RIYADH: UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid met Israeli President Isaac Herzog at the UAE pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai, state news agency WAM reported on Monday.
Sheikh Mohammed welcomed Herzog, who is on his first official visit to the UAE, and the two sides discussed the future of economic, commercial and investment cooperation.
They also held talks on raising the level of scientific and technological cooperation and other paths that supported the future of development, as well as various regional and international developments, issues of common concern, and international efforts to accelerate the pace of global recovery.

Excellent discussion today with the Ruler of Dubai, HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum @HHShkMohd. We discussed a range of issues, including deepening collaboration in trade, innovation, tourism and investments. We also discussed Israel & UAE’s special shared history. pic.twitter.com/7di93pRqcd

— יצחק הרצוג Isaac Herzog (@Isaac_Herzog) January 31, 2022

Sheikh Mohammed said that Israel’s participation in the expo, along with more than 190 countries, opened several areas for cooperation as “the mega global event seeks to shape a better future for humanity based on peaceful coexistence and sharing of expertise and resources.”
Herzog and his wife Michal visited the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi as part of his official visit.

While meeting the Israeli president at Expo 2020 Dubai On his first visit to the UAE.
We discussed aspects of trade, investment and technological cooperation.. we welcomed their participation in the largest international cultural event, Expo 2020. pic.twitter.com/LiBnCxa2ob

— HH Sheikh Mohammed (@HHShkMohd) January 31, 2022

Mohammed Al-Khajja, the UAE’s ambassador to Israel, and Amir Hayek, Israeli ambassador to the UAE, and several senior Israeli officials accompanied Herzog.
Dr. Yousif Al-Obaidli, director-general of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Center, accompanied the president and his accompanying delegation on a tour of the mosque’s halls and external corridors.
They were briefed by one of the center’s cultural tour specialists about the mosque’s message “that underscores notions of coexistence, tolerance, and openness to cultures, emanating from the nation’s late founder’s rich legacy,” according to a statement on WAM.
They also learned about the mosque’s history, components, and aesthetic features of Islamic art and architecture.

Finishing a very moving, historic visit to the UAE at the invitation of a great leader, HH Sheikh @MohamedBinZayed. There is huge potential for our two nations. Together, we can truly lead the Middle East toward a new horizon of peace, prosperity, and cooperation. pic.twitter.com/xXOn6gDOOm

— יצחק הרצוג Isaac Herzog (@Isaac_Herzog) January 31, 2022

The Israeli leader was presented with two of the center’s publications at the end of the visit.
One was “Spaces of Light” and showcases the winning photographs from the “Spaces of Light” photography award, which is held annually by the center in celebration of the aesthetics and visual culture of the mosque.
The other was “Houses of God” and is about places of worship in Islamic history, including the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque.

LONDON: The UAE’s foreign minister received the British minister for Middle East and North Africa in Abu Dhabi on Monday, Emirates News Agency reported.

Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan and James Cleverly discussed the strategic partnership between their countries, issues of mutual interest, and the latest developments in the region so as to enhance its security and stability.

Cleverly expressed his strong condemnation of the Houthi militia’s terrorist attacks on civil areas and facilities in the UAE.

The minister also stressed the significance of working to boost security and stability in the region.

Sheikh Abdullah welcomed Cleverly’s visit and emphasised the solid and strategic relations between the UAE and the UK, which are based on a long history of fruitful work, joint coordination, and keenness to promote security and stability in the region.

The minister for Middle East and North Africa also visited the UK’s pavilion at Dubai Expo 2020 during his visit to the UAE.

“It showcases the creativity and innovation that global Britain offers. (It also writes poetry using artificial intelligence!)” Cleverly posted on Twitter.

Earlier, the British minister discussed joint work to tackle illicit financial flows with Minister of State Ahmed bin Ali Al-Sayegh.

He also reaffirmed UK commitment to regional security during a meeting with Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the UAE President.

WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden promised Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad, on Monday that he will soon designate Qatar as a major non-NATO ally, granting special status to a key friend in a turbulent region.
During a meeting in the Oval Office, Biden said he planned to notify the US Congress soon of the designation, which is granted by the US to close, non-NATO allies that have strategic working relationships with the US military.
“Qatar is a good friend and reliable and capable partner. And I’m notifying Congress that I will designate Qatar as a major non-NATO ally to reflect the importance of our relationship. I think it’s long overdue,” Biden told reporters with the emir sitting at his side.
Qatar is the 18th country to receive this designation, the last being Brazil in 2019. The designation provides international partners with benefits in defense trade and security cooperation, including eligibility for loan programs and priority delivery for certain military sales.

This afternoon, I’m hosting Amir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani of Qatar for a bilateral meeting at the White House. I look forward to discussing a range of issues, including security and prosperity in the Middle East, global energy supplies, Afghanistan, and more.

— President Biden (@POTUS) January 31, 2022

“We’re very happy and proud of this great relationship,” said Qatar’s ruling emir, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. “We will continue working together to find ways and means to bring peace in our region.”
Qatar is the world’s largest supplier of liquefied natural gas and may divert supplies to Europe if the Ukraine conflict disrupts Russian gas deliveries to the continent.
Biden and Tamim also used Monday’s meeting to discuss Middle East security and the situation in Afghanistan, where humanitarian conditions have deteriorated in the aftermath of last year’s US military withdrawal and Taliban takeover. The leaders also discussed the status of US efforts to resurrect the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.
Biden administration officials heaped praise on Qatar for assisting the US military evacuation of thousands of US citizens and Afghans during the chaotic ending to the American war with the Taliban. Qatar continues to operate flights for those fleeing Afghanistan and has served as a way station for the US as it processes visas for thousands of people fleeing Taliban control. Qatar’s ambassador in Kabul even personally escorted convoys of evacuees to the airport to help ensure their safe passage.

Had fruitful discussions with President Biden @POTUS in which we exchanged views on regional and international developments. The strategic partnership between our countries is bringing peace and stability to our region.

— تميم بن حمد (@TamimBinHamad) January 31, 2022

Tamim was also meeting separately with Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and discussing arms sales and other military issues with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, an official told reporters.
Biden said he and the emir had a lot on their agenda on Monday including strengthening commercial and investment cooperation.
He hailed a new deal that Qatar Airways Group signed with Boeing that he said will create “tens of thousands of good-paying jobs.’
Boeing Co. secured a launch order from Qatar Airways for a new freighter version of its 777X passenger jet and a provisional order for 737 MAX jets in a Washington ceremony on Monday.

Earlier today, I had a productive meeting at the Pentagon with @SecDef Lloyd J. Austin III which will further advance our strategic military partnership. The joint efforts of Qatar and the United States are fully oriented towards regional and international peace and stability.

— تميم بن حمد (@TamimBinHamad) January 31, 2022

Biden said the UAE defeated a ballistic missile attack launched by the Houthis from Yemen on Sunday. “We’ve been in daily contact with UAE to address those threats,” he said.
He said he had directed the Pentagon’s Austin to do everything he could to communicate the support of the US for the UAE, Saudi Arabia and throughout the Gulf region.
(With Reuters and AP)

RIYADH: The United Arab Emirates on Monday said it has intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by Yemen’s Houthi militia amid a first-ever visit by Israel’s president.

The attack did not result in any losses as the shrapnel of the ballistic missile fell outside populated areas, the UAE Ministry of Defense said in a statement carried by WAM news agency.

UAE air forces, together with the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen, subsequently destroyed the missile launch site in Yemen’s Al-Jawf governorate, the statement said.

The UAE defense ministry affirmed its “full readiness to deal with any threats,” adding that it will “take all necessary measures to protect the UAE from any attacks.”

The Houthi attack came hours after Israel’s President Isaac Herzog arrived in Abu Dhabi to seek stronger regional ties.

