The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has launched an investigation into the Kerala smuggling case to find out who was trying to smuggle gold to India under its consulate's name in the southern state and had sent the cargo addressed to it.

According to local authorities, Sarith Kumar, a former PRO at the consulate and one Swapna Suresh, working with Kerala govt IT Company were involved in the gold smuggling racket.&nbsp;A major political row has broken in Kerala after customs seized the diplomatic baggage containing gold worth crores a few days ago.&nbsp;

A statement by the UAE mission in Delhi said, "The authorities have stressed that the culprits who not only committed a major crime but also sought to tarnish the reputation of the UAE mission in India will not be spared. We remain committed to cooperating with Indian authorities in getting to the root of the crime."

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/kerala-gold-smuggling-ias-officer-m-sivasankar-removed-from-it-secretary-post-311388" hreflang="en">Kerala gold smuggling: IAS officer M Sivasankar removed from IT secretary post</a>

The mission pointed out that the, "employee in question was fired for misconduct long preceding this incident. At this time, it appears that this individual exploited his knowledge of the mission’s channels to engage in criminal activity."

The UAE Embassy has also "utterly condemned&nbsp;the attempted misuse of diplomatic channels by an individual engaged in smuggling activity".

Swapna Suresh&nbsp;was working as a manager at the Kerala State Information technology infrastructure limited company and was hired by IAS official M Sivasankar. Sivasankar, principal secretary to Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan has been now removed and has been replaced by Mir Muhammad Ali. The opposition in the state is now seeking a wider probe into the matter.&nbsp;

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has launched an investigation into the Kerala smuggling case to find out who was trying to smuggle gold to India under its consulate's name in the southern state and had sent the cargo addressed to it.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has launched an investigation into the Kerala smuggling case to find out who was trying to smuggle gold to India under its consulate's name in the southern state and had sent the cargo addressed to it. According to local authorities, Sarith Kumar, a former PRO at the consulate and one Swapna Suresh, working with Kerala govt IT Company were involved in the gold smuggling racket. A major political row has broken in Kerala after customs seized the diplomatic baggage containing gold worth crores a few days ago. A statement by the UAE mission in Delhi said, "The authorities have stressed that the culprits who not only committed a major crime but also sought to tarnish the reputation of the UAE mission in India will not be spared. We remain committed to cooperating with Indian authorities in getting to the root of the crime." Also read: Kerala gold smuggling: IAS officer M Sivasankar removed from IT secretary post The mission pointed out that the, "employee in question was fired for misconduct long preceding this incident. At this time, it appears that this individual exploited his knowledge of the mission’s channels to engage in criminal activity." The UAE Embassy has also "utterly condemned the attempted misuse of diplomatic channels by an individual engaged in smuggling activity". Swapna Suresh was working as a manager at the Kerala State Information technology infrastructure limited company and was hired by IAS official M Sivasankar. Sivasankar, principal secretary to Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan has been now removed and has been replaced by Mir Muhammad Ali. The opposition in the state is now seeking a wider probe into the matter.

Kerala smuggling case: UAE launches investigation; says culprits won't be spared

The non-oil private sector of the United Arab Emirates grew in June for the first time this year. With this, the economy has recovered from months of contraction as the COVID-19 restrictions were lifted. Watch report.

UAE's non-oil trade recovers: Private sector jumps back to growth

The prayer room at the Sikh temple of Guru Nanak Darbar in Dubai stands empty and its floors are covered in plastic, as the venue makes a few adjustments while preparing to welcome worshippers back in.

Sikh temple Guru Nanak Darbar preparing to reopen

An Indian businessman and his wife were brutally murdered by a Pakistani man inside their villa in Dubai during a break-in and robbery bid, according to a media report.

Hiren Adhiya and Vidhi Adhiya, both in their 40s, were killed inside their villa at the Arabian Ranches.

Dubai Police arrested the Pakistani man in less than 24 hours, Gulf News reported on Tuesday.

Brigadier Jamal Al Jallaf, Director of Criminal Investigation Department at Dubai Police, said the daughter of the couple called the Dubai Police command room to report the incident.

"Patrols and forensic experts went to the two-floor villa. The father who worked as an executive manager at a company and his wife were killed. They are survived by their two daughters aged 18 and 13," the newspaper quoted Brig Al Jallaf said.

Indian Consul General in Dubai has identified the couple.

The police said the suspect broke into the villa on June 18 while the family was sleeping. He took a wallet containing Dh 2,000 (Rs 41,229) and went into the bedroom searching for more valuables.

"When the man woke up, the attacker stabbed him. The wife also woke up and the suspect stabbed her. He kept stabbing them until they died. When their 18-year-old daughter woke up and saw her parents in a pool of blood, the attacker stabbed her in the neck and escaped," Brig Al Jalaf added.

The daughter sustained minor injuries and she managed to call Dubai Police.

Officers found the knife one kilometre away from the villa and identified the suspect who was staying in another emirate.

Colonel Adil Al Joker, the assistant of the director of the Criminal Investigation Department at Dubai Police, said that the suspect admitted to the crime and that he planned to break into the villa.

"He claimed that he used to do maintenance work in the villa over a year ago and had seen a large amount of money on the table, which was what lured him to break into the villa. He bought the knife on the day of the crime," Col Al Joker said.

Consul General Vipul told Gulf News, "The incident is very unfortunate and the consulate is in touch with friends of the couple."

He said some jewellery had also been stolen from the villa but it has been recovered.

Vipul said the couple ran their own business with an office in Sharjah.

An Indian businessman and his wife were brutally murdered by a Pakistani man inside their villa in Dubai during a break-in and robbery bid, according to a media report.

An Indian businessman and his wife were brutally murdered by a Pakistani man inside their villa in Dubai during a break-in and robbery bid, according to a media report. Hiren Adhiya and Vidhi Adhiya, both in their 40s, were killed inside their villa at the Arabian Ranches. Dubai Police arrested the Pakistani man in less than 24 hours, Gulf News reported on Tuesday. Brigadier Jamal Al Jallaf, Director of Criminal Investigation Department at Dubai Police, said the daughter of the couple called the Dubai Police command room to report the incident. "Patrols and forensic experts went to the two-floor villa. The father who worked as an executive manager at a company and his wife were killed. They are survived by their two daughters aged 18 and 13," the newspaper quoted Brig Al Jallaf said. Indian Consul General in Dubai has identified the couple. The police said the suspect broke into the villa on June 18 while the family was sleeping. He took a wallet containing Dh 2,000 (Rs 41,229) and went into the bedroom searching for more valuables. "When the man woke up, the attacker stabbed him. The wife also woke up and the suspect stabbed her. He kept stabbing them until they died. When their 18-year-old daughter woke up and saw her parents in a pool of blood, the attacker stabbed her in the neck and escaped," Brig Al Jalaf added. The daughter sustained minor injuries and she managed to call Dubai Police. Officers found the knife one kilometre away from the villa and identified the suspect who was staying in another emirate. Colonel Adil Al Joker, the assistant of the director of the Criminal Investigation Department at Dubai Police, said that the suspect admitted to the crime and that he planned to break into the villa. "He claimed that he used to do maintenance work in the villa over a year ago and had seen a large amount of money on the table, which was what lured him to break into the villa. He bought the knife on the day of the crime," Col Al Joker said. Consul General Vipul told Gulf News, "The incident is very unfortunate and the consulate is in touch with friends of the couple." He said some jewellery had also been stolen from the villa but it has been recovered. Vipul said the couple ran their own business with an office in Sharjah.

Pakistani man kills Indian couple, stabs daughter in robbery bid in Dubai

Science has the beauty to bring innovations that one has not imagined so far and in an interesting development, two UAE-based architects are looking at possibilities to build structures using cement made by salt.&nbsp;

Wael Al Awar and Kenichi Teramoto, main architects at waiwai, took guidance from universities in the UAE and Japan to create cement using brine generated by the UAE's desalination plants.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/uae-airlines-operating-charter-flights-for-repatriation-of-stranded-indians-306497">UAE airlines operating charter flights for repatriation of stranded Indians</a>

The architects got insipred by country's mineral-rich sabkha, salt flats that exist&nbsp;in wetlands.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science-technology/uae-prepares-for-first-arab-space-mission-to-mars-304386">UAE prepares for first Arab space mission to Mars</a>

"It a huge area ... that's often overlooked," Al Awar said, reported CNN.&nbsp;

Centuries ago, Sabhka was used, where blocks were hewn from salt flats and used to establish Siwa, a medieval town in Egypt near the Libyan border.&nbsp;

However, Wael and Kenichi used waste brine, which contains most of its minerals.&nbsp;

Al Awar said their magnesium-based cement can be "equivalent of Portland cement", which uses calcium carbonate as a raw material and is the most commonly used cement in manufacturing concrete.&nbsp;

Highlighting its limitations, Al Awar said that since this cement is made from salt, it can corrode steel reinforcement. &nbsp;

Science has the beauty to bring innovations that one has not imagined so far and in an interesting development, two UAE-based architects are looking at possibilities to build structures using cement made by salt.

