President Sheikh Mohamed welcomed a GCC delegation to a four-day brainstorming session in the UAE capital to enhance co-operation and share expertise in the fight against drugs.
At Qasr Al Bahr in Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohamed met GCC Secretary General Jasem Albudaiwi and heads of delegations participating in the workshop.
Titled Preparing the GCC Strategy for Combating Drugs (2025-2028), the four-day workshop will run until September 19. It is being led by Sheikh Saif bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, and hosted by the Ministry of Interior. It is organised by the General Secretariat of the GCC, in collaboration with the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, state news agency Wam reported.
Sheikh Mohamed reaffirmed that joint Gulf efforts, across all fields including security, are key to protecting the interests of GCC countries.
He wished the participants success in outlining crucial strategies to address the risks in tackling drugs.
In attendance at Qasr Al Bahr were Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed, Ruler's Representative in Al Dhafra Region, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Co-existence, and other senior officials, UAE citizens and guests.
A unified model
The workshop will bring together key sectors involved in the fight against drugs, including representatives from ministries of Interior, Justice, Health, Education, Social Affairs, and Information, as well as news agencies, customs and ports authorities, the Criminal Information Centre for Combating Drugs, and representatives from the Money Laundering Committee, Border Guards, and Coast Guards of the GCC states.
The workshop will explore ways to bolster global efforts in drug prevention and control, and focus on sharing scientific knowledge and practical expertise, analysing drug market trends, and developing strategies to combat these issues.
It will aim to develop a pioneering, unified Gulf model that adopts best practices in combating drugs and create a cohesive strategy for the GCC states, aligned with UN standards.
Water waste
In the UAE’s arid climate, small shrubs, bushes and flower beds usually require about six litres of water per square metre, daily. That increases to 12 litres per square metre a day for small trees, and 300 litres for palm trees.
Horticulturists suggest the best time for watering is before 8am or after 6pm, when water won't be dried up by the sun.
A global report published by the Water Resources Institute in August, ranked the UAE 10th out of 164 nations where water supplies are most stretched.
The Emirates is the world’s third largest per capita water consumer after the US and Canada.
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
Despacito's dominance in numbers
Released: 2017
Peak chart position: No.1 in more than 47 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Lebanon
Views: 5.3 billion on YouTube
Sales: With 10 million downloads in the US, Despacito became the first Latin single to receive Diamond sales certification
Streams: 1.3 billion combined audio and video by the end of 2017, making it the biggest digital hit of the year.
Awards: 17, including Record of the Year at last year’s prestigious Latin Grammy Awards, as well as five Billboard Music Awards
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
The specs: 2018 Bentley Bentayga V8
Price, base: Dh853,226
Engine: 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 550hp @ 6,000pm
Torque: 770Nm @ 1,960rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 11.4L / 100km
Representing%20UAE%20overseas
%3Cp%3E%0DIf%20Catherine%20Richards%20debuts%20for%20Wales%20in%20the%20Six%20Nations%2C%20she%20will%20be%20the%20latest%20to%20have%20made%20it%20from%20the%20UAE%20to%20the%20top%20tier%20of%20the%20international%20game%20in%20the%20oval%20ball%20codes.%0D%3Cbr%3E%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESeren%20Gough-Walters%20(Wales%20rugby%20league)%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EBorn%20in%20Dubai%2C%20raised%20in%20Sharjah%2C%20and%20once%20an%20immigration%20officer%20at%20the%20British%20Embassy%20in%20Abu%20Dhabi%2C%20she%20debuted%20for%20Wales%20in%20rugby%20league%20in%202021.%0D%3Cbr%3E%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESophie%20Shams%20(England%20sevens)%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EWith%20an%20Emirati%20father%20and%20English%20mother%2C%20Shams%20excelled%20at%20rugby%20at%20school%20in%20Dubai%2C%20and%20went%20on%20to%20represent%20England%20on%20the%20sevens%20circuit.%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFiona%20Reidy%20(Ireland)%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EMade%20her%20Test%20rugby%20bow%20for%20Ireland%20against%20England%20in%202015%2C%20having%20played%20for%20four%20years%20in%20the%20capital%20with%20Abu%20Dhabi%20Harlequins%20previously.%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
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Members of Syria's Alawite minority community face threat in their heartland after one of the deadliest days in country’s recent history. Read more
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
My Country: A Syrian Memoir
Kassem Eid, Bloomsbury
The Brutalist
Director: Brady Corbet
Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
Rating: 3.5/5
