An attacker who stabbed performers during a live concert in the Saudi capital of Riyadh last month has confessed that he did so at the direction of Al Qaeda in Yemen.
The incident occurred at King Abdullah Park on November 11, one of several venues hosting a two-month-long Riyadh Season entertainment festival.
The unnamed man confessed to his link to Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula based in Yemen during a hearing at Riyadh’s criminal court. The court heard that the man carried a sharp object and stabbed a security guard and two band members after receiving orders from the Yemen-based terrorist group.
“Before his attack, the man covered his face and delivered a poem against the kingdom’s entertainment commission,” the court said in a statement.
Police said the man arrested was a 33-year-old Yemeni expatriate and the knife used in the attack was seized.
Videos posted on social media portrayed the man welding a knife and rushing into performers on stage at the park.
Three people, two men and a woman, were wounded in the incident but were taken to hospital.
The accused was chased and tackled by another man as the performers fled from the stage. The three victims were in a stable condition after the attack, police said.
The court said it had gained enough evidence to prove “the man had participated in the terror group’s activities in Yemen”.
The November 11 concert is one of the dozens of live entertainment events in the kingdom as the Saudi government sees to open up society, improve quality of life and become a tourist destination as it diversifies its economy away from oil.
Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula has long had a foothold in Yemen, despite a substantial campaign led by the US through the late-2000s that included the heavy use of unmanned drones to carry out strikes.
They grew in strength in the lead up to the country’s civil war in 2015.
The two men who carried out the January 2015 attacks on French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo both had ties to AQAP in Yemen. The attack left 12 dead and 11 others wounded.
AQAP then claimed responsibility for the attack. But the group took advantage of the chaos caused months later by the rebel Houthi capture of the Yemeni capital and much of the north and centre of the country to stage a resurgence.
AQAP fighters stormed the city of Mukalla in 2015, looted the banks taking an estimated $200 million (Dh734.6m) and freeing more than 300 fellow fighters from local prisons. They then established courts and their own governance structures, using the city as a hub from which to plan further attacks.
A campaign carried out by local pro-government forces with significant help from the UAE, as well as US air strikes, recaptured Mukalla from AQAP and has secured the region while the process of rebuilding has begun.
The counterterrorism focus of the UAE, which intervened in the country at the request of the government as part of a Saudi-led coalition, has led to a significant degrading of AQAP’s capabilities. The Emirates helped arm, train and support a force of 12,000 – including 4,000 local tribal fighters – to liberate Mukalla and fight AQAP in April 2016.
Rooney's club record
At Everton Appearances: 77; Goals: 17
At Manchester United Appearances: 559; Goals: 253
Teachers' pay - what you need to know
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
Have you been targeted?
Tuan Phan of SimplyFI.org lists five signs you have been mis-sold to:
1. Your pension fund has been placed inside an offshore insurance wrapper with a hefty upfront commission.
2. The money has been transferred into a structured note. These products have high upfront, recurring commission and should never be in a pension account.
3. You have also been sold investment funds with an upfront initial charge of around 5 per cent. ETFs, for example, have no upfront charges.
4. The adviser charges a 1 per cent charge for managing your assets. They are being paid for doing nothing. They have already claimed massive amounts in hidden upfront commission.
5. Total annual management cost for your pension account is 2 per cent or more, including platform, underlying fund and advice charges.
The permutations for UAE going to the 2018 World Cup finals
To qualify automatically
UAE must beat Iraq.
Australia must lose in Japan and at home to Thailand, with their losing margins and the UAE's winning margin over Iraq being enough to overturn a goal difference gap of eight.
Saudi Arabia must lose to Japan, with their losing margin and the UAE's winning margin over Iraq being enough to overturn a goal difference gap of eight.
To finish third and go into a play-off with the other third-placed AFC side for a chance to reach the inter-confederation play-off match
UAE must beat Iraq.
Saudi Arabia must lose to Japan, with their losing margin and the UAE's winning margin over Iraq being enough to overturn a goal difference gap of eight.
