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Sheikh Mohammed, who became president and Abu Dhabi ruler last year after running the U.S.-allied OPEC oil producer for years, named his brother Sheikh Mansour as UAE vice president, alongside Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. This appeared to further centralise power in Abu Dhabi, which is the political capital by virtue of its immense oil wealth, of the UAE federation of seven emirates. Abu Dhabi has held the presidency since the founding of the UAE federation by Sheikh Mohammed's father in 1971. Sheikh Mohammed, known as MbZ, had been grooming his son in positions of authority in security - including intelligence - economy and governance, analysts say. Earlier this month, Sheikh Tahnoun was named chair of Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, among the world's largest sovereign wealth funds.

☆ Dubai's Majid Al Futtaim cuts 105 jobs as new CEO makes mark
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Hadeel Al Sayegh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DUBAI, March 16 (Reuters) - Dubai's Majid Al Futtaim (MAF) has cut 105 jobs out of its total staff of 46,000, the Middle Eastern shopping mall developer and operator told Reuters, as its new CEO seeks to boost returns. Three sources familiar with the move said it was part of a restructuring following the abrupt removal of former chief executive Alain Bejjani in January. "These measured actions and continuous business-as-usual reviews enable Majid Al Futtaim to deliver competitive returns to our shareholders while maximising opportunities for value accretive, profitable and sustainable growth," it added. MAF was founded by Emirati businessman Majid Al Futtaim, whose death at the end of 2021 was announced by Dubai's ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, who paid tribute to him as one of the emirate's pioneers. Reporting by Hadeel Al Sayegh; Editing by David Goodman and Mark PotterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ 'Our phones are ringing off the hook': Amid a global downturn, the finance world is chasing Middle Eastern money
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The region's 10 largest sovereign wealth funds combined manage nearly $4 trillion, according to the Sovereign Wealth Fund Institute. The regional investors, especially the sovereign funds but also the families, are now much more sophisticated than before. Follow the capitalAs oil prices made a roaring comeback in the last two years, the Gulf's public wealth funds went on a spending spree. It added that GCC sovereign wealth funds "played an important role in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic and now again in 2022 during times of financial distress." Our phones are ringing off the hook," one manager from a UAE investment fund said, declining to be named due to professional restrictions.

☆ Dubai announces $8.7 trillion economic plan to boost trade, investment and global hub status
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Dubai on Wednesday announced a mammoth $8.7 trillion economic plan for the coming decade, aimed at turbocharging trade, foreign investment and its place on the map as a global hub. "Over 300,000 global investors are helping build Dubai into the fastest growing global city." Those include boosting foreign trade to 25.6 trillion dirhams from 14.2 trillion dirhams in the last decade, nearly doubling annual foreign direct investment to 60 billion dirhams yearly, and increasing government spending from 512 billion dirhams in the last decade to 700 billion in the next. The plan also aims to bring private sector investments up from 790 billion dirhams in the last decade to 1 trillion in the next and pledged 100 billion dirhams in annual contributions to the economy from digital transformation projects. The sheer size of the city's economic goals may draw some skepticism, but finance experts in Dubai believe they are achievable.

☆ How London became the divorce capital of the world for the mega-rich
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-26 | by ( Bill Bostock | Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A UK judge ordered Sheikh Mohammed of Dubai to pay a $679 million divorce settlement to his ex-wife. Princess Haya had filed for divorce in London, known as "the divorce capital of the world." It also reaffirmed London's status as the de facto "divorce capital of the world," at least for the rich and famous. The often-cited case — "White v White" — concerns Martin White and Pamela White, farmers from Somerset who filed for divorce in 1994. Lawyers for Khoo told the court that his case had enhanced "the ill-gotten reputation of this country for being the divorce capital of the world."