Science has the beauty to bring innovations that one has not imagined so far and in an interesting development, two UAE-based architects are looking at possibilities to build structures using cement made by salt. Wael Al Awar and Kenichi Teramoto, main architects at waiwai, took guidance from universities in the UAE and Japan to create cement using brine generated by the UAE's desalination plants. Also read | UAE airlines operating charter flights for repatriation of stranded Indians The architects got insipred by country's mineral-rich sabkha, salt flats that exist in wetlands. Also read | UAE prepares for first Arab space mission to Mars "It a huge area ... that's often overlooked," Al Awar said, reported CNN. Centuries ago, Sabhka was used, where blocks were hewn from salt flats and used to establish Siwa, a medieval town in Egypt near the Libyan border. However, Wael and Kenichi used waste brine, which contains most of its minerals. Al Awar said their magnesium-based cement can be "equivalent of Portland cement", which uses calcium carbonate as a raw material and is the most commonly used cement in manufacturing concrete. Highlighting its limitations, Al Awar said that since this cement is made from salt, it can corrode steel reinforcement.

UAE: Architects use salt to create cement

Major UAE airlines are operating charter flights on behalf of companies and community groups for the repatriation

Of Indians stranded in the Gulf country due to the travel restrictions imposed in view of the coronavirus pandemic.

Several companies and community groups have chartered repatriation flights with the UAE airlines, with some of them operating the first international flights to some destinations in India, the Gulf News reported.

The special repatriation flights arranged by the Indian government under the Vande Bharat Mission are operated by Air India and Air India Express while some private airlines from India will soon be joining the mission.

However, the pace of the repatriation mission, dubbed to be the largest in the history, gathered more steam after the Indian government allowed private airlines in the UAE and India to operate charter flights on behalf of companies and community groups.

India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Monday said that it granted permission to around 870 chartered flights, transporting around 200,000 passengers, both inbound and outbound.

"Several Airlines helped in the humanitarian mission of taking stranded people to their destinations," DGCA said in a series of tweets.

The list of airlines and their operations tweeted by DGCA showed that dozens of flights were operated by four major UAE airlines that took part in the chartered operations.

A total of 68 flights have been operated by FlyDubai (38), Air Arabia (20), Emirates (five) and Etihad (five), according to the DGCA.

Some community groups in the UAE said they opted for UAE budget carriers for operating charter flights for repatriation as they could avail cheaper ticket fares with them, the daily reported.

A few charter services for repatriation operated by UAE airlines created history in different ways, the daily reported.

A FlyDubai charter flight carrying employees of Al Madina Group to Kerala's Kannur International Airport received a special welcome on landing, with a water cannon salute on Saturday.

The airport arranged the water salute as it was the first among the foreign airlines and the first UAE carrier to land in the airport that became operational last December, said Afi Ahmed, owner of Dubai-based Smart Travel which facilitated the chartering of the flight.

Meanwhile, an Air Arabia charter flight that repatriated 215 Odia people to Bhubaneshwar in Odisha on Sunday hit the headlines for two reasons.

The flight chartered by Odia Society of the UAE was first international charter flight for repatriation to land in the airport and it was flown by a woman Odia pilot based in the UAE, Captain Madhusmita Patnaik, the daily said.

FlyDubai had also provided charter service to repatriate Indian prisoners who have been released after completing their sentences in Dubai and Abu Dhabi prisons during the coronavirus pandemic.

Major UAE airlines are operating charter flights on behalf of companies and community groups for the repatriation Of Indians stranded in the Gulf country due to the travel restrictions imposed in view of the coronavirus pandemic.

Major UAE airlines are operating charter flights on behalf of companies and community groups for the repatriation Of Indians stranded in the Gulf country due to the travel restrictions imposed in view of the coronavirus pandemic. Several companies and community groups have chartered repatriation flights with the UAE airlines, with some of them operating the first international flights to some destinations in India, the Gulf News reported. The special repatriation flights arranged by the Indian government under the Vande Bharat Mission are operated by Air India and Air India Express while some private airlines from India will soon be joining the mission. However, the pace of the repatriation mission, dubbed to be the largest in the history, gathered more steam after the Indian government allowed private airlines in the UAE and India to operate charter flights on behalf of companies and community groups. India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Monday said that it granted permission to around 870 chartered flights, transporting around 200,000 passengers, both inbound and outbound. "Several Airlines helped in the humanitarian mission of taking stranded people to their destinations," DGCA said in a series of tweets. The list of airlines and their operations tweeted by DGCA showed that dozens of flights were operated by four major UAE airlines that took part in the chartered operations. A total of 68 flights have been operated by FlyDubai (38), Air Arabia (20), Emirates (five) and Etihad (five), according to the DGCA. Some community groups in the UAE said they opted for UAE budget carriers for operating charter flights for repatriation as they could avail cheaper ticket fares with them, the daily reported. A few charter services for repatriation operated by UAE airlines created history in different ways, the daily reported. A FlyDubai charter flight carrying employees of Al Madina Group to Kerala's Kannur International Airport received a special welcome on landing, with a water cannon salute on Saturday. The airport arranged the water salute as it was the first among the foreign airlines and the first UAE carrier to land in the airport that became operational last December, said Afi Ahmed, owner of Dubai-based Smart Travel which facilitated the chartering of the flight. Meanwhile, an Air Arabia charter flight that repatriated 215 Odia people to Bhubaneshwar in Odisha on Sunday hit the headlines for two reasons. The flight chartered by Odia Society of the UAE was first international charter flight for repatriation to land in the airport and it was flown by a woman Odia pilot based in the UAE, Captain Madhusmita Patnaik, the daily said. FlyDubai had also provided charter service to repatriate Indian prisoners who have been released after completing their sentences in Dubai and Abu Dhabi prisons during the coronavirus pandemic.

UAE airlines operating charter flights for repatriation of stranded Indians

Europe’s headaches just got worse. Its efforts to contain wars on its doorstep in Libya and Syria have failed at a moment when&nbsp;Europe is struggling to control a pandemic and reverse its economic fallout.

Proxy wars that pit the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt against Qatar and Turkey have spilled out of Libya and Syria into the Eastern Mediterranean as a whole.

European nations, including France, Greece, and Cyprus, feel threatened by Turkey’s use of Libya to extend its grip on gas-rich regional waters in violation of international law. As a result, Middle Eastern and North African disputes are becoming European problems.

Libya’s internationally recognized Islamist Government of National Accord (GNA), backed by Turkish military might, has forced rebels led by Khalifa Haftar, who is supported by Russia, Egypt, France and the UAE to retreat in recent weeks from western Libya and fight to maintain control of key cities in the center of the country.

A statement last month by the foreign ministers of France, Greece, Cyprus, the UAE, and Egypt made their concerns clear.

The statement condemned Turkey’s "illegal activities" in the Eastern Mediterranean. It called on Turkey to “fully respect the sovereignty and the sovereign rights of all states in their maritime zones in the Eastern Mediterranean.”

Israel was conspicuously absent among the signatories even though it maintains close relations with all of them.

The Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), a prominent Israeli think tank, warned that “given that Israel’s ties with Turkey have been highly problematic and relations with Russia remain delicate, Jerusalem needs to prepare for the possibility of a continuing and even growing regional influence of both, especially in light of Washington’s continued reluctance to assume a more active diplomatic or military role.”

So does Europe, which at the European Union level has so far remained on the sidelines at its peril.

“Now that the catastrophic consequences of European inaction are evident and Haftar no longer has a chance to seize power, a (European) policy shift is both possible and indispensable,” said Libya scholar Wolfram Lacher.