The UAE, along with Bahrain, signed US-brokered normalization agreements with Israel, dubbed the “Abraham Accords,” in 2020. The two Gulf states and Israel share concerns about Iran and its allied forces in the region.

Herzog discussed security and bilateral relations with the UAE’s de facto ruler, Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in Abu Dhabi.

Herzog spent the night in Abu Dhabi, and he will continue his UAE visit despite the Houthi attack, his office said.

The UAE General Civil Aviation Authority assured the public the latest Houthi atrocity has not affected air traffic in the country.

“The air traffic in the country is going as usual, and operations of all flights are running normally. There is no impact on flights and airports as a result of the ballistic missile launched by the terrorist Houthi militia,” the authority said.

KUWAIT CITY: Kuwait said on Sunday that a Lebanese response to a list of suggested measures to ease a diplomatic rift with Gulf countries is currently under review.

Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Ahmed Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Sabah said that receiving the response was a “positive step by the Lebanese authorities.”

He was speaking during a news conference following a meeting of Arab foreign ministers, which was attended by Lebanon’s top diplomat Abdallah Bou Habib.

Sheikh Ahmed visited Beirut last week and handed Lebanese leaders a list of suggested measures to ease a diplomatic rift with Gulf countries.

In October, Saudi Arabia and its allies suspended diplomatic ties with Lebanon after the airing of comments by then Information Minister Georges Kordahi criticizing the military conflict in Yemen.

Kuwait recalled its ambassador from Beirut and also asked Beirut’s charge d’affaires to leave the emirate.

Kordahi resigned in November, in a bid to ease the standoff and French President Emmanuel Macron said Paris and Riyadh had agreed to fully engage to restore diplomatic ties.

“It is now up to the relevant parties in Kuwait and in the Gulf states to study this response in order to find out what will be Lebanon’s next step,” said Sheikh Ahmed.

He thanked Beirut “for interacting” with the demands, which he said was a positive step.

The measures presented by Kuwait are part of wider efforts to restore trust between Lebanon and its Gulf neighbors as Beirut grapples with an unprecedented financial crisis.

The terms delivered to Beirut on Jan. 22 include setting a time frame for implementing UN Security Council resolutions, among them Resolution 1559 which was adopted in 2004 and calls for the disarmament of nonstate militias in Lebanon.

The Lebanese draft letter had expressed respect for UN resolutions “to ensure civil peace and national stability” and said that Lebanon “will not be a launchpad for activities that violates Arab countries.”

Despite Kordahi’s resignation, tension between Lebanon and Gulf states has persisted, mainly over Iran-backed Hezbollah.

Earlier this month, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Beirut called on Lebanese political parties to “end Hezbollah’s terrorist hegemony over every aspect of the state.”

Also on Sunday, the Maronite Christian patriarch said former Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s decision to step back from politics and boycott a parliamentary election in May must not be used as an excuse to call for a delay.

Cardinal Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi said he was surprised by the decision and said he hoped Sunnis would still take part so the election “expresses the position of all Lebanese.”

Hariri’s decision has turned the electoral landscape on its head, adding to the uncertainties facing the country.

“Given the importance of this parliamentary (election), we must all confront attempts to circumvent it,” Al-Rahi said, noting the new parliament would elect President Michel Aoun’s replacement.

Referring to Hariri’s decision, he said “it is not allowed for some to invoke the new reality and promote the postponement of the parliamentary elections.”

He did not say to whom he was referring.

Lebanon’s 2018 election produced a majority for Hezbollah and its allies, who include Aoun. Its adversaries hope to overturn this in May.

Al-Rahi is a critic of Hezbollah, saying it has harmed Lebanon by dragging it into regional conflicts.

While none of Lebanon’s main parties have called for an election delay, many observers believe this may well suit a number of influential players.

Western states want the vote to go ahead on time.

Saad Hariri will leave a fractured Sunni community in his wake.

On Friday, his older brother, Bahaa signaled he was entering politics, saying he would “continue the journey” of his father Rafik Al-Hariri.

Bahaa plans to support candidates but will not be running himself.