Saudi Arabia’s King Salman criticised Donald Trump’s decision to transfer the US embassy to Jerusalem as leaders of the Arab world met in the Kingdom for an annual summit.
Seventeen Arab leaders, minus Syrian President Bashar Al Assad, gathered in the eastern Saudi city of Dhahran as world powers face off over Syria and tensions rise between Riyadh and Tehran.
Opening the 29th Arab League Summit, King Salman said terrorism was the biggest challenge facing Arab leaders and avoided mention of Syria as the meeting opened a day after US-led airstrikes on suspected chemical weapons targets in the country.
King Salman instead focused on Iran and Palestine. He condemned the US plan to move its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, sparking anger among the Palestinians and the Arab world, who see the city as the capital of their future state.
He said that the Kingdom will donate $150 million to maintain Islamic heritage in East Jerusalem and called the meeting the “Jerusalem Summit”.
"I name this summit in Dhahran the Jerusalem summit so that the entire world knows Palestine and its people remain at the heart of Arab concerns," he said, adding that "East Jerusalem is an integral part of the Palestinian territories."
Arab leaders also voiced their unwavering support and unity for Palestinians in their opening remarks.
Islamic holy sites in the city, including the revered Al Aqsa mosque are administered by a Jordanian-run trust known as the Waqf.
King Salman also announced a $50 million donation to UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees.
The organisation provides aid to more than three million people but is facing serious financial difficulties after Washington announced it was cutting its funds.
In mid-March, UNRWA said it did not have the necessary funds to continue running until the summer.
The strongest criticism of the Trump administration came from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who slammed US decisions on Jerusalem and its decision to withhold millions of dollars to the UN agency that provides health care, education and social services to an estimated five million Palestinians.
Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit criticised the lack of consensus among Arab states on matters of regional security, adding that "joint action is necessary in fighting these crises".
"The crises burning in some corners of the Arab world today... cast a shadow over the safety and security over the entire region," Mr Aboul-Gheit said. "These take a toll on the national security of all of us."
The King also denounced Iran’s “blatant interference” in Arab affairs as the Kingdom is pushing for a tough and unified stance against Tehran. He told Arab leaders that Iran was to blame for instability and meddling in the region.
“We renew our strong condemnation of Iran's terrorist acts in the Arab region and reject its blatant interference in the affairs of Arab countries," he said.
The King said Houthi rebels, backed by Iran, had fired 116 missiles at the kingdom since Saudi Arabia went to war in Yemen three years ago to try to roll back Houthi gains there.
The summit comes as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt are locked off in a months-long diplomatic dispute with Qatar accusing it of supporting terrorism. Doha denies the charges.
Qatar was not represented by a senior official at the summit, instead its delegation was headed by Doha's permanent representative to the Arab League, Saif bin Muqaddam Al Buainain. Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani headed Qatar's delegation at last year's Arab summit in Jordan.
Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al Jubeir said on Thursday that Qatar’s crisis would not be on the table at the Arab League summit, Al Arabiya reported.
Most of the 22 other countries are represented by heads of state or government.
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Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
Five films to watch
Castle in the Sky (1986)
Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
Only Yesterday (1991)
Pom Poki (1994)
The Tale of Princess Kaguya (2013)
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.
Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE results
Lost to Oman by eight runs
Beat Namibia by three wickets
Lost to Oman by 12 runs
Beat Namibia by 43 runs
UAE fixtures
Free admission. All fixtures broadcast live on icc.tv
Tuesday March 15, v PNG at Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Friday March 18, v Nepal at Dubai International Stadium
Saturday March 19, v PNG at Dubai International Stadium
Monday March 21, v Nepal at Dubai International Stadium
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BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
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