“Two key goals should guide European policies: first, safeguard Libya’s unity; second, counter Russian influence in Libya as a matter of priority. The U.S. shares both goals. But Europeans will only be able to act in unison if the French position shifts away from its relative tolerance for Russia and adversarial stance towards Turkey,” Lacher suggested.&nbsp; 
 
Lacher appears to believe that countering Russia would not only help thwart the threat posed by Moscow but also prevent Turkey and Russia from carving up Libya into spheres of influence, if not separate states.

Arguing that the EU can no longer afford to stand by, Lacher advised the EU to impose sanctions on Haftar in a bid to undermine Russian support for his forces.

“In parallel, Western states should finally push their interests in a stable Libya more strongly when engaging with Haftar’s other foreign supporters, particularly Egypt and the UAE, to dissuade them from further cooperation with Russia,” Lacher said.

Underlying the UAE’s Saudi-backed determination to stymie Turkey is its assertive global campaign to confront any expression of political Islam. The UAE is aided by Egypt, whose president, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, came into power in a 2013 Emirati-backed military coup that toppled an elected Muslim Brotherhood president.

Coupled with an agreement between Turkey and the Tripoli-based GNA which extends the two countries maritime boundaries in the Eastern Mediterranean, Turkish involvement in the wars in Libya and Syria appears to have fueled Emirati efforts to suck Europe, and ultimately the United States, into its conflict with Turkey.

Greece and Italy — which was believed to be supporting the GNA prior to Turkey’s intervention — this week signed a maritime boundaries agreement to counter Turkish moves. The accord recognizes Greek territorial waters off its many islands in accordance with the international Law of the Sea. The Turkish-Libyan agreement ignores those rights for a number of Greek islands.

The UAE and its partners in the Eastern Mediterranean were expected to support the Greek-Italian accord.

The UAE is banking on the fact that Turkey’s traditional ties to its NATO allies, Europe and the US, are strained over a host of issues, including Turkey’s military intervention in Libya, the fate of millions of refugees primarily from Syria hosted by Turkey, and Turkey’s relationship with Russia and its acquisition of an S-400 Russian anti-missile defence system.

The UAE has been putting in place the building blocks for enhanced influence in the eastern Mediterranean for some time. Increasingly close ties to Israel, whose relations with Turkey are complex, constitute a cornerstone. So does UAE participation in Greek-led annual military exercises in which Israel, Cyprus, Italy, and the United States also take part.

Containing Turkey in the Eastern Mediterranean has taken on greater significance after the UAE’s hopes for a planned EastMed pipeline that would have transported natural gas from Israeli, Cypriot and Lebanese fields via Greece to Italy, were dashed.

The pipeline threatened to replace up to half of the Qatari exports to Europe with gas from the Eastern Mediterranean.

Among Qatar’s detractors, the UAE is believed to be the most resistant to finding a compromise that would end the three-year-old UAE-Saudi-led boycott of the Gulf state.

The $7 billion, 2,200-kilometre-long pipeline project was effectively put on hold because of the economic fallout of the pandemic and the collapse of energy prices.

A consortium led by France’s Total, which includes Italian oil and gas major ENI and Novatek, Russia’s second-largest gas producer, was expected to halt drilling after its first well proved to be dry.

ENI and Total have also suspended plans for six drillings off the coast of Cyprus while ExxonMobil has delayed exploration of its two wells in the area. US explorer Noble Energy together with Shell and Herzliya-based Delek Drilling is likely to follow suit in Israel’s Aphrodite field.

All of that does not seem to deter Turkey. The country’s Official Gazette announced on May 30 that state-owned oil company Turkish Petroleum had been granted 24 exploration licenses that include waters off the coast of Greek islands such as Crete and Rhodes.

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias’ warning that his country would answer what he called, "the Turkish provocation" if Turkey were to proceed would further draw Europe into the Eastern Mediterranean’s mushrooming imbroglio.

It is a development that would boost Emirati efforts to further corner Turkey internationally even if it would for now likely further dampen prospects for dealing a blow to Qatar. 
 
&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) 
&nbsp;

Europe’s headaches just got worse. Its efforts to contain wars on its doorstep in Libya and Syria have failed at a moment when Europe is struggling to control a pandemic and reverse its economic fallout.

Europe’s headaches just got worse. Its efforts to contain wars on its doorstep in Libya and Syria have failed at a moment when Europe is struggling to control a pandemic and reverse its economic fallout. Proxy wars that pit the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt against Qatar and Turkey have spilled out of Libya and Syria into the Eastern Mediterranean as a whole. European nations, including France, Greece, and Cyprus, feel threatened by Turkey’s use of Libya to extend its grip on gas-rich regional waters in violation of international law. As a result, Middle Eastern and North African disputes are becoming European problems. Libya’s internationally recognized Islamist Government of National Accord (GNA), backed by Turkish military might, has forced rebels led by Khalifa Haftar, who is supported by Russia, Egypt, France and the UAE to retreat in recent weeks from western Libya and fight to maintain control of key cities in the center of the country. A statement last month by the foreign ministers of France, Greece, Cyprus, the UAE, and Egypt made their concerns clear. The statement condemned Turkey’s "illegal activities" in the Eastern Mediterranean. It called on Turkey to “fully respect the sovereignty and the sovereign rights of all states in their maritime zones in the Eastern Mediterranean.” Israel was conspicuously absent among the signatories even though it maintains close relations with all of them. The Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), a prominent Israeli think tank, warned that “given that Israel’s ties with Turkey have been highly problematic and relations with Russia remain delicate, Jerusalem needs to prepare for the possibility of a continuing and even growing regional influence of both, especially in light of Washington’s continued reluctance to assume a more active diplomatic or military role.” So does Europe, which at the European Union level has so far remained on the sidelines at its peril. “Now that the catastrophic consequences of European inaction are evident and Haftar no longer has a chance to seize power, a (European) policy shift is both possible and indispensable,” said Libya scholar Wolfram Lacher. “Two key goals should guide European policies: first, safeguard Libya’s unity; second, counter Russian influence in Libya as a matter of priority. The U.S. shares both goals. But Europeans will only be able to act in unison if the French position shifts away from its relative tolerance for Russia and adversarial stance towards Turkey,” Lacher suggested. Lacher appears to believe that countering Russia would not only help thwart the threat posed by Moscow but also prevent Turkey and Russia from carving up Libya into spheres of influence, if not separate states. Arguing that the EU can no longer afford to stand by, Lacher advised the EU to impose sanctions on Haftar in a bid to undermine Russian support for his forces. “In parallel, Western states should finally push their interests in a stable Libya more strongly when engaging with Haftar’s other foreign supporters, particularly Egypt and the UAE, to dissuade them from further cooperation with Russia,” Lacher said. Underlying the UAE’s Saudi-backed determination to stymie Turkey is its assertive global campaign to confront any expression of political Islam. The UAE is aided by Egypt, whose president, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, came into power in a 2013 Emirati-backed military coup that toppled an elected Muslim Brotherhood president. Coupled with an agreement between Turkey and the Tripoli-based GNA which extends the two countries maritime boundaries in the Eastern Mediterranean, Turkish involvement in the wars in Libya and Syria appears to have fueled Emirati efforts to suck Europe, and ultimately the United States, into its conflict with Turkey. Greece and Italy — which was believed to be supporting the GNA prior to Turkey’s intervention — this week signed a maritime boundaries agreement to counter Turkish moves. The accord recognizes Greek territorial waters off its many islands in accordance with the international Law of the Sea. The Turkish-Libyan agreement ignores those rights for a number of Greek islands. The UAE and its partners in the Eastern Mediterranean were expected to support the Greek-Italian accord. The UAE is banking on the fact that Turkey’s traditional ties to its NATO allies, Europe and the US, are strained over a host of issues, including Turkey’s military intervention in Libya, the fate of millions of refugees primarily from Syria hosted by Turkey, and Turkey’s relationship with Russia and its acquisition of an S-400 Russian anti-missile defence system. The UAE has been putting in place the building blocks for enhanced influence in the eastern Mediterranean for some time. Increasingly close ties to Israel, whose relations with Turkey are complex, constitute a cornerstone. So does UAE participation in Greek-led annual military exercises in which Israel, Cyprus, Italy, and the United States also take part. Containing Turkey in the Eastern Mediterranean has taken on greater significance after the UAE’s hopes for a planned EastMed pipeline that would have transported natural gas from Israeli, Cypriot and Lebanese fields via Greece to Italy, were dashed. The pipeline threatened to replace up to half of the Qatari exports to Europe with gas from the Eastern Mediterranean. Among Qatar’s detractors, the UAE is believed to be the most resistant to finding a compromise that would end the three-year-old UAE-Saudi-led boycott of the Gulf state. The $7 billion, 2,200-kilometre-long pipeline project was effectively put on hold because of the economic fallout of the pandemic and the collapse of energy prices. A consortium led by France’s Total, which includes Italian oil and gas major ENI and Novatek, Russia’s second-largest gas producer, was expected to halt drilling after its first well proved to be dry. ENI and Total have also suspended plans for six drillings off the coast of Cyprus while ExxonMobil has delayed exploration of its two wells in the area. US explorer Noble Energy together with Shell and Herzliya-based Delek Drilling is likely to follow suit in Israel’s Aphrodite field. All of that does not seem to deter Turkey. The country’s Official Gazette announced on May 30 that state-owned oil company Turkish Petroleum had been granted 24 exploration licenses that include waters off the coast of Greek islands such as Crete and Rhodes. Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias’ warning that his country would answer what he called, "the Turkish provocation" if Turkey were to proceed would further draw Europe into the Eastern Mediterranean’s mushrooming imbroglio. It is a development that would boost Emirati efforts to further corner Turkey internationally even if it would for now likely further dampen prospects for dealing a blow to Qatar. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Europe caught between coronavirus and economic hardships

