ABU DHABI // GCC countries showed little optimism for a thawing of relations despite the victory yesterday of Iran's most reform-leaning presidential candidate.
"Iran after the elections … Like Iran ahead of the elections," read the headline on the Saudi daily Al-Yaum's editorial yesterday, which argued that nothing would change even if Hassan Rowhani won.
Despite Mr Rowhani's promises to "reconcile with the world", many in the Arabian Gulf remained sceptical that any new president could make the fundamental shifts in foreign policy that Gulf Cooperation Council states have argued would be necessary for better relations.
"A new Iranian president will need substantial time and effort to ease the strain in GCC-Iran relations caused by Ahmadinejad's controversial foreign policy during the past eight years," said Bashir Zain Al Abdin, researcher at the Bahrain Center for International Strategic and Energy Studies.
From early on in the campaign, Mr Rowhani was consistently the only candidate to argue for improving Iran's relations with neighbours and the West.
"We won't let the past eight years be continued," he said in a speech on June 8, promising to warm foreign ties.But most analysts expect the biggest change will simply be in demeanour.
What Gulf capitals are most interested in is which candidate would lessen the hostile rhetoric from Iran, said Mehran Kamrava, the director of the Center for International and Regional Studies at Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service in Qatar.
Cables of congratulations were sent to Mr Rowhani on Saturday evening by Sheikh Khalifa, President of the UAE; Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai; and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.
"We are keen on maintaining relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran that are based on cooperation," Sheikh Khalifa said.
But the disputes between Gulf countries and Iran do not lend themselves to easy fixes. Mr Rowhani and the other candidates all stood firmly behind maintaining Iran's nuclear programme, which some western countries say is being used to develop nuclear weapons. Iran insists the programme is for peaceful purposes.
On its dispute with the UAE, Saeed Jalili, a candidate who had been seen as having the backing of the supreme leader, said on June 10 that Iran's claim to the Emirates' three islands in the Gulf, Abu Musa, the Greater Tunb and Lesser Tunb, was "non-negotiable".
Perhaps most pointedly, GCC countries accuse Tehran of meddling in their affairs, including in Bahrain's 2011 uprising, as well as more broadly in the region. Though Iran denies the charge in Bahrain, few dispute Iranian support for Syria, where Iran-backed Hizbollah fighters have supported Bashar Al Assad's regime.
Gulf states have reacted to Hizbollah's entrance with alarm, promising to crack down on the group's interests within the GCC.
"The major concern … is Iran's approach towards the Syrian crisis," said Mr Al Abdin. "Iran's indirect military engagement in the conflict has widened the existing sectarian rift within some GCC communities."
The charged regional atmosphere is one reason the election has been closely followed, despite the low expectations for change.
"There's an intense interest" in who wins among Gulf countries, said Bruce Riedel, a former US CIA official and senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, speaking by phone during a visit to Doha.
"The bigger issue here is that overlaid on the historic tensions between the United States and its Gulf allies with Iran you now have this intense sectarian animosity," he said.
Yet even if Mr Rowhani can prove more conciliatory, Mr Kamrava said that not everyone in the Gulf would welcome warmer relations between the United States and Iran. Countries have based 35 years of foreign policy on a world in which Washington and Tehran were at opposite poles, he said.
"Gulf countries have capitalised on US-Iranian tensions."
And foreign policy is not high on the president's agenda, warned Mr Al Abdin. Reformist intentions abroad would require hard work to break old habits - and vested interests - of the past, he said. Mr Rowhani, he said, will still "face enormous challenges locally before he can gain the trust of the international community".
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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
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, Group B
Barcelona v Inter Milan
Camp Nou, Barcelona
Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Schedule
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How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
The specs
Engine: 2.3-litre, turbo four-cylinder
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Power: 300hp
Torque: 420Nm
Price: Dh189,900
On sale: now
Dubai World Cup draw
1. Gunnevera
2. Capezzano
3. North America
4. Audible
5. Seeking The Soul
6. Pavel
7. Gronkowski
8. Axelrod
9. New Trails
10. Yoshida
11. K T Brave
12. Thunder Snow
13. Dolkong
More coverage from the Future Forum
The specs: 2019 Aston Martin DBS Superleggera
Price, base: Dh1.2 million
Engine: 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 725hp @ 6,500pm
Torque: 900Nm @ 1,800rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.3L / 100km (estimate)
The Brutalist
Director: Brady Corbet
Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
Rating: 3.5/5
Three ways to limit your social media use
Clinical psychologist, Dr Saliha Afridi at The Lighthouse Arabia suggests three easy things you can do every day to cut back on the time you spend online.
