Author: Steven Sahiounie

The change in rating reflects, “increased predictability of policies and decision-making processes affecting non-government issuers given institutional improvements,” the ratings agency said

MUSCAT – The UAE’s tourism sector contributed AED220 billion to the GDP in 2023, accounting for 11.7 percent of the overall economy, This upward trend is expected to continue in 2024, with projections indicating the sector will reach AED236 billion and account for an even greater share of the GDP at 12 percent.

Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid has arrived in the Iranian capital Tehran to pay tribute to late President Ebrahim Raeisi and his companions, who lost their lives in a helicopter crash last week. The airplane of Rashid and his accompanying delegation landed at Tehran’s International Mehrabad Airport on Saturday morning. Iraqi President ’s visit to Tehran with the aim of conveying his country’s condolences over the Iranian president’s passing came a few days after Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani visited Tehran to meet with Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and attend the funeral procession of Raeisi and…

South Africa Friday evening welcomed the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling that ordered Israel to halt its offensive on Rafah. “I believe it’s a much stronger, in terms of wording, set of provisional measures, very clear call for a cessation,” Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor told public broadcaster SABC. Following South Africa’s plea, the ICJ has ruled in a 13-2 vote that Israel must immediately halt its military offensive and any other action in Rafah and open the Rafah border crossing to allow the entry of humanitarian aid to the blockaded Strip. The ICJ also ordered Israel to “ensure the…

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah met on Friday with French Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs Stephane Sejourne in Paris. The two ministers discussed Saudi-French relations and ways to enhance them as well as improve coordination on various issues of mutual concern. The two officials also discussed the current situation in Gaza and its surroundings and the need to deliver humanitarian assistance to the civilians in the enclave. The meeting was attended by Saudi Ambassador to France Fahd bin Mayouf Al-Ruwaili, Foreign Minister’s Office Director General Abdulrahman Al-Dawood and Ministry of Foreign Affairs Advisor…

The UN office in Geneva hosted a memorial service for Iran’s late president Ebrahim Raeisi and foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, who lost their lives in a helicopter crash in northwestern Iran on Sunday. The session was conducted by envoys from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, who paid tribute to the late Iranian president and his entourage. Ali Bahraini, Iran’s ambassador to the Geneva-based UN bodies, delivered an address at the ceremony, highlighting President Raeisi’s defense of Islamic values in the international arena. “The Islamic community will not forget Raeisi’s fierce defense of the Quran against the insolence displayed by some…

Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territory, today called on the international community to impose sanctions on Israel and suspend diplomatic relations with it until it complies with the decision of the International Court of Justice (ICJ). “Israel intensified its attacks on the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip after the International Court of Justice ordered it to stop its operation in the city,” she said on her X account. She added, “The news I receive from the people besieged in the city of Rafah is horrific. Israel will…

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan will have a state visit to China on May 30 following an invitation from his counterpart Xi Jinping. Discussions between the two leaders would mainly be regarding bilateral relations between the two countries, and how to further strengthen their economic, developmental and cultural ties, state news agency WAM reported. Sheikh Mohamed will also attend celebrations marking the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the UAE and China, and will participate in the 10th Ministerial Conference of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum. The UAE leader will have a two-day state visit…

A coalition of 121 human rights and civil society organizations urged US President Joe Biden to respect and support the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) independence and to resist threats of penalties on ICC staff. In a letter to Biden on Thursday, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International underscored the ICC’s role in delivering justice for grave international crimes. They asked the Biden administration to condemn recent threats by US politicians to penalize ICC staff if arrest warrants were issued for key Israeli leaders suspected of war crimes in the Gaza Strip. According to the letter, acting on such calls would “gravely harm the…

Interim Iranian President Mohammad Mokhber says West Asia is in desperate need of improving relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia. Mokhber made the remarks in a phone conversation with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Friday as the latter offered his condolences to the Iranian government and nation over the martyrdom of President Ebrahim Raeisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and their companions in a helicopter crash in the northeastern province of East Azarbaijan on Sunday. He described ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia as crucial for the Muslim world, saying, “Despite some powers’ opposition, our relations have reached a…