The Rashid Rover was built by Dubai’s Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC), in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and is being delivered by the HAKUTO-R lander, engineered by Japanese lunar exploration company ispace. The Rashid Rover, named after the late Sheikh Rashid Al Saeed, the former ruler of Dubai, will analyze the plasma on the lunar surface and conduct experiments to understand more about lunar dust. The Rashid Rover was built at Dubai's Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre. Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC)The rover will be entirely solar-powered and equipped with four cameras, including a microscopic and thermal one. Al Marzooqi hopes that the lunar surface mission will be a stepping stone to Mars.

☆ Japan's ispace launches world's first commercial moon lander
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Rocky Swift | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

ispace Inc's HAKUTO-R mission took off without incident from Cape Canaveral, Florida, after two postponements caused by inspections of its SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The project was a finalist in the Google Lunar XPRIZE before being revived as a commercial venture. The M1 lander will deploy two robotic rovers, a two-wheeled, baseball-sized device from Japan's JAXA space agency and the four-wheeled Rashid explorer made by the United Arab Emirates. "The Rashid rover is part of the United Arab Emirates ambitious space programme," said Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, who is also vice-president of the United Arab Emirates and who watched the launch at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre. Privately funded ispace has a contract with NASA to ferry payloads to the moon from 2025 and is aiming to build a permanently staffed lunar colony by 2040.

☆ Why Saudi Arabia is hosting one of the world's biggest raves
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

The kingdom’s Soundstorm music festival, which began in 2019, is back again for its fourth year and will start on Thursday. “(It) is a particularly powerful example because it seeks to bring together young people and women from across Saudi Arabia and the world,” she said. By contrast, Las Vegas’ Electric Daisy Carnival, considered North America’s biggest dance music festival, had an attendance of over 400,000 this year. Last year, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said that performers should either “speak up” about Saudi Arabia’s human rights violations or not attend the festival at all. Some however argue that opening up countries to international norms and values can allow for better discussion on human rights shortcomings.

☆ Soccer Qatar's Bedouin roots star in World Cup opening ceremony
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( Andrew Mills | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"From Qatar, from the Arab world, I welcome everyone to the World Cup 2022," Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani said. "How lovely it is that people can put aside what divides them to celebrate their diversity and what brings them together." Then, fireworks exploded from the roof of Al Bayt stadium, 44 km (27 miles) north of the capital, Doha. Earlier, the nearly full stadium erupted in cheers when Sheikh Tamim arrived at the stadium flanked by FIFA president Gianni Infantino. The ceremony featured video footage of Sheikh Tamim as a boy playing soccer in the desert, which seemed aimed at countering the argument made by Qatar's critics that the Gulf Arab state has no soccer tradition.

Former President Donald Trump’s longtime friend and former fundraiser, Tom Barrack, was found not guilty Friday of charges that he acted as an unregistered foreign agent for the United Arab Emirates during the Trump administration and then lied to the FBI about those contacts. In addition, he was charged with obstruction of justice and lying to the FBI about his UAE contacts during a 2019 interview with federal agents. Prosecutors largely built their case around texts and email messages Barrack and Grimes exchanged with an Emirati businessman named Rashid Al Malik, whom they described as their go-between for the pair's dealings with Emirati officials. The messages showed UAE officials giving feedback to Barrack about what he should say in TV interviews and input about what Trump should say about energy policy in a 2016 campaign speech. Barrack denied sharing that information while testifying in his own defense, and also denied having lied to the FBI.

Barrack, 75, is charged with acting as an unregistered foreign agent, obstruction of justice and making false statements to the FBI. Prosecutors allege he used his decades-long friendship with Trump to “illegally provide” government officials from the UAE with access to — and information about — the president and top officials. Jackson told jurors that the government’s claim of overwhelming evidence against Barrack was “a joke,” and that there was “nothing nefarious” about his client’s dealings with Emirati officials. Jackson further argued the government had no direct evidence that Barrack had struck a deal with the UAE. Grimes' attorney, Abbe Lowell, disputed that his client was an unregistered foreign agent, saying he did what his boss Barrack told him to do, not what UAE officials requested.

