the relationship has also had some setbacks. Plans to house agencies and warehouses at the new Jebel Ali airport have been stalled by the emirate's construction slowdown.
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Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
SPECS
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Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
Persuasion
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Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
Company%20Profile
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher: Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
Company%20Profile
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It's Monty Python's Crashing Rocket Circus
To the theme tune of the famous zany British comedy TV show, SpaceX has shown exactly what can go wrong when you try to land a rocket.
The two minute video posted on YouTube is a compilation of crashes and explosion as the company, created by billionaire Elon Musk, refined the technique of reusable space flight.
SpaceX is able to land its rockets on land once they have completed the first stage of their mission, and is able to resuse them multiple times - a first for space flight.
But as the video, How Not to Land an Orbital Rocket Booster, demonstrates, it was a case if you fail, try and try again.
'Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore'
Rating: 3/5
Directed by: David Yates
Starring: Mads Mikkelson, Eddie Redmayne, Ezra Miller, Jude Law
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)
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Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
Top New Zealand cop on policing the virtual world
New Zealand police began closer scrutiny of social media and online communities after the attacks on two mosques in March, the country's top officer said.
The killing of 51 people in Christchurch and wounding of more than 40 others shocked the world. Brenton Tarrant, a suspected white supremacist, was accused of the killings. His trial is ongoing and he denies the charges.
Mike Bush, commissioner of New Zealand Police, said officers looked closely at how they monitored social media in the wake of the tragedy to see if lessons could be learned.
“We decided that it was fit for purpose but we need to deepen it in terms of community relationships, extending them not only with the traditional community but the virtual one as well," he told The National.
"We want to get ahead of attacks like we suffered in New Zealand so we have to challenge ourselves to be better."
Married Malala
Malala Yousafzai is enjoying married life, her father said.
The 24-year-old married Pakistan cricket executive Asser Malik last year in a small ceremony in the UK.
Ziauddin Yousafzai told The National his daughter was ‘very happy’ with her husband.
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
SPECS
Engine: Two-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 235hp
Torque: 350Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Price: From Dh167,500 ($45,000)
On sale: Now
MATCH INFO
Real Madrid 3 (Kroos 4', Ramos 30', Marcelo 37')
Eibar 1 (Bigas 60')
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Company%20profile
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Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