UAE is set to launch the first unmanned Arab space mission to Mars on July 14 from the Japanese island of Tanegashima.

The Hope Mars probe is expected to reach the planet in February next year.

“This mission is not just about the UAE it’s about the region, it’s about the Arab issue,” Omran Sharaf, the mission’s project manager said, adding, "the region is going through tough times and we do need good news and we need the youth in the region to really start looking inwards."

The mission is set to stay on Mars for a year to gather data. The project has been in the works since 2014. “Nothing about this mission has been easy, since day one the timeframe has been challenging, the budget itself has been a bit challenging," Sharaf said.

The mission powered by Japanese technology will measure the Mars atmosphere including the upper and lower atmosphere and the oxygen and hydrogen levels.

The study will aim to assess the water level on Mars. Saudi Arabia's Prince Sultan Bin Salman Al-Saud was the first Arab astronaut to go into space in a US shuttle in 1985, however, this time UAE will be sending its own mission.

Sarah Al-Amiri, the UAE’s Minister of State for Advanced Sciences said: "It allows us to start integrating and creating new opportunities for scientists within the UAE and those that are studying the natural sciences."

UAE is set to launch the first unmanned Arab space mission to Mars on July 14 from the Japanese island of Tanegashima. The Hope Mars probe is expected to reach the planet in February next year.

UAE is set to launch the first unmanned Arab space mission to Mars on July 14 from the Japanese island of Tanegashima. The Hope Mars probe is expected to reach the planet in February next year. “This mission is not just about the UAE it’s about the region, it’s about the Arab issue,” Omran Sharaf, the mission’s project manager said, adding, "the region is going through tough times and we do need good news and we need the youth in the region to really start looking inwards." The mission is set to stay on Mars for a year to gather data. The project has been in the works since 2014. “Nothing about this mission has been easy, since day one the timeframe has been challenging, the budget itself has been a bit challenging," Sharaf said. The mission powered by Japanese technology will measure the Mars atmosphere including the upper and lower atmosphere and the oxygen and hydrogen levels. The study will aim to assess the water level on Mars. Saudi Arabia's Prince Sultan Bin Salman Al-Saud was the first Arab astronaut to go into space in a US shuttle in 1985, however, this time UAE will be sending its own mission. Sarah Al-Amiri, the UAE’s Minister of State for Advanced Sciences said: "It allows us to start integrating and creating new opportunities for scientists within the UAE and those that are studying the natural sciences."

UAE prepares for first Arab space mission to Mars

Dubai is staring at an economic collapse. One of the world’s most popular tourist destinations is feeling the heat like never before. No tourists, no oil money, the pandemic has left Dubai scrambling for money.

Dubai is staring at an economic collapse. One of the world’s most popular tourist destinations is feeling the heat like never before. No tourists, no oil money, the pandemic has left Dubai scrambling for money. If nothing is done most of Dubai's businesses will shut down over the next six months. Dubai, a city of skyscrapers and artificial archipelagos, a global hub for free movement of trade, people and money, and a symposium of luxury shopping and lively nightlife - well, all that’s in the past. The pandemic has shaken the most resilient sheikdom in the United Arab Emirates. An astounding 70 per cent of the businesses in Dubai are expected to shut shop in the next six months. Dubai is one of the least oil-reliant economies in the Gulf but that’s no insulation from the ravages of the lockdown. Dubai’s fuel is hospitality, tourism, entertainment, property, and retail. One of the busiest international airports in the world with two popular airlines - Emirates and Etihad have had all operations grounded. The world’s most dominating skyscraper -- the Burj Khalifa, the Dubai Mall, Palm Jumeirah, Mall of the Emirates, and even the Dubai gold souk. All are in the pits of despair with business shut down during the lockdown. Half of Dubai’s internationally known hotels and restaurants will go out of business in the next month alone. 74 per cent of the travel and tourism businesses will down shutters, according to findings by the Dubai chamber of commerce. Businesses in the UAE are slashing salaries, sending employees on unpaid leave, and reducing staff. Dubai did allow some of its malls and businesses to reopen at around 30 per cent capacity but, there were hardly any customers. UAE is heavily-reliant on its 80 per cent expatriate population to eat out and shop. Most of these rich expatriates including Indians have left for their home country. In late March, Dubai did announce an economic package to cushion the impact. With the oil-prices remaining at lower than expected levels and, economies still scampering back to normalcy, more oil money is hard to find to boost the economy. The pandemic cannot be blamed entirely for the collapse. Dubai’s hot cake for the recent decades -- real estate is metaphorically crumbling to the ground. Residential property prices are down 30 per cent from the 2014 peak. On the commercial side, mostly of hotels and restaurants revenue per room is down 25 per cent since 2015. Last year, Dubai’s economic growth was slightly over one per cent. The worst since the global financial crisis in 2008. For all the expansionary projects undertaken in recent decades. Dubai and its vast web of state-linked industries are facing billions of dollars in looming debt repayments and for the foreseeable future there will be no oil money, no tourism, no foreign funds, no big real estate deals. A city that seemed glorious under its blinding night lights, is today struggling to stay alive. Also watch ×

Coronavirus pandemic jolts Dubai's economy

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Mosques in Saudi Arabia & the U.A.E will remain shut on Eid. Meanwhile, Oxford University is recruiting 10,000 people for a vaccine trial. WION's Executive Editor Palki Sharma Upadhyay gets you the big global developments for Friday.

Gravitas: Coronavirus: The big global developments for May 22

The sons of murdered Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi said Friday that they "forgive" the killers of their father. "We the sons of martyr Jamal Khashoggi announce we forgive and pardon those who killed our father," the Washington Post columnist's son Salah Khashoggi said on Twitter.

'Forgive those who killed our father': Sons of Saudi journalist Khashoggi

#BoycottUAE was trending in Pakistan on Tuesday because Turkey said so!&nbsp;Pakistan's&nbsp;Twitter users jumped on Turkey's bandwagon as a result the hashtag started trending.

Turkey is growing more assertive and wants to stamp its authority in Libya.&nbsp;Some Turkey-based Twitter accounts decided to slam the UAE for its growing support to Libya. Some of the more creative ones&nbsp;began highlighting the strengthening relationship between India and the UAE.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-why-was-boycottuae-trending-in-pak-300019/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The hashtag soon reached Pakistan and netizens there didn't understand the trend much. All they saw was that this trend mentioned India. So they unleashed a tweet storm.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
UAE Always been the supporter of India and Modi govt so UAE has played a vital role in genocides of muslims in India.. 
Alhamdulillah we Pakistanis are glad to have brother country like Turkey.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BoycottUAE?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BoycottUAE</a> PRAY FOR INDIAN ,KASHMIRI MUSLIM <a href="https://t.co/jZp8pvBygN">pic.twitter.com/jZp8pvBygN</a>
— Muddasir Noor (@MudasirNoor8) <a href="https://twitter.com/MudasirNoor8/status/1263132835872944128?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 20, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Turkey is boycotting UAE and we PAKISTAN are always with TURKEY ♥️<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BoycottUAE?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BoycottUAE</a> <a href="https://t.co/iu3gzAR17v">pic.twitter.com/iu3gzAR17v</a>
— CH SAAD IBRAR (@CHSAADIBRAR1) <a href="https://twitter.com/CHSAADIBRAR1/status/1263133624662200321?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 20, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Pakistan's keyboard warriors ensured that hashtag boycott UAE becomes the top trend.&nbsp;What they forgot was their government's outstanding debts to the UAE. Pakistan owes billions of dollars to the United Arab Emirates.&nbsp;

Time and again it has sought financial assistance packages from the country.&nbsp;Besides China, UAE&nbsp;has been one of the main avenues for Pakistan to seek bailouts. A fact that has now turned into a national embarrassment for Pakistan.

