"The German magazine Der Spiegel's recent investigation affirming that the assassination of the former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq al Hariri was planned and carried out by Hizbollah was hardly surprising," wrote Abdul Rahman al Rashed, a regular columnist at the pan-Arab daily Asharq al Awsat.
When the charge of al Hariri's assassination was pressed against Hizbollah two years ago, perhaps only a few endorsed it. Now, with the new Der Spiegel report, only a few are still incredulous.
"Now, many believe that the strength and influence of Hizbollah at home, added to its allegiances abroad, make it quite an obvious suspect. But Hizbollah is not concerned about its reputation, for it is not in a beauty contest. It relies first and foremost on its military might, which exceeds that of the Lebanese army."
Hizbollah couldn't care less if the international community held it responsible for killing al Hariri, or if the Egyptian people were angry following the arrest of a Hizbollah-affiliated terrorist cell on Egyptian territories, or if the Lebanese people themselves were ashamed of it. They can all go to hell for all Hizbollah cares."
The fact that Hassan Nasrallah, Hizbollah's chief, dared to commemorate May 7 - when Hizbollah militias attacked western Beirut and killed Sunni residents - only attests to this.
A lot of ink has flowed in anticipation of the US president Barack Obama's forthcoming address to the Arab and Muslim world from Cairo on June 4, and in all that has been written, the underlying assumption that Obama's two-state plan is brand new and exciting was most disconcerting, commented Ilyas Sahhab in the Emirati daily Al Khaleej.
"The two-state solution has been on Washington's agenda as early as Bill Clinton's second term, and it kept emerging under George W Bush. Actually, the latter kicked off his first term by proposing a political scheme entailing the full establishment of the Palestinian state by 2009."
So, speculations about the substance and outcome of Obama's speech ought to be cushioned by an understanding of the causes that doomed previous US plans to continual failure.
"This solution has always been a big, fat carrot tantalising a gullible Arab horse," Sahhab wrote.
Obama simply has a new outline of an old solution. "First, set the end of Obama's first term as a deadline. Second, the Arabs will have to pay upfront for yet-to-be-honoured promises, by fully normalising relations with Israel. Third, the new Palestinian state will not be entitled to acquire weapons."
Obama's proposals may thus merely come down to granting Palestinians some sort of autonomy.
For twenty years on May 25, Jordan's Independence Day, political parties and opposition leaders in Jordan have been sounding alarms that the country may not be enjoying its independence next year, wrote Bater Wardem in the opinion section of the Jordanian daily Addustour.
"This year, they are warning against two imminent dangers, one embodied by the new Israeli government, the other by the issue of the alternative state solution - Israel's old pitch that Jordan become an alternative state for the Palestinians."
Of course, Jordan must carefully contend with the new hardline cabinet in Israel, but they cannot have any influence on the alternative state issue, and that is for three main reasons.
"First, because Jordanian diplomacy is seasoned enough to neutralise Israeli insolence. Second, the Jordanian government is founded on robust institutions which, bolstered as they are by popular support, are capable of warding off such dangers. Third, the Palestinian people themselves have renewed, time and again, their categorical refusal to relinquish their right to their land and, despite Israeli pressures, still reject the alternative state solution."
Real issues that Jordanian politicians had better tackle are dwindling national identity, law breaking, class discrepancies, interest politics and water resources.
After parliamentary elections resulted in the victory of four women and the defeat of religious parties, debates are still ongoing in Kuwait over whether the results came through socio-political forces or rather reflected a spontaneous popular reaction to the questionable ways of the old MPs and cabinet, wrote Shamlan al Issi, a columnist at the Kuwaiti daily Al Watan.
"What happened in Kuwait was not the fruit of a reformation strategy. Change in Kuwait, and other Gulf nations, is still rather slow and unsteady, especially in politics. Whatever changes are happening here and there are prompted by foreign pressures, not responses to local socio-political urgencies."
The change brought about by the new elections in Kuwait still leaves a lot to be desired. Consider the tribal by-elections which, though legally banned, have still taken place and re-elect the same crisis-happy MPs responsible for widening the rift between the government and parliament. How would you expect radical change in a country where some parties politicise religion and condemn democracy?
"The 70 per cent of our Kuwaiti population which is under 21 may be the answer," he concluded.
* Digest compiled by Achraf A El Bahi
aelbahi@thenational.ae
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
The specs: 2018 BMW R nineT Scrambler
Price, base / as tested Dh57,000
Engine 1,170cc air/oil-cooled flat twin four-stroke engine
Transmission Six-speed gearbox
Power 110hp) @ 7,750rpm
Torque 116Nm @ 6,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 5.3L / 100km
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
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
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Essentials
The flights
Emirates, Etihad and Malaysia Airlines all fly direct from the UAE to Kuala Lumpur and on to Penang from about Dh2,300 return, including taxes.
Where to stay
In Kuala Lumpur, Element is a recently opened, futuristic hotel high up in a Norman Foster-designed skyscraper. Rooms cost from Dh400 per night, including taxes. Hotel Stripes, also in KL, is a great value design hotel, with an infinity rooftop pool. Rooms cost from Dh310, including taxes.
In Penang, Ren i Tang is a boutique b&b in what was once an ancient Chinese Medicine Hall in the centre of Little India. Rooms cost from Dh220, including taxes.
23 Love Lane in Penang is a luxury boutique heritage hotel in a converted mansion, with private tropical gardens. Rooms cost from Dh400, including taxes.
In Langkawi, Temple Tree is a unique architectural villa hotel consisting of antique houses from all across Malaysia. Rooms cost from Dh350, including taxes.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
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.”
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now