☆ Trump ally Barrack traded access for UAE money, prosecutors say as trial nears end
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Thomas Barrack, a billionaire friend of Donald Trump who chaired the former president's inaugural fund, exits the Brooklyn Federal Courthouse in Brooklyn, New York, U.S., October 3, 2022. Abu Dhabi then invested $374 million from its sovereign wealth funds with Barrack, prosecutors say. "Mr. Barrack traded his political access for a long-term relationship with top UAE officials ... who controlled vast oil wealth," Ryan Harris, an assistant U.S. attorney, told jurors on Tuesday. Barrack himself took the stand last week, testifying that he never agreed to act at Abu Dhabi's direction or control. Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York; Editing by Noeleen Walder and Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Barrack testifies he told Trump to use Khashoggi murder to end Qatar blockade
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Barrack, 75, is not charged with acting as a Saudi agent, but the country is close with the UAE. U.S. intelligence says the murder of Khashoggi, a Saudi insider-turned-critic, was approved by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto ruler. The blockade of Qatar by Saudi Arabia, the UAE and others began in 2017. Prosecutors say that during the blockade, Barrack told Rashid Al Malik - an associate also accused of being an Emirati agent - that the United States was considering hosting a summit to resolve the conflict. Al Malik, who is at large, then told UAE officials about the possible meeting, prosecutors say.

☆ Trump ally Barrack can be questioned on Khashoggi comments, Saudi nuclear plans
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

While Barrack is not charged with acting as a Saudi agent, the country and the UAE are close allies. Cogan also said he would let prosecutors ask Barrack about a plan he pushed in the early days of the Trump administration to construct 40 nuclear plants in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere in the Middle East. Barrack is not charged with any crimes over the civil nuclear plan, which fell through. One of prosecutors' major charges is that Emirati officials provided input to Barrack on what Trump should say in the speech. Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York; editing by Jonathan Oatis and David GregorioOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Barrack, 75, is charged with acting as an unregistered foreign agent and lying to the FBI. Prosecutors said UAE officials also pressed Barrack for details on who Trump would pick for various high-level jobs, including CIA director and at the State and Defense departments. Barrack's lawyers have said their client is his own man and was doing what he thought was right — not acting as an Emirati agent. Even viewed in the light most favorable to the government, the evidence shows only that the 'UAE' sometimes asked Mr. Barrack to do something, or to consider doing something, and Mr. Barrack then decided for himself whether he would do it or not." He said that Barrack had pushed him to convince then-President Trump to support Qatar in a blockade over the UAE.

☆ Trump ally Barrack to testify in own defense at ‘foreign agent’ trial
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

NEW YORK — Tom Barrack, a onetime fundraiser for former U.S. President Donald Trump, is expected to take the witness stand in his own defense next week in his trial on charges of being an illegal foreign agent for the United Arab Emirates. Barrack’s lawyer Randall Jackson said in open court on Friday that Barrack would the stand Friday afternoon. Later, prosecutor Sam Nitze said he expected to take substantial time to cross-examine the current witness, former Barrack lawyer Brady Cassis, meaning Barrack would not take the stand Friday. Barrack, 75, has pleaded not guilty, as has his co-defendant Grimes. Even in instances where his interests and goals aligned with the UAE’s, he was acting on his own volition, they said.

☆ Trump ally Barrack to testify in own defense at 'foreign agent' trial
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Companies DigitalBridge Group Inc FollowNEW YORK, Oct 21 (Reuters) - Tom Barrack, a onetime fundraiser for former U.S. President Donald Trump, is expected to take the witness stand in his own defense next week in his trial on charges of being an illegal foreign agent for the United Arab Emirates. Barrack's lawyer Randall Jackson said in open court on Friday that Barrack would the stand Friday afternoon. Later, prosecutor Sam Nitze said he expected to take substantial time to cross-examine the current witness, former Barrack lawyer Brady Cassis, meaning Barrack would not take the stand Friday. Barrack, 75, has pleaded not guilty, as has his co-defendant Grimes. Even in instances where his interests and goals aligned with the UAE's, he was acting on his own volition, they said.