1. Put the social media app in a folder on the second or third screen of your phone so it has to remain a conscious decision to open, rather than something your fingers gravitate towards without consideration.
2. Schedule a time to use social media instead of consistently throughout the day. I recommend setting aside certain times of the day or week when you upload pictures or share information.
3. Take a mental snapshot rather than a photo on your phone. Instead of sharing it with your social world, try to absorb the moment, connect with your feeling, experience the moment with all five of your senses. You will have a memory of that moment more vividly and for far longer than if you take a picture of it.
Hidden killer
Sepsis arises when the body tries to fight an infection but damages its own tissue and organs in the process.
The World Health Organisation estimates it affects about 30 million people each year and that about six million die.
Of those about three million are newborns and 1.2 are young children.
Patients with septic shock must often have limbs amputated if clots in their limbs prevent blood flow, causing the limbs to die.
Campaigners say the condition is often diagnosed far too late by medical professionals and that many patients wait too long to seek treatment, confusing the symptoms with flu.
More from Aya Iskandarani
if you go
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct to Kolkata from Dh1,504 and Dh1,450 return including taxes, respectively. The flight takes four hours 30 minutes outbound and 5 hours 30 minute returning.
The trains
Numerous trains link Kolkata and Murshidabad but the daily early morning Hazarduari Express (3’ 52”) is the fastest and most convenient; this service also stops in Plassey. The return train departs Murshidabad late afternoon. Though just about feasible as a day trip, staying overnight is recommended.
The hotels
Mursidabad’s hotels are less than modest but Berhampore, 11km south, offers more accommodation and facilities (and the Hazarduari Express also pauses here). Try Hotel The Fame, with an array of rooms from doubles at Rs1,596/Dh90 to a ‘grand presidential suite’ at Rs7,854/Dh443.
Meydan racecard:
6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 (PA) Group 1 | US$75,000 (Dirt) | 2,200 metres
7.05pm: UAE 1000 Guineas (TB) Listed | $250,000 (D) | 1,600m
7.40pm: Meydan Classic Trial (TB) Conditions | $100,000 (Turf) | 1,400m
8.15pm: Al Shindagha Sprint (TB) Group 3 | $200,000 (D) | 1,200m
8.50pm: Handicap (TB) | $175,000 (D) | 1,600m
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) | $175,000 (T) | 2,000m
10pm: Handicap (TB) | $135,000 (T) | 1,600m
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
The specs
Engine: 2.9-litre, V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: seven-speed PDK dual clutch automatic
Power: 375bhp
Torque: 520Nm
Price: Dh332,800
On sale: now
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Major matches on Manic Monday
Andy Murray (GBR) v Benoit Paire (FRA)
Grigor Dimitrov (BGR) v Roger Federer (SUI)
Rafael Nadal (ESP) v Gilles Muller (LUX)
Adrian Mannarino (FRA) Novak Djokovic (SRB)
Fight card
1. Bantamweight: Victor Nunes (BRA) v Siyovush Gulmamadov (TJK)
2. Featherweight: Hussein Salim (IRQ) v Shakhriyor Juraev (UZB)
3. Catchweight 80kg: Rashed Dawood (UAE) v Khamza Yamadaev (RUS)
4. Lightweight: Ho Taek-oh (KOR) v Ronald Girones (CUB)
5. Lightweight: Arthur Zaynukov (RUS) v Damien Lapilus (FRA)
6. Bantamweight: Vinicius de Oliveira (BRA) v Furkatbek Yokubov (RUS)
7. Featherweight: Movlid Khaybulaev (RUS) v Zaka Fatullazade (AZE)
8. Flyweight: Shannon Ross (TUR) v Donovon Freelow (USA)
9. Lightweight: Mohammad Yahya (UAE) v Dan Collins (GBR)
10. Catchweight 73kg: Islam Mamedov (RUS) v Martun Mezhulmyan (ARM)
11. Bantamweight World title: Jaures Dea (CAM) v Xavier Alaoui (MAR)
12. Flyweight World title: Manon Fiorot (FRA) v Gabriela Campo (ARG)