UAE President meets Sheikh Hamdan after appointment as Armed Forces Lieutenant General
Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, expressed his appreciation for the precious trust placed in him by the nation's Ruler.
The two leaders who were accompanied by Sheikh Khalid bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, exchanged cordial talks during the meeting.
The meeting was attended by Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chief of the Presidential Court for Special Affairs, Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, Advisor to the President, and a number of sheikhs and senior officials.
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The National
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Germany backs further sanctions on Israeli settlers
Germany is committed to imposing sanctions against more Israeli settlers for violence committed in the occupied West Bank, its Foreign Minister said while visiting the Palestinian territory on Friday. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul in Ramallah to keep up pressure for a two-state peace settlement, a day after the US issued sanctions against the Palestinian leadership, in an apparent move to set back the process. Usually a close ally of Israel, Germany says it will not recognise the state of Palestine yet – but has taken an increasingly critical tone towards Israel's actions in Gaza and the West Bank. Two German Air Force aircraft dropped food into Gaza on Friday, in a bid to help ease starvation in the Palestinian enclave. Visiting the West Bank town of Taybeh, where authorities said Christians were attacked by Israeli settlers this week, Mr Wadephul condemned what he called acts of terror. 'We will support further sanctions on violent settlers,' he said. He said outbreaks of violence, such as the killing of an activist featured in the Oscar-winning film No Other Land, were 'not isolated incidents', and called on the Israel government to keep order. 'Such acts are crimes, they are terror and they must finally be pursued by the police,' said Mr Wadephul. The German Foreign Minister also criticised Israel's expansion of settlements in the West Bank − including a plan known as E1 for almost 3,500 new housing units. A planning hearing takes place next week. Germany's policy is that 'a Palestinian state must have a chance,' said Mr Wadephul. Recognition grows Momentum is growing behind a Palestinian state, after France announced it would recognise it in September, while Britain and Canada said they were ready to do so under certain conditions. In his meeting with Mr Abbas, Mr Wadephul said Germany saw this as coming 'at the end of a political process'. Mr Abbas assured him that a future state 'would be demilitarised', including in Gaza, according to Palestinian news agency Wafa. It reported that Mr Abbas 'reaffirmed readiness to hold general elections, noting they would exclude political factions and individuals who do not adhere' to certain principles. Separately, Germany said on Friday its air force had dropped 14 tonnes of aid provided by a Jordanian charity into Gaza, as it joins in the renewed international airlift to address starvation in Gaza. The German aircraft dropped 34 pallets over Gaza carrying food and medical supplies, according to the Foreign Ministry, which said the two A400M Atlas aircraft flew from the Muwaffaq Salti Airbase in Jordan. Germany has troops stationed in Jordan as part of an anti-ISIS mission in neighbouring Iraq. The goods dropped into Gaza were provided by the Jordanian Hashemite Charity Organisation, the ministry said. German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius acknowledged the flights 'can only make a very small contribution' to delivering essential goods to Gaza. 'Israel must ensure comprehensive humanitarian provision for people in Gaza who have been acutely suffering for months,' he said.
The National
40 minutes ago
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Middle East businesses brace for higher costs after Trump announces new tariffs
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Businesses across the region are expected to face higher costs, tighter margins and potential disruptions to their supply chains as they adjust to the new trade environment. The modest tariff reductions for countries like Jordan and Iraq offer "little more than cosmetic relief," Peter Middlebrook, chief executive of UAE-based management and investment consultancy Geopolicity, said. "Key sectors—particularly manufacturing, chemicals, machinery, electronics, and consumer goods—remain under pressure from elevated duties, with limited room to maneuver," he said. "While energy exports such as oil and LNG remain largely insulated, more diversified economies like Tunisia, Jordan, and Iraq will suffer reduced competitiveness, compressed margins, and higher barriers to the US market." Businesses in the region that rely on importing US goods now face higher input costs, especially in pharmaceuticals, high-tech components, and industrial equipment. 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'This policy of high, fluctuating tariffs changes that perception for everyone … it creates a cloud of economic uncertainty over the whole region.' He said that small reductions in tariffs do little to reassure businesses or investors. 'They don't build confidence,' Mr Mikkelsen said. 'No one is going to make a major, long-term investment based on a 4 per cent tariff reduction when the entire system feels unstable.' The tariff schedule acts as 'a tool of targeted economic pressure', with high rates limiting growth in non-oil sectors in Iraq and Libya, undermining Tunisia's olive oil exports, and disrupting technology supply chains between the US and Israel, according to Mr Mikkelsen. 'The most disruptive move is the 15 per cent tariff on Israel and Jordan,' he said. 'It's a direct shock to the deeply integrated US-Israel technology supply chain … even the most strategic and deeply intertwined partnerships are not immune to this new volatility.' He added that many companies in the region are already pivoting away from reliance on US trade. 'From our vantage point as a global hub, we see this clearly. Companies are building stronger, more resilient trade corridors,' Mr Mikkelsen said. 'This means strengthening ties with Europe for its stability, investing heavily in Africa as the key future growth market, and anchoring their strategy in Asia for its sheer scale.' Minimal effect on start-ups While the impact on traditional trade may be muted, questions have also been raised about how these measures could affect the region's start-up ecosystem, particularly tech companies seeking investment from the US. Fadi Ghandour, executive chairman of Wamda Capital, said the tariffs will have little to no impact on start-ups in the region. 'Most, if not all, of start-ups have regional focus and do not produce physical goods to be exported to the US. They're mostly software or tech based companies,' Mr Ghandour told The National. 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Zawya
3 hours ago
- Zawya
United Arab Emirates (UAE) leaders congratulate Presidents of Benin, Switzerland on National Days
President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has sent congratulatory messages to President Patrice Talon of Benin, and President Karin Keller-Sutter of the Swiss Confederation on the occasion of their countries' National Days. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, also dispatched similar messages to the Presidents of Benin and the Swiss Confederation. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Arab Emirates, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