☆ Trump ally Barrack's trial on foreign agent charges moves to opening statements
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Tom Barrack watches jury selection in a courtroom sketch in New York City, U.S. September 19, 2022. Tom Barrack, a private equity executive and onetime fundraiser for former President Donald Trump is charged with acting as a foreign agent without notifying the U.S. government as required. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterThey intend to argue that their interactions with UAE officials were part of their work for DigitalBridge, then known as Colony Capital. Trump may be called as a witness at the trial, Cogan told several jurors. read moreBefore opening statements on Wednesday, prosecutors will eliminate six jurors of their choice, while the defendants will together strike 13.

☆ Trump may be called to testify at ally's foreign agent trial, judge says
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-19 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan in Brooklyn told several prospective jurors for Barrack's trial about the prospect of Trump testifying to gauge whether they might be biased against the defendant. Barrack raised money for Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign and chaired Trump's 2017 inaugural committee. Twelve jurors and four alternates are due to serve in the trial, which is expected to last about one month. Cogan dismissed one prospective juror who said she did not like Trump, prompting the judge to ask if she could set her feelings aside. the prospective juror asked.

☆ Trump ally's trial on foreign agent charges kicks off with jury selection
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-19 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Tom Barrack, CEO of Colony Capital, speaks at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. July 21, 2016. The two defendants intend to argue that their interactions with UAE officials were part of their work for DigitalBridge, then known as Colony Capital. read moreU.S. District Judge Brian Cogan told potential jurors not to "exaggerate potential unavailability" to try to get out of service. "You're going to find this trial, if you're chosen as a juror, to be particularly interesting," Cogan told them. Barrack's lawyers have said the U.S. State Department, and Trump himself, knew of his contacts with Middle East officials, showing that Barrack did not intend to be a foreign agent.

☆ Trump ally’s trial on foreign agent charges to start with jury selection
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-19 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

NEW YORK — Jury selection is set to begin on Monday in the trial of Tom Barrack, the private equity executive and onetime fundraiser for former President Donald Trump, on charges he acted as a foreign agent without notifying the U.S. government. Barrack, who chaired Trump’s inauguration committee, has pleaded not guilty, as has his former assistant and co-defendant Matthew Grimes. They intend to argue that their interactions with UAE officials were part of their work for DigitalBridge, then known as Colony Capital. After hundreds of potential jurors filled out questionnaires, Cogan wrote on Sept. 2 that candidates who expressed “merely some dislike” of Trump could still serve. Barrack’s lawyers have said the U.S. State Department, and Trump himself, knew of his contacts with Middle East officials, showing that Barrack did not intend to be a foreign agent.

☆ A Trump advisor's trial could shed light on 'espionage lite' and foreign influence around the former president
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-19 | by ( C. Ryan Barber | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

But in a court filing, federal prosecutors said Barrack was not referencing Trump's campaign or the United States. Indeed, Barrack is only the latest Trump ally to face charges in connection with an alleged foreign influence campaign. In court papers, federal prosecutors alleged that Barrack agreed in the spring of 2016 to develop a backchannel between the Emiratis and Trump campaign. The prosecution of former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort kicked off a new era of foreign influence enforcement. Through his lawyers, Barrack has also argued that his contacts with Emiratis were no secret to the Trump campaign and the former president's administration.

☆ Trump ally's trial on foreign agent charges to start with jury selection
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-19 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Tom Barrack, CEO of Colony Capital, speaks at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. July 21, 2016. REUTERS/Jim Young/File PhotoNEW YORK, Sept 19 (Reuters) - Jury selection is set to begin on Monday in the trial of Tom Barrack, the private equity executive and onetime fundraiser for former President Donald Trump, on charges he acted as a foreign agent without notifying the U.S. government. read moreBarrack, who chaired Trump's inauguration committee, has pleaded not guilty, as has his former assistant and co-defendant Matthew Grimes. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterThey intend to argue that their interactions with UAE officials were part of their work for DigitalBridge, then known as Colony Capital. Barrack's lawyers have said the U.S. State Department, and Trump himself, knew of his contacts with Middle East officials, showing that Barrack did not intend to be a foreign agent.

☆ FOTO/ Statul Qatar a donat un lot de asistență medicală instituțiilor medicale din R. Moldova
▼ + stars: | 2021-06-08 | by ( Buzdugan Loredana | ) www.zdg.md time to read: +1 min

Reprezentanții Ministerului Sănătății, Muncii și Protecției Sociale (MSMPS) anunță marți, 8 iunie, că R. Moldova a recepționat din partea Statului Qatar un lot de echipamente medicale pentru monitorizarea, diagnosticul și tratamentul pacienților cu COVID-19. Foto: msmps.gov.mdFoto: msmps.gov.mdFoto: msmps.gov.mdÎn discursul său, secretaruI de stat al Ministerului Sănătății, Muncii și Protecției Sociale, Igor Curov și-a exprimat recunoștința pentru suportull oferit sistemului de sănătate din țară. „În numele sistemului medical, aduc mulțumiri Guvernului Statului Qatar pentru acest gest de solidaritate și susținere, orientat spre consolidarea capacităților sistemului medical din Republica Moldova. „Ajutorul umanitar oferit astăzi simbolizează prietenia și sprijinul reciproc dintre Statul Qatar și Republica Moldova. Prin acest gest, sperăm să consolidăm relațiile de colaborare dintre cele două țări și împreună să depășim această criză provocată de pandemia COVID-19”, a declarat oficialul Statului Qatar în Republica Moldova, Hamad Rashid Al-Athba.

Persons: Igor Curov, Hamad Rashid Al Organizations: Ministerului Sănătății, Muncii, Protecției Sociale Locations: Moldova, Qatar, Republica Moldova, Statul Qatar

☆ Un nou lot de asistență umanitară pentru tratamentul pacienților cu Covid-19, oferit Republicii Moldova, de către Statul Qatar
▼ + stars: | 2021-06-08 | by ( Publika.Md - Aici Sunt Știrile | ) www.publika.md time to read: +1 min

Un lot de echipamente medicale pentru monitorizarea, diagnosticul și tratamentul pacienților cu Covid-19 a fost oferit Republicii Moldova, de către Statul Qatar. Evenimentul de transmitere a ajutorului umanitar a avut loc astăzi, în prezența mai multor oficiali și reprezentanți ai ambasadei Statului Qatar. Aceste echipamente medicale vor fi utilizate pentru pacienții aflați în stare critică cu COVID-19, dar și cu alte patologii”. La rândul său, Însărcinatul cu Afaceri al Ambasadei Statului Qatar în Republica Moldova, Hamad Rashid Al-Athba, a menționat:”Ajutorul umanitar oferit astăzi simbolizează prietenia și sprijinul reciproc dintre Statul Qatar și Republica Moldova. Anul trecut, Statul Qatar a mai oferit un lot de ajutor umanitar sub formă de echipamente de protecție personală (măști, mănuși, combinezoane de protecție, ochelari de protecție și viziere) pentru lucrătorii medicali din Republica Moldova, aflați în primă linie în lupta cu COVID-19.

Persons: Igor Curov, Hamad Rashid Al - Organizations: Evenimentul, Statului, Ministerului Sănătății, Muncii, Protecției Sociale Locations: Republicii Moldova, Statul Qatar, Statului Qatar, Qatar, Republica Moldova

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