United Nations // UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon met Saudi Arabia’s deputy crown prince Mohammed bin Salman on Wednesday for talks that touched on the row between the UN and Riyadh over the deaths of hundreds of children in Yemen.
The meeting, hosted by Mr Ban at UN headquarters in New York was low-key, and neither he nor the Saudi prince revealed any details of their discussion.
Prince Salman is the son of Saudi king and the kingdom’s defence minister. He also has been the driving force behind economic reform and a more proactive Saudi foreign policy.
The UN said the two men had discussed “putting into place concrete measures that could improve the situation on the ground” in Yemen, notably with respect to protecting children and civilians affected by the conflict.
Relations have been shaky after the UN briefly blacklisted the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen following reports which said it was responsible for 60 per cent of the 785 children killed in the country last year. The blacklisting infuriated Riyadh, and the UN removed the coalition from the list pending a fact review.
Mr Ban will formally present the report on children and armed conflict to the UN Security Council in August.
During Wednesday’s meeting with the Prince Salman, he “expressed the hope that ... he could point to progress on the protection of children and civilians in Yemen” by that time.
Mr Ban’s office said he “remains open to receiving any new elements from Saudi Arabia and hoped that discussions would take place soon”.
The Arab coalition is supporting the Yemeni government in its fight against the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, primarily through air strikes that began in March 2015.
The Saudi government has requested that the UN send a team of experts to the coalition headquarters in Riyadh to jointly review the report and for the UN to provide details on its sources and methods. The world body has not yet responded.
Mr Ban and Prince Salman also discussed the situation in Syria, Libya, Lebanon and the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, the UN said.
The secretary-general is due in the Middle East next week to meet Israeli and Palestinian leaders, and also to discuss Yemen during a stop in Kuwait.
* Agence France-Presse
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What is Folia?
Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal's new plant-based menu will launch at Four Seasons hotels in Dubai this November. A desire to cater to people looking for clean, healthy meals beyond green salad is what inspired Prince Khaled and American celebrity chef Matthew Kenney to create Folia. The word means "from the leaves" in Latin, and the exclusive menu offers fine plant-based cuisine across Four Seasons properties in Los Angeles, Bahrain and, soon, Dubai.
Kenney specialises in vegan cuisine and is the founder of Plant Food Wine and 20 other restaurants worldwide. "I’ve always appreciated Matthew’s work," says the Saudi royal. "He has a singular culinary talent and his approach to plant-based dining is prescient and unrivalled. I was a fan of his long before we established our professional relationship."
Folia first launched at The Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills in July 2018. It is available at the poolside Cabana Restaurant and for in-room dining across the property, as well as in its private event space. The food is vibrant and colourful, full of fresh dishes such as the hearts of palm ceviche with California fruit, vegetables and edible flowers; green hearb tacos filled with roasted squash and king oyster barbacoa; and a savoury coconut cream pie with macadamia crust.
In March 2019, the Folia menu reached Gulf shores, as it was introduced at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, where it is served at the Bay View Lounge. Next, on Tuesday, November 1 – also known as World Vegan Day – it will come to the UAE, to the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach and the Four Seasons DIFC, both properties Prince Khaled has spent "considerable time at and love".
There are also plans to take Folia to several more locations throughout the Middle East and Europe.
While health-conscious diners will be attracted to the concept, Prince Khaled is careful to stress Folia is "not meant for a specific subset of customers. It is meant for everyone who wants a culinary experience without the negative impact that eating out so often comes with."
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Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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.
The biog
Born: Kuwait in 1986
Family: She is the youngest of seven siblings
Time in the UAE: 10 years
Hobbies: audiobooks and fitness: she works out every day, enjoying kickboxing and basketball
