Syrian president to make first official visit to Kuwait
'Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa, accompanied by an official delegation, is due to arrive in Kuwait on Sunday,' read a statement on KUNA News Agency.
Earlier this month, sources close to Al-Sharaa have reported that the Syrian president was planning a trip to the gulf state towards the end of May.
On his gulf tour, Al-Sharaa had visited Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.
On his trip to Kuwait, the Syrian president will meet the Kuwaiti leadership to discuss ways to boost bilateral relations.
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Arab News
14 minutes ago
- Arab News
UAE's policies a reflection of our national DNA
In 1954, the British administrator and army officer Sir Rupert Hay observed: '(Dubai) flourishes on its entrepot trade, and its souks or markets on either side of its broad creek are the most picturesque I have ever seen in the Middle East and take one back to the time of the Arabian Nights. In the narrow lanes roofed with matting, where the gloom is flecked by spots of sunlight, Arabs, Persians and Balochis display their multifarious and many-colored wares. Wild-eyed tribesmen with their camel canes and daggers haggle with the shopkeepers and the wealthier Persian merchants, with their long, flowing robes and gold-brocaded headdresses, pass to and fro, intent upon their business. Graceful dhows glide into the creek, lower their sails and cast anchor while, the whole day long, small craft are busy ferrying shoppers from one bank to the other. The rectangular houses of the sheikhs and merchants with their tall wind-towers cast white reflections on the water. Conditions are no doubt primitive, but there is an air of bustle and prosperity about the place that gives it a peculiar charm.' Hay's words captured more than a vivid tableau of mid-century Dubai; they revealed the essence of a place animated by openness, enterprise and coexistence. Long before national strategies were drafted or policy frameworks formalized, the people of this region were already living the values that continue to define the UAE today — through trade, hospitality and the building of trust across cultures and borders. In the flurry of strategic plans, key performance indicators and regulatory frameworks, it is easy to forget a simple truth: a policy is not just a document or a directive, it is a reflection of what we believe in. At its core, policy is a strategic act, anchored in values. It is a public declaration of what we prioritize, what we protect and the kind of future we are committed to shaping. Too often, policy is treated as a technocratic tool — reactive, procedural and transactional. But meaningful, effective policy is fundamentally philosophical. It begins with questions of principle: What do we stand for? And how do we bring those convictions to life? In the UAE, we are fortunate to have a clear and enduring foundation. Values such as openness, adaptability, trust, pragmatism and a spirit of partnership have not only shaped our society but have also served as strategic assets. They have enabled us to build a nation that is globally connected yet deeply rooted; fast-moving yet socially cohesive. As we chart our path forward across sectors as diverse as the economy, education, sustainability and technology, we must begin not with trends but with principles. A policy disconnected from values may offer a quick solution but it cannot deliver long-term impact. It will lack coherence, resilience and the trust of those it aims to serve. Consider foreign trade and diplomacy. The UAE's approach has never been merely transactional. It has been guided by a deeper belief in dialogue, connectivity and mutual benefit. Our economic relationships are not built solely on competitive advantage but on long-term thinking, respect for diversity and a commitment to shared prosperity. This values-first approach has paid off. Today, the UAE is among the world's most globally connected economies, with a trade policy that opens doors rather than closes them. Our ability to engage with partners across regions, ideologies and economic systems has been one of our greatest strengths — because our policies are not just about interests. They are about intentions. Our approach is not about short-term fixes, it is about reinforcing the social fabric that underpins our national resilience. 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When we begin with values, our policies gain durability. They become more than responses to the moment — they become frameworks that can adapt, evolve and guide us through uncertainty. And we are indeed entering an era marked by profound and accelerating change: geopolitical shifts, climate instability, technological disruption and social fragmentation. In such a context, values must be our compass. They are what lend coherence across ministries and sectors, what ensure that innovation does not come at the expense of inclusion, and that speed does not compromise sustainability. Values remind us that the purpose of policy is not simply to manage change but to shape it — thoughtfully, boldly and with a deep sense of responsibility to future generations. In the end, policy is not only about systems and certainly not only about strategy. It is, ultimately, about character. It must reflect our national DNA. And over the long arc of history, it is values, not tactics, that shape nations.
Arab News
14 minutes ago
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The poisons of power balances
The first component of wisdom is a precise assessment of the balance of power. It is indispensable in war, revolution or a coup d'etat. The balance of power is an almost inescapable consideration that cannot easily be written out of the equation. Ignoring it usually leads to catastrophic consequences, but while force wins wars, it does not necessarily guarantee durable stability. Vladimir Putin read the balance of power. He knew that the West would yell after waking up to see Russian tanks erasing what it called an international border with Ukraine. However, NATO would not risk sending troops to defend a country that is not a member of the alliance. The US would impose sanctions and make threats, but it would not send its forces and risk raising the specter of a third world war. He calculated correctly and now his army is continuing to devour more territory, having already secured control over the lands annexed by Russia. However, history shows that coercion and subjugation cannot become the basis for lasting stability. The people of the Middle East have their own long and painful history with the balance of power. In 1967, Gamal Abdel Nasser did not dwell on the regional balance of power or its equations. His announcement of the closure of the Straits of Tiran and decision to mobilize Egypt's army drove Israel to launch the war that led to the occupation of Sinai, the West Bank and the Golan Heights — a war that only deepened the glaring imbalance of power in the region. Anwar Sadat concluded that Egypt could not tolerate the occupation of Sinai. He coordinated with Hafez Assad and waged the war of 1973. Despite the achievements of the Egyptian army, the course of the war ended up being a stark reminder of the balance of power's painful dictates. 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He did not consider the need to avoid an American invasion of Iraq, framing the event as 'a battle for the dignity of the nation,' as Yemen's former foreign minister Abu Bakr Al-Qirbi told our newspaper. Let us leave the past and turn to the present. When the Israeli air force began destroying the weapons of 'Assad's army,' President Ahmad Al-Sharaa had no choice but to accept the constraints of the balance of power. This imbalance only deepened after Israel succeeded in driving Iran out of Syria and dealt a painful blow to Hezbollah and its leadership in Lebanon. When the crisis erupted in Sweida, Al-Sharaa found himself with no option but to heed the balance of power's dictates once again. President Joseph Aoun, along with his government, is now experiencing the bitterness of this power balance and its shifts following 'the flood.' Israeli drones continue to violate Lebanese airspace, carrying out targeted assassinations. 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Lebanon's Hezbollah is similarly incapable of launching a new war against Israel, neither now nor in the foreseeable future. Faced with imbalances of this magnitude, the weaker side has no real options. It can only turn to international legitimacy. The principles of international legitimacy offer protection from the injustices currently imposed by the balance of power. It is also essential for addressing the key issue: the injustice inflicted on the Palestinian people, which has been the root cause of instability across the Middle East. The poisons of the balance of power can only be remedied by returning to the principles of international legitimacy. Only these principles can guarantee a just peace. That is what makes the two-state solution, a cause that Saudi Arabia has played an active and influential role in pursuing, so important. The most recent fruit of this diplomatic momentum was the French president's announcement that his country would recognize the state of Palestine. Brutality, domination and erasure can only leave the Middle East sleeping over barrels of gunpowder. Its nations need a moment to catch their breath, fight poverty, allow the displaced to return, pursue development and join the modern world. The solution is not to surrender to the dictates of the balance of power. The solution is to do everything possible to empower international legitimacy. • Ghassan Charbel is editor-in-chief of Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper. X: @GhasanCharbel This article first appeared in Asharq Al-Awsat.
Al Arabiya
2 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Putin, Netanyahu discuss Syria and Iran in phone call, Kremlin says
Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed Syria and Iran in a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, the Kremlin said. It said Putin stressed the importance of upholding Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity and restated Russia's readiness to help negotiate a solution to the Iranian nuclear issue.