A series of reality checks were given by social media influencers in Pakistan.&nbsp;Reality checks about how those trending this hashtag&nbsp;would themselves will not be able to repay this debt, even if they sell their body parts.

A debt which the Pak government too will find tough to repay. No matter how many embassy buildings it sells. A couple of years back Pakistan foreign ministry officials sold their embassy buildings in Jakarta and Tokyo.

These officials received kickbacks. The National Accountability Bureau of Pakistan has now revived a corruption case against these officials.

Pakistan foreign ministry is fighting an embezzlement case within the country with even the health ministry being accused of corruption.

A health minister to be precise, Dr Zafar Mirza, the special assistant to Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan on health. The man who once smuggled 20 million masks out of Pakistan. PM Imran Khan has finally decided to curtail his authority to make financial decisions.

There has been another scam --- this time in the import of vitamin tablets. So, Dr Zafar Mirza has been instructed to send all summaries involving any financial matters to the prime minister henceforth.

But he won't be fired, Imran Khan is only adjusting corruption. Pakistan's own house is in mess.

Pakistan's keyboard warriors keep bringing to life more amounts of the mess.&nbsp;

#BoycottUAE was trending in Pakistan on Tuesday because Turkey said so! Pakistan's Twitter users jumped on Turkey's bandwagon as a result the hashtag started trending.

#BoycottUAE was trending in Pakistan on Tuesday because Turkey said so! Pakistan's Twitter users jumped on Turkey's bandwagon as a result the hashtag started trending. Turkey is growing more assertive and wants to stamp its authority in Libya. Some Turkey-based Twitter accounts decided to slam the UAE for its growing support to Libya. Some of the more creative ones began highlighting the strengthening relationship between India and the UAE. The hashtag soon reached Pakistan and netizens there didn't understand the trend much. All they saw was that this trend mentioned India. So they unleashed a tweet storm. UAE Always been the supporter of India and Modi govt so UAE has played a vital role in genocides of muslims in India.. Alhamdulillah we Pakistanis are glad to have brother country like Turkey.#BoycottUAE PRAY FOR INDIAN ,KASHMIRI MUSLIM pic.twitter.com/jZp8pvBygN — Muddasir Noor (@MudasirNoor8) May 20, 2020 × Turkey is boycotting UAE and we PAKISTAN are always with TURKEY ♥️#BoycottUAE pic.twitter.com/iu3gzAR17v — CH SAAD IBRAR (@CHSAADIBRAR1) May 20, 2020 × Pakistan's keyboard warriors ensured that hashtag boycott UAE becomes the top trend. What they forgot was their government's outstanding debts to the UAE. Pakistan owes billions of dollars to the United Arab Emirates. Time and again it has sought financial assistance packages from the country. Besides China, UAE has been one of the main avenues for Pakistan to seek bailouts. A fact that has now turned into a national embarrassment for Pakistan. A series of reality checks were given by social media influencers in Pakistan. Reality checks about how those trending this hashtag would themselves will not be able to repay this debt, even if they sell their body parts. A debt which the Pak government too will find tough to repay. No matter how many embassy buildings it sells. A couple of years back Pakistan foreign ministry officials sold their embassy buildings in Jakarta and Tokyo. These officials received kickbacks. The National Accountability Bureau of Pakistan has now revived a corruption case against these officials. Pakistan foreign ministry is fighting an embezzlement case within the country with even the health ministry being accused of corruption. A health minister to be precise, Dr Zafar Mirza, the special assistant to Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan on health. The man who once smuggled 20 million masks out of Pakistan. PM Imran Khan has finally decided to curtail his authority to make financial decisions. There has been another scam --- this time in the import of vitamin tablets. So, Dr Zafar Mirza has been instructed to send all summaries involving any financial matters to the prime minister henceforth. But he won't be fired, Imran Khan is only adjusting corruption. Pakistan's own house is in mess. Pakistan's keyboard warriors keep bringing to life more amounts of the mess.

#BoycottUAE trends in Pakistan as netizens forget country's debts to UAE

Pakistan joined Turkey's bandwagon in demanding a boycott of United Arab Emirates, but Pakistani netizens forgot about the billions of dollars Pakistan owes to the U.A.E govt. WION's Executive Editor Palki Sharma Upadhyay tells you what followed next.

Gravitas: Why was #BoycottUAE trending in Pak?

The coronavirus pandemic’s economic fallout calls into question Gulf states’ ability to fund a brewing, costly regional arms race. That, in turn, could not only reshape their geopolitical posture but also efforts to make the military a pillar of a new national identity at a time that they are forced to renegotiate outdated social contracts.

A significant drop in revenues, as a result of the collapse of oil and gas prices and vastly reduced global demand, raises the question whether countries like Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, can maintain huge military expenditures that rank them among the world’s foremost arms buyers.

Saudi and UAE expenditure was driven by a perceived need to counter Iranian advances in the development of ballistic missiles and drones as well as a potential nuclear military capability and Iranian-backed Arab proxies. Qatar joined the race more recently in response to the three-year-old, Saudi-UAE-led economic and diplomatic boycott of the Gulf state.

The expenditure positioned the military as a driver of an identity grounded in nationalism rather than religion or tribal heritage and was intended to help lay the groundwork for eventual, potentially painful, transitions to more diversified and streamlined post-oil economies.

Male conscription introduced in the UAE, Qatar and Kuwait and a Saudi decision to open volunteering for military service to women over the last decade served that purpose, as well as, government efforts to expand citizen participation in the workforce at the expense of migrant and expatriate labour, including in the armed forces.

The moves constituted a break with a past in which Arab rulers largely distrusted their militaries and employed multiple ways to shield themselves against feared military-backed attempts to remove them from power.

Saudi and Emirati rulers expected that their military intervention in Yemen and the UAE’s involvement in the Libyan war would boost the military’s prestige with quick and decisive victories.

Five years later, the ill-conceived intervention in Yemen has produced at best-mixed results. So has the more recent effort to topple the internationally recognised, Islamist Libyan Government of National Accord.

The UAE, dubbed Little Sparta by former US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis, withdrew partially from Yemen in a bid to cut its losses. UAE forces, moreover, suffered the deaths of tens of Emirati citizens, a high number for a population of only 1.4 million nationals. As a result, the UAE relies increasingly on proxies and mercenaries.

Nonetheless, the UAE may have fared better than the Saudi military whose image, at least internationally, has been severely tarnished.

Recently, the kingdom appears to implicitly acknowledge that it cannot win the Yemen war militarily. Media reports suggested that the Saudi government was cutting back on funding of the internationally recognised, largely Saudi-based Yemeni government headed by Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi.

Saudi conduct of the war has involved multiple attacks on civilian targets, devastated the country’s economic and civilian infrastructure and turned it into one of the world’s greatest humanitarian catastrophes.

Similarly, UAE-backed Libyan rebels led by self-appointed Field Marshall Khalifa Haftar have suffered a similar fate. Haftar’s promise more than a year ago to launch a blitz conquest of the Libyan capital Tripoli has not only proven to be an illusion. Turkish-backed government troops have put his rebels on the defensive.

Saudi and UAE rulers are betting that their emphasis on values associated with nationalism and armed forces such as patriotism, sacrifice, discipline, duty and concepts of heroic model citizens will reinforce public appreciation of the military despite its chequered track record. For now, that appears to be a winning bet.

Saudi Arabia has successfully garnered popular support for the armed forces and the Yemen war, despite widespread international criticism, by eulogizing patriotic sacrifices of Saudi military casualties, generously compensating families of permanently disabled or fallen soldiers and creating multiple institutions to ensure veterans’ rights. The UAE has institutionalised the honouring of military martyrs.

