Over 5.6 million people have fled Syria since 2011, with a further 6.6 million internally displaced, according to UNHCR numbers. AFP / BULENT KILIC
Over 5.6 million people have fled Syria since 2011, with a further 6.6 million internally displaced, according to UNHCR numbers. AFP / BULENT KILIC

Refugees in the Middle East can contribute to the economy



The fractured geo-political landscape of the Middle East and North Africa region has witnessed major conflicts and violence over the past decades. During the 1946–2015 period, 12 out of 59 conflict episodes in the MENA region lasted more than eight years, and in about half of these episodes the ensuing peace lasted less than 10 years, according to the 2016 International Monetary Fund paper. It has been a traumatic seven years and counting since the Syrian civil war began: over 5.6 million people have fled Syria since 2011, with a further 6.6 million internally displaced, according to UNHCR numbers. In Yemen, some 8 million people are on the brink of famine, not to mention facing the worst recorded cholera epidemic in history. As we near the end of Ramadan, the month of fasting and undertaking of good deeds (thawab), it behooves us to introspect, reflect on and commiserate with the suffering of refugees and the displaced, understand the economic and social implications of ongoing conflicts for the countries in turmoil and their neighbours, and find ways to support their stabilisation and recovery.

The escalation of conflicts since 2011 has resulted in a heightened incidence of terrorism, in addition to the humanitarian costs, deaths, displacement of populations, destruction of capital and dramatic reduction of gross domestic product. The World Bank estimates that disruptions to economic organisation were about 20 times costlier than capital destruction in the first six years of the Syrian conflict: think of the breakdown of law and order, reduced connectivity, higher transportation costs, and disruptions in supply chains and networks. It will take years, if not decades, for the war-torn nations of Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Libya, Sudan and others to return to their pre-crisis state.

Syrian refugees are scattered across the globe, but the majority seek safety in neighbouring countries, namely Turkey (3.6 million), Lebanon (986,000), Jordan (666,000), Iraq (250,000) and Egypt (129,000). In addition to the recorded refugees, there are countless millions internally and externally displaced. Spillovers from the conflicts extend to the neighbouring nations that accept the refugees: decline in output, strain on physical infrastructure, pressure on government budgets, spikes in inflation, higher current account deficits, in addition to increased poverty and social, economic and political tensions from a large influx of refugees and the displaced. Refugees and the displaced put a strain on limited domestic resources, including health, education, water, electricity and transport systems; not to mention their inability to adequately police the refugee camps or integrate the refugees living outside the camps in urban areas. The crisis is unsustainable and needs to be addressed.

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What can be done to support the refugees?

First and foremost, humanitarian aid or financial support. For example, the UN has received less than one-third of the funding it needs to support Syria’s 5.6 million refugees, let alone the displaced. The support should be directed towards food security, core health needs, and lifting those living way below the extreme poverty line: the annual Vulnerability Assessment of Syrian Refugees in Lebanon reveals that 58 per cent of households live in extreme poverty – on less than $2.87 per person per day and that food insecurity affects around 91 per cent of households to some degree.

Two, use modern technologies as an integral component of support to refugees and the displaced. A major issue facing refugees is the loss of ‘identity’ (including loss of identification papers) and community when they are displaced. Refugees can easily spend a third of their meagre disposable income on staying connected – be it for connecting with their family and friends, to contacting people-smugglers.

We should develop and implement an “e-refugee” concept. The United Nations should provide a secure electronic identity to refugees and the displaced using Blockchain technologies. The e-refugee identity would permit the delivery of aid using biometric data (iris scans, fingerprints) to avoid potential fraudsters, grant access to the financial system allowing financial inclusion, allow refugees to earn income by providing digital services (e-commerce, e-services), as well as enable connectivity with family, friends and community. Access to the internet and refugee dedicated networks would also support education through digital classrooms, as well as access to health and medical care online. The e-refugee identity would be particularly helpful for women who face discrimination by enabling them to provide services and gain an independent source of income. The e-refugee identity would also enable greater mobility for refugees who are typically severely restricted in their ability to move.

Three, refugees and the displaced should be formally integrated into local labour forces. This would allow them to earn income, become productive and pay taxes reducing the burden on host countries, local communities as well as aid agencies and organisations. The alternative is that a whole generation is unemployed, cannot build their human capital and will suffer a lifetime of deprivation and poverty.  Extremism, violence and Daeshism are likely to resonate to the unemployed, marginalised, disenfranchised youth, particularly young men.  Allowing refugees and the displaced to work would also allow them to build the skills and knowledge they would need to support in the reconstruction of their own countries post-conflict. Jordan provides a good example: in February 2016, the government announced that it would provide 200,000 jobs over five years for Syrian refugees. Jordan’s Labour Ministry has issued over 87,000 work permits for Syrian refugees in Jordan since 2016 (as of February 2018).

