Author: Thaamira al-Shaban

Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani has held a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, two days after a Russian militia group rebelled against Moscow. “The call dealt with discussing bilateral relations between the two countries, in addition to discussing the latest regional and international developments and developments in the Russian Federation,” Qatar’s state news agency QNA reported on Monday. Sheikh Tamim “affirmed Qatar’s position of calling for resolving differences through dialogue and diplomatic means” and called for a “need to respect Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders”, the news agency said. Qatar…

Kazakhstan has increased its exports by 40 percent in 2022, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said at the opening ceremony of the Astana International Forum, Trend reports from the scene. The president noted that, the significant proportion of the exports balance still falls on energy sector, however, over the last years, Kazakhstan has significantly developed its non-oil and gas industries. “Despite geopolitical upheavals Kazakhstan keeps serving as an economic engine in and for Central Asia. We continue to attract significant foreign investment and provide exceptional conditions to do business in Kazakhstan,” President Tokayev noted. As the president noted, there are vast opportunities…

Turkmenistan President Serdar Berdymukhamedov has launched an “unprecedented” anti-smoking movement, ordering the country to end tobacco use within two years, according to France24. The movement will include a crackdown on “illegal importations of tobacco products and their sales, including shisha pipes and electronic cigarettes,” said Berdymukhamedov. “Our state will launch a vast anti-tobacco movement of unprecedented size to help expand the tobacco-less countries of the world.” The president plans for the country to be tobacco-free by 2025. There are currently already strict anti-smoking measures in place, including advertising and public smoking bans. Source: tobaccoreporter

Muhammed Bilal used to have to wait his turn outside a money transfer office in the scorching heat of Dubai to send home US$1,000 to his wife and parents in Pakistan each month, at a cost of about $7 per transfer. He has since switched to an app that allows him to send money instantly with no transfer fees, joining a growing number of migrants in the United Arab Emirates using cryptocurrencies and blockchain services to send remittances quickly and cheaply. “Now, I don’t need to wait in queues,” said Bilal, a 27-year-old customer service agent. “I do it at…

BOGOTA: Saudi Arabia is committed to opening an embassy in Colombia, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs told his South American counterpart at a recent meeting. Adel Al-Jubeir met with Colombia’s Foreign Affairs Minister Alvaro Leyva Duran during his ongoing visit to the country. “We received the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia Adel Al Jubeir,” Leyva said in a tweet, adding: “At the meeting, Minister Adel highlighted the commitment to open an Embassy in Colombia soon.” The two ministers discussed Riyadh-Bogotá relations and ways to enhance them in all fields and exchanged views on regional…

Firms have expressed interest in the new EPC tendering round for the Hail & Ghasha onshore facilities project after agreements were canceled last month, according to data from DMS Projects. The list of participating contractors is yet to be announced. ADNOC recently terminated two key contracts for onshore and offshore work on the Hail and Ghasha sour gas development, throwing the timing of the project into doubt. However, ADNOC seems to be proceeding swiftly with the long-delayed project, which is among the largest oil and gas projects in the UAE in recent years and is a core part of Abu Dhabi’s drive to…

Atlantis, The Palm has announced an internship programme. Starting in August and September 2023, the programme gives budding hoteliers the chance to work at the Palm Jumeirah icon for six or 12 months. The programme had around 1,000 applicants through LinkedIn in the first 24 hours. The hotel will provide valuable experience working in one of the world’s most prestigious hospitality destinations. Interns will have the opportunity to work alongside industry professionals, learn from the best in the business and develop skills in a fast-paced environment. Atlantis The Palm internship tasks Intern roles may involve working in a variety of…

Brussels, Frankfurt (29/5 – 33) European Parliament members have strongly condemned ongoing repression by the authorities of Tajikistan against journalists, activists and protesters in the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO). A history of violence escalated extending several years, following confrontational events in November 2021 and May 2022 where dozens of civilians were killed. The European Parliament has since passed a resolution on 7 July 2022. European deputies called on the Tajik government to “put an end to repression against the residents of GBAO”. “We call on the government of Tajikistan to stop persecuting protesters, independent journalists, human rights defenders, lawyers and civil society activists,…

The China-Central Asia Summit in Xi’an, Shaanxi province, which concluded on Friday, laid a solid foundation for long-term cooperation among China and the Central Asian countries of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. The summit unveiled a comprehensive plan for collaboration, from building infrastructure to expanding trade, from prioritizing high-quality products to strengthening people-to-people exchanges. And China said it is ready to coordinate its national development policies and plans with those of the five Central Asia countries and promote modernization and common prosperity. Also, President Xi Jinping emphasized that “We will jointly foster a new paradigm of deeply complementary and…

Meet reinvigorates ancient Silk Road and deepens mutual trust, experts say The China-Central Asia Summit is reinvigorating the ancient Silk Road with the high-quality green Belt and Road Initiative that features joint contribution and shared benefits, international analysts say. Khalid Taimur Akram, executive director of the Pakistan Research Center for a Community with Shared Future, Islamabad, said the summit hopes to revive these old trade routes and advance contemporary economic and commercial cooperation. Xi’an city represents the historical interactions and thriving commercial activity along the Silk Road as it is also the starting point of the historic trade route, the…