Ultimately, however, the Saudi and UAE military’s mixed track record raises questions about the degree to which they can be unqualified standard-bearers of new national identities.

It also begs the question whether populations in countries such as Saudi Arabia that were forced to introduce painful social spending cutbacks with no indication that elites are sharing the burden will continue to endorse massive military expenditure at a time of austerity.

If social media are anything to go by, many Saudis praise the government for ensuring the return to the kingdom of Saudi nationals abroad at the beginning of the pandemic, funding their quarantining to prevent the coronavirus from spreading, and subsidizing private-sector salaries impacted by a lockdown for up to 60 per cent.

A fair number, however, expressed concern that the middle and lower classes would shoulder the brunt of the economic fallout of the pandemic and questioned continued investment in trophies like English soccer club Newcastle United by the Public Investment Fund, the kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund. Military expenditure has so far not been called into question.

Potentially complicating issues is the fact that a majority of Emirati and Saudi casualties in Yemen hailed from less privileged emirates in the UAE and provinces in the kingdom, some of which are home to religious minorities with a history of feeling disadvantaged, As a result, it remains to be seen whether military service will ultimately narrow or broaden social gaps.

“Militarisation bolsters regime security, thereby serving national security twice over. However, rising nationalist feelings are likely to enhance regional polarization,” warned Gulf scholar Eleonora Ardemagni.

Ardemagni’s caution focused on the risk of militarisation entrenching differences among Gulf states. The question is whether militarisation’s so far successful boosting of domestic cohesion could have a flip side that in more dire circumstances polarises rather than unites. 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;

The coronavirus pandemic’s economic fallout calls into question Gulf states’ ability to fund a brewing, costly regional arms race. That, in turn, could not only reshape their geopolitical posture but also efforts to make the military a pillar of a new national identity at a time that they are forced to renegotiate outdated social contracts.

The coronavirus pandemic’s economic fallout calls into question Gulf states’ ability to fund a brewing, costly regional arms race. That, in turn, could not only reshape their geopolitical posture but also efforts to make the military a pillar of a new national identity at a time that they are forced to renegotiate outdated social contracts. A significant drop in revenues, as a result of the collapse of oil and gas prices and vastly reduced global demand, raises the question whether countries like Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, can maintain huge military expenditures that rank them among the world’s foremost arms buyers. Saudi and UAE expenditure was driven by a perceived need to counter Iranian advances in the development of ballistic missiles and drones as well as a potential nuclear military capability and Iranian-backed Arab proxies. Qatar joined the race more recently in response to the three-year-old, Saudi-UAE-led economic and diplomatic boycott of the Gulf state. The expenditure positioned the military as a driver of an identity grounded in nationalism rather than religion or tribal heritage and was intended to help lay the groundwork for eventual, potentially painful, transitions to more diversified and streamlined post-oil economies. Male conscription introduced in the UAE, Qatar and Kuwait and a Saudi decision to open volunteering for military service to women over the last decade served that purpose, as well as, government efforts to expand citizen participation in the workforce at the expense of migrant and expatriate labour, including in the armed forces. The moves constituted a break with a past in which Arab rulers largely distrusted their militaries and employed multiple ways to shield themselves against feared military-backed attempts to remove them from power. Saudi and Emirati rulers expected that their military intervention in Yemen and the UAE’s involvement in the Libyan war would boost the military’s prestige with quick and decisive victories. Five years later, the ill-conceived intervention in Yemen has produced at best-mixed results. So has the more recent effort to topple the internationally recognised, Islamist Libyan Government of National Accord. The UAE, dubbed Little Sparta by former US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis, withdrew partially from Yemen in a bid to cut its losses. UAE forces, moreover, suffered the deaths of tens of Emirati citizens, a high number for a population of only 1.4 million nationals. As a result, the UAE relies increasingly on proxies and mercenaries. Nonetheless, the UAE may have fared better than the Saudi military whose image, at least internationally, has been severely tarnished. Recently, the kingdom appears to implicitly acknowledge that it cannot win the Yemen war militarily. Media reports suggested that the Saudi government was cutting back on funding of the internationally recognised, largely Saudi-based Yemeni government headed by Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi. Saudi conduct of the war has involved multiple attacks on civilian targets, devastated the country’s economic and civilian infrastructure and turned it into one of the world’s greatest humanitarian catastrophes. Similarly, UAE-backed Libyan rebels led by self-appointed Field Marshall Khalifa Haftar have suffered a similar fate. Haftar’s promise more than a year ago to launch a blitz conquest of the Libyan capital Tripoli has not only proven to be an illusion. Turkish-backed government troops have put his rebels on the defensive. Saudi and UAE rulers are betting that their emphasis on values associated with nationalism and armed forces such as patriotism, sacrifice, discipline, duty and concepts of heroic model citizens will reinforce public appreciation of the military despite its chequered track record. For now, that appears to be a winning bet. Saudi Arabia has successfully garnered popular support for the armed forces and the Yemen war, despite widespread international criticism, by eulogizing patriotic sacrifices of Saudi military casualties, generously compensating families of permanently disabled or fallen soldiers and creating multiple institutions to ensure veterans’ rights. The UAE has institutionalised the honouring of military martyrs. Ultimately, however, the Saudi and UAE military’s mixed track record raises questions about the degree to which they can be unqualified standard-bearers of new national identities. It also begs the question whether populations in countries such as Saudi Arabia that were forced to introduce painful social spending cutbacks with no indication that elites are sharing the burden will continue to endorse massive military expenditure at a time of austerity. If social media are anything to go by, many Saudis praise the government for ensuring the return to the kingdom of Saudi nationals abroad at the beginning of the pandemic, funding their quarantining to prevent the coronavirus from spreading, and subsidizing private-sector salaries impacted by a lockdown for up to 60 per cent. A fair number, however, expressed concern that the middle and lower classes would shoulder the brunt of the economic fallout of the pandemic and questioned continued investment in trophies like English soccer club Newcastle United by the Public Investment Fund, the kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund. Military expenditure has so far not been called into question. Potentially complicating issues is the fact that a majority of Emirati and Saudi casualties in Yemen hailed from less privileged emirates in the UAE and provinces in the kingdom, some of which are home to religious minorities with a history of feeling disadvantaged, As a result, it remains to be seen whether military service will ultimately narrow or broaden social gaps. “Militarisation bolsters regime security, thereby serving national security twice over. However, rising nationalist feelings are likely to enhance regional polarization,” warned Gulf scholar Eleonora Ardemagni. Ardemagni’s caution focused on the risk of militarisation entrenching differences among Gulf states. The question is whether militarisation’s so far successful boosting of domestic cohesion could have a flip side that in more dire circumstances polarises rather than unites. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

The potential dark side of the militarisation of Gulf societies

Saudi Arabia is on a mission to cut costs & hike taxes to heal its bleeding economy. WION's Palki gets you a report on the oil-rich kingdom's 'austerity mission'.

Gravitas: How Saudi Arabia plans to heal its bleeding economy?

Police in the United Arab Emirates are deploying smart helmets that can scan the temperatures of hundreds of people a minute in the Gulf Arab state's fight against the new coronavirus.

Police deploy smart tech in fight against COVID-19

With the fate of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 hanging in balance, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) hasn’t taken any call on the future of the cash-rich tournament besides postponing it indefinitely amid the COVID-19 pandemic. With lockdown and travel restrictions in place, the Indian board has been trying to find an alternate solution in a bid to conduct IPL 2020 later in the year.&nbsp;

However, given the popularity of IPL, there aren’t any dearth of suitors as after Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), the Emirates Cricket Board has offered to host the 13th edition of the IPL in the United Arab Emirates. Interestingly, UAE had hosted 20 matches of IPL 2014 to avoid collision of dates with general elections in India. However, the BCCI is continuing to wait for things to clear up in India before taking a call, as per a report in a leading daily.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/umar-akmal-didnt-show-remorse-after-failing-to-report-corrupt-approaches-pcb-disciplinary-panel-head-297501" hreflang="en">Umar Akmal didn’t show remorse after failing to report corrupt approaches: PCB disciplinary panel head</a>

<h2>Would BCCI be open to moving IPL 2020 to a foreign land?&nbsp;</h2>

“The UAE has offered to host the IPL if we want them to. But right now when there is no international travel, there is no question of taking a call on that,” said BCCI treasurer Arun Dhumal as per the report.

Meanwhile, the BCCI is still looking to host the IPL in India should the COVID-19 pandemic gets contained. The question remains, should the coronavirus curve doesn’t flatten in coming weeks or months, would BCCI be open to moving IPL 2020 to a foreign land?&nbsp;

“The health and security of players and all participants is our priority. At the moment, the entire world travel has come to a standstill, so there is nothing we can decide at this stage,” Dhumal said.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/paralysed-iranian-artist-fateme-hamami-paints-portraits-of-cristiano-ronaldo-lionel-messi-leaves-social-media-in-awe-297488" hreflang="en">Paralysed Iranian artist Fateme Hamami paints portraits of Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi; leaves social media in awe</a>

With Sri Lanka and UAE, TV timings won’t be an issue. But if it is hosted in India, the matches, in all likelihood, will be played behind closed doors with franchise losing out revenue from gate receipts. An IPL edition just for TV will at least protect the broadcast and title right deals of the BCCI. Interestingly, when the IPL was hosted by Cricket South Africa (CSA), the board made a turnover of $11.4 million.&nbsp;

“We have discussed amongst our committee members the proposal to host the IPL in Sri Lanka. We are in lockdown till May 11. Any further decision will be taken after that,” said SLC secretary Mohan de Silva. 
&nbsp;

With the fate of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 hanging in balance, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) hasn’t taken any call on the future of the cash-rich tournament besides postponing it indefinitely amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

With the fate of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 hanging in balance, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) hasn’t taken any call on the future of the cash-rich tournament besides postponing it indefinitely amid the COVID-19 pandemic. With lockdown and travel restrictions in place, the Indian board has been trying to find an alternate solution in a bid to conduct IPL 2020 later in the year. However, given the popularity of IPL, there aren’t any dearth of suitors as after Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), the Emirates Cricket Board has offered to host the 13th edition of the IPL in the United Arab Emirates. Interestingly, UAE had hosted 20 matches of IPL 2014 to avoid collision of dates with general elections in India. However, the BCCI is continuing to wait for things to clear up in India before taking a call, as per a report in a leading daily. ALSO READ: Umar Akmal didn’t show remorse after failing to report corrupt approaches: PCB disciplinary panel head Would BCCI be open to moving IPL 2020 to a foreign land? “The UAE has offered to host the IPL if we want them to. But right now when there is no international travel, there is no question of taking a call on that,” said BCCI treasurer Arun Dhumal as per the report. Meanwhile, the BCCI is still looking to host the IPL in India should the COVID-19 pandemic gets contained. The question remains, should the coronavirus curve doesn’t flatten in coming weeks or months, would BCCI be open to moving IPL 2020 to a foreign land? “The health and security of players and all participants is our priority. At the moment, the entire world travel has come to a standstill, so there is nothing we can decide at this stage,” Dhumal said. ALSO READ: Paralysed Iranian artist Fateme Hamami paints portraits of Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi; leaves social media in awe With Sri Lanka and UAE, TV timings won’t be an issue. But if it is hosted in India, the matches, in all likelihood, will be played behind closed doors with franchise losing out revenue from gate receipts. An IPL edition just for TV will at least protect the broadcast and title right deals of the BCCI. Interestingly, when the IPL was hosted by Cricket South Africa (CSA), the board made a turnover of $11.4 million. “We have discussed amongst our committee members the proposal to host the IPL in Sri Lanka. We are in lockdown till May 11. Any further decision will be taken after that,” said SLC secretary Mohan de Silva.

UAE offers to host IPL 2020, BCCI yet to take a call

India's consul general in Dubai Vipul has said that the ongoing repatriation is going "very well and smoothly" as many flights from the city land in India. Speaking exclusively&nbsp;to our diplomatic&nbsp;correspondent Sidhant Sibal from Dubai, Vipul lauded the UAE authorities saying that have been "very helpful and cooperative." 250,000 Indians in UAE have registered for repatriation, the maximum anywhere in the world with a large number of flights originating from Dubai making the task much more complex&nbsp;in the West Asian country which hosts maximum numbers of Indians anywhere in the world.

WION: How has the repatriation going on?

Vipul: Well, the repatriation has gone on very well. So far we have sent 4 flights from Dubai, one to Calicut, two to Chennai, one to Lucknow and all the flights have been very orderly. The Dubai authorities&nbsp;along with Air India have done exceedingly well, in terms of&nbsp;ensuring a very smooth flow of passengers. Of course, all the passengers are very relieved&nbsp;to go back home now, because&nbsp;many have been stranded here for some time and we got number of passengers&nbsp;who were pregnant&nbsp;ladies, number of workers who would have lost jobs or had completed&nbsp;the assignments here. A lot of elderly people and medical cases and these are the 4 categories we have concentrated the most on in the initial phase. Then there are students and visitors who were stranded. But overall&nbsp;it&nbsp;has gone very nicely and very smoothly.&nbsp;

WION: How has it been for our people and diplomats like you who have been on the ground facilitating the process. It is risky being out due to COVID.

Vipul: It is correct and there are jobs we have to do, and people at the airport have to do. In that, there is no choice and we are taking all the precautions. We taking all care that we are not going too near to the passengers. And at the same time, we have to be at the location so that it is an orderly flow. And sometimes especially here in Dubai, people get deboarded at the last minute&nbsp;because they have not done some formality or other. In some cases, people haven't turned up despite buying the ticket. And then you have to make sure seats don't&nbsp;go vacant, therefore&nbsp;we have had passengers in the waiting list and you have to arrange for that, so overall yes it there is some risk we are taking all precautions and hopefully, everything will go all well. The other thing with which we are facing difficulty or challenge is a huge number of Indian population is here in UAE, we 3.4 million and of course lot of people want to go to India right now and that has been a tough job. We have done that at random, and then also, we have taken people who have written to us or have approached us and who are really in a compelling circumstance were they have to go back to India.

WION: Any exact figure on the number of people who are expected to come back?&nbsp;

Vipul: It is a bit difficult to give an exact number. &nbsp;Six flights are slated to go from Dubai in next 4 days. And then for the 2nd phase as yet we don't have instructions from Delhi and information as to how many fights there would be. In terms of a number of people, it is large, there are also people who have gone into our database and filled up the details but not ready to go immediately. So it is a bit difficult to give the exact number. Of course, it is very large, on the portal, more than 250,000 people have registered so far but when we are calling people, they are not ready to go right now, so it is a bit difficult to give the exact number of people who will go in next few weeks.

WION: How have the UAE authorities helping out?&nbsp;

Vipul: They have been very very helpful. The UAE authorities are doing the test for all Indians and for all other stranded nationalities as well who are repatriating people. They have put in lot of staff that maintain order and make sure social distancing norms are maintained at the airport. Dubai police, Dubai health authorities and other agencies, they have been working together with us, ministry foreign affairs, everyone has been working together to make sure its a smooth operation and people do not face any difficulty. In any case, the large Indian population in UAE and number of COVID cases are also Indians and local authorities are taking care and doing the best to manage the situation. Authorities have been very helpful and cooperative.&nbsp;

India's consul general in Dubai Vipul has said that the ongoing repatriation is going "very well and smoothly" as many flights from the city land in India. Speaking exclusively to our diplomatic correspondent Sidhant Sibal from Dubai, Vipul lauded the UAE authorities saying that have been "very helpful and cooperative.

India's consul general in Dubai Vipul has said that the ongoing repatriation is going "very well and smoothly" as many flights from the city land in India. Speaking exclusively to our diplomatic correspondent Sidhant Sibal from Dubai, Vipul lauded the UAE authorities saying that have been "very helpful and cooperative." 250,000 Indians in UAE have registered for repatriation, the maximum anywhere in the world with a large number of flights originating from Dubai making the task much more complex in the West Asian country which hosts maximum numbers of Indians anywhere in the world. WION: How has the repatriation going on? Vipul: Well, the repatriation has gone on very well. So far we have sent 4 flights from Dubai, one to Calicut, two to Chennai, one to Lucknow and all the flights have been very orderly. The Dubai authorities along with Air India have done exceedingly well, in terms of ensuring a very smooth flow of passengers. Of course, all the passengers are very relieved to go back home now, because many have been stranded here for some time and we got number of passengers who were pregnant ladies, number of workers who would have lost jobs or had completed the assignments here. A lot of elderly people and medical cases and these are the 4 categories we have concentrated the most on in the initial phase. Then there are students and visitors who were stranded. But overall it has gone very nicely and very smoothly. WION: How has it been for our people and diplomats like you who have been on the ground facilitating the process. It is risky being out due to COVID. Vipul: It is correct and there are jobs we have to do, and people at the airport have to do. In that, there is no choice and we are taking all the precautions. We taking all care that we are not going too near to the passengers. And at the same time, we have to be at the location so that it is an orderly flow. And sometimes especially here in Dubai, people get deboarded at the last minute because they have not done some formality or other. In some cases, people haven't turned up despite buying the ticket. And then you have to make sure seats don't go vacant, therefore we have had passengers in the waiting list and you have to arrange for that, so overall yes it there is some risk we are taking all precautions and hopefully, everything will go all well. The other thing with which we are facing difficulty or challenge is a huge number of Indian population is here in UAE, we 3.4 million and of course lot of people want to go to India right now and that has been a tough job. We have done that at random, and then also, we have taken people who have written to us or have approached us and who are really in a compelling circumstance were they have to go back to India. WION: Any exact figure on the number of people who are expected to come back? Vipul: It is a bit difficult to give an exact number. Six flights are slated to go from Dubai in next 4 days. And then for the 2nd phase as yet we don't have instructions from Delhi and information as to how many fights there would be. In terms of a number of people, it is large, there are also people who have gone into our database and filled up the details but not ready to go immediately. So it is a bit difficult to give the exact number. Of course, it is very large, on the portal, more than 250,000 people have registered so far but when we are calling people, they are not ready to go right now, so it is a bit difficult to give the exact number of people who will go in next few weeks. WION: How have the UAE authorities helping out? Vipul: They have been very very helpful. The UAE authorities are doing the test for all Indians and for all other stranded nationalities as well who are repatriating people. They have put in lot of staff that maintain order and make sure social distancing norms are maintained at the airport. Dubai police, Dubai health authorities and other agencies, they have been working together with us, ministry foreign affairs, everyone has been working together to make sure its a smooth operation and people do not face any difficulty. In any case, the large Indian population in UAE and number of COVID cases are also Indians and local authorities are taking care and doing the best to manage the situation. Authorities have been very helpful and cooperative.

India's consul general in Dubai Vipul lauds UAE authorities as India repatriates stranded citizens

Air India's first repatriation flight took off from Kochi for Abu Dhabi on Thursday afternoon. The flight will be bringing back Indian nationals to the country soon.

Air India Express IX419 is being used for the biggest repatriation operation of the Indian government to bring back the&nbsp;Indian nationals stranded in the Gulf countries due to the coronavirus pandemic.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/operation-samudra-setu-ins-jalashwa-set-to-evacuate-stranded-indians-from-maldives-297209">Also read:&nbsp;Operation Samudra Setu: INS Jalashwa set to evacuate stranded Indians from Maldives</a>

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1st flight with 175 stranded Indians from abroad will land in Kochi from Abu Dhabi at around 2140 hrs. The second flight will also be to Kerala, having 175 stranded Indians. 
 
Location of pic: India's operation room, Dubai<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/COVID?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#COVID</a> <a href="https://t.co/jbaDRQ31de">https://t.co/jbaDRQ31de</a> <a href="https://t.co/ARJTc71i3u">pic.twitter.com/ARJTc71i3u</a>
— Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) <a href="https://twitter.com/sidhant/status/1258342149373952001?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 7, 2020</a></blockquote>
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The first flight will land in Kerala&nbsp;around 9:40pm. The Kochi flight is bringing back 175 Indian nationals from Abu Dhabi.&nbsp;The second flight will also bring 175 stranded Indians from Dubai to Kozhikode, and will land around 10:30pm.

Air India will continue the rescue operation for Indians stranded in&nbsp;Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Kuwait, Muscat, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Malaysia, Philippines, UAE, Bangladesh, the US and the UK.

However, the focus remains on the Gulf countries, where around 3 lakh people are stranded, according to reports.

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Repatriation of Indian nationals begins from UAE<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Covid?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Covid</a> <a href="https://t.co/rrbouSfDfo">https://t.co/rrbouSfDfo</a> <a href="https://t.co/rKCuADft7E">pic.twitter.com/rKCuADft7E</a>
— Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) <a href="https://twitter.com/sidhant/status/1258360615246200832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 7, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/shramik-trains-over-163-run-so-far-more-than-160-lakh-migrants-ferried-297207">Also read:&nbsp;Shramik Trains: Over 163 run so far, more than 1.60 lakh migrants ferried</a>

Around 14,600 citizens are expected to be brought back to the country in 64 flights within the first week of the operation.

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United Arab Emirates: 177 Indians, including 4 infants have boarded their flight from Abu Dhabi for Kochi, Kerala. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VandeBharatMission?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VandeBharatMission</a> <a href="https://t.co/8d5a4OrYO9">pic.twitter.com/8d5a4OrYO9</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1258382635497209859?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 7, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Around 60 pilots and 120 cabin crew members are providing their services in the&nbsp;operation. All the staff members and the workers have been asked to practice precaution and wear PPE suits during the flight.

Before take-off, passengers will be provided with two face masks, one 100ml sanitiser bottle, a snack box and a bottle of water at their respective seats. &nbsp;

(With inputs from ANI)

Air India's first repatriation flight took off from Kochi for Abu Dhabi on Thursday afternoon. The flight will be bringing back Indian nationals to the country soon.

Air India's first repatriation flight took off from Kochi for Abu Dhabi on Thursday afternoon. The flight will be bringing back Indian nationals to the country soon. Air India Express IX419 is being used for the biggest repatriation operation of the Indian government to bring back the Indian nationals stranded in the Gulf countries due to the coronavirus pandemic. Also read: Operation Samudra Setu: INS Jalashwa set to evacuate stranded Indians from Maldives 1st flight with 175 stranded Indians from abroad will land in Kochi from Abu Dhabi at around 2140 hrs. The second flight will also be to Kerala, having 175 stranded Indians. Location of pic: India's operation room, Dubai#COVID https://t.co/jbaDRQ31de pic.twitter.com/ARJTc71i3u — Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) May 7, 2020 × The first flight will land in Kerala around 9:40pm. The Kochi flight is bringing back 175 Indian nationals from Abu Dhabi. The second flight will also bring 175 stranded Indians from Dubai to Kozhikode, and will land around 10:30pm. Air India will continue the rescue operation for Indians stranded in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Kuwait, Muscat, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Malaysia, Philippines, UAE, Bangladesh, the US and the UK. However, the focus remains on the Gulf countries, where around 3 lakh people are stranded, according to reports. Repatriation of Indian nationals begins from UAE#Covid https://t.co/rrbouSfDfo pic.twitter.com/rKCuADft7E — Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) May 7, 2020 × Also read: Shramik Trains: Over 163 run so far, more than 1.60 lakh migrants ferried Around 14,600 citizens are expected to be brought back to the country in 64 flights within the first week of the operation. United Arab Emirates: 177 Indians, including 4 infants have boarded their flight from Abu Dhabi for Kochi, Kerala. #VandeBharatMission pic.twitter.com/8d5a4OrYO9 — ANI (@ANI) May 7, 2020 × Around 60 pilots and 120 cabin crew members are providing their services in the operation. All the staff members and the workers have been asked to practice precaution and wear PPE suits during the flight. Before take-off, passengers will be provided with two face masks, one 100ml sanitiser bottle, a snack box and a bottle of water at their respective seats. (With inputs from ANI)

India's biggest repatriation operation begins; Air India flight to land in Kochi tonight

Today is day 1 of India's biggest repatriation mission. Over the next week, India will bring back more than 14000 Indian nationals who are stuck in foreign countries due to travel restrictions imposed.

COVID-19 Pandemic: India's biggest repatriation mission to bring back stranded Indians in foreign countries

Indians waiting at Dubai airport: Screening before boarding

India’s massive exercise called 'Vande Bharat Mission' to bring back lakhs of its citizens stranded abroad is currently underway. Watch this video to know more.

COVID-19: India's repatriation mission day 1, Vande Matram Mission

Vande Bharat Mission: 8 flights to arrive back in India today

On Tuesday, India has sent three naval ships to evacuate its citizens stranded in the Maldives and UAE due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Three ships sent to evacuate Indians from the Maldives and UAE

India will be soon sending 2nd consignment of hydroxychloroquine to UAE. The