Four, rebuilding and re-developing the countries destroyed by war and violence (Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Libya, and Sudan) provides an investment opportunity in excess of $1.3 trillion and rising. The international community and countries of the region should rally together for the reconstruction of the war-torn countries: this would be a growth-lifting, job-creating strategy for the region and internationally. Integrating their rebuilt infrastructure into neighbouring countries would reduce costs, increase efficiency and result in economies of scale. The building blocks for this cooperative effort would be a regional security agreement and the setting up of an Arab Bank for Reconstruction and Development funded and led by the GCC, with participation by the European Union, China, Japan, the US, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and international financial institutions.

Nasser Saidi is the former chief economist of DIFC and has served as Lebanon’s economy minister

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo

Power: 268hp at 5,600rpm

Torque: 380Nm at 4,800rpm

Transmission: CVT auto

Fuel consumption: 9.5L/100km

On sale: now

Price: from Dh195,000 

Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Fasset%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2019%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Mohammad%20Raafi%20Hossain%2C%20Daniel%20Ahmed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%242.45%20million%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2086%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Pre-series%20B%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Investcorp%2C%20Liberty%20City%20Ventures%2C%20Fatima%20Gobi%20Ventures%2C%20Primal%20Capital%2C%20Wealthwell%20Ventures%2C%20FHS%20Capital%2C%20VN2%20Capital%2C%20local%20family%20offices%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Thank You for Banking with Us

Director: Laila Abbas

Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum

Rating: 4/5

Tree of Hell

Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla

Director: Raed Zeno

Rating: 4/5

A%20QUIET%20PLACE
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UAE rugby in numbers

5 - Year sponsorship deal between Hesco and Jebel Ali Dragons

700 - Dubai Hurricanes had more than 700 playing members last season between their mini and youth, men's and women's teams

Dh600,000 - Dubai Exiles' budget for pitch and court hire next season, for their rugby, netball and cricket teams

Dh1.8m - Dubai Hurricanes' overall budget for next season

Dh2.8m - Dubai Exiles’ overall budget for next season

How to protect yourself when air quality drops

Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

Wear a face mask.

Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.

COMPANY PROFILE

Company: Bidzi

● Started: 2024

● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid

● Based: Dubai, UAE

● Industry: M&A

● Funding size: Bootstrapped

● No of employees: Nine

If you go

Flying

Despite the extreme distance, flying to Fairbanks is relatively simple, requiring just one transfer in Seattle, which can be reached directly from Dubai with Emirates for Dh6,800 return.

 

Touring

Gondwana Ecotours’ seven-day Polar Bear Adventure starts in Fairbanks in central Alaska before visiting Kaktovik and Utqiarvik on the North Slope. Polar bear viewing is highly likely in Kaktovik, with up to five two-hour boat tours included. Prices start from Dh11,500 per person, with all local flights, meals and accommodation included; gondwanaecotours.com 

Where can I submit a sample?

Volunteers can now submit DNA samples at a number of centres across Abu Dhabi. The programme is open to all ages.

Collection centres in Abu Dhabi include:

  • Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC)
  • Biogenix Labs in Masdar City
  • Al Towayya in Al Ain
  • NMC Royal Hospital in Khalifa City
  • Bareen International Hospital
  • NMC Specialty Hospital, Al Ain
  • NMC Royal Medical Centre - Abu Dhabi
  • NMC Royal Women’s Hospital.
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)

Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits

Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine

Storage: 128/256/512GB

Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4

Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps

Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID

Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight

In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter

Price: From Dh2,099

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6

Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher:  Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5

COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Revibe%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202022%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Hamza%20Iraqui%20and%20Abdessamad%20Ben%20Zakour%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20UAE%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Refurbished%20electronics%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20raised%20so%20far%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2410m%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFlat6Labs%2C%20Resonance%20and%20various%20others%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Omar Yabroudi's factfile

Born: October 20, 1989, Sharjah

Education: Bachelor of Science and Football, Liverpool John Moores University

2010: Accrington Stanley FC, internship

2010-2012: Crystal Palace, performance analyst with U-18 academy

2012-2015: Barnet FC, first-team performance analyst/head of recruitment

2015-2017: Nottingham Forest, head of recruitment

2018-present: Crystal Palace, player recruitment manager

 

 

 

 

Know your camel milk:
Flavour: Similar to goat’s milk, although less pungent. Vaguely sweet with a subtle, salty aftertaste.
Texture: Smooth and creamy, with a slightly thinner consistency than cow’s milk.
Use it: In your morning coffee, to add flavour to homemade ice cream and milk-heavy desserts, smoothies, spiced camel-milk hot chocolate.
Goes well with: chocolate and caramel, saffron, cardamom and cloves. Also works well with honey and dates.

RESULT

Uruguay 3 Russia 0
Uruguay:
 Suárez (10'), Cheryshev (23' og), Cavani (90')
Russia: Smolnikov (Red card: 36')

Man of the match: Diego Godin (Uruguay)

Jigra
Director: Vasan Bala
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
Rated: 3.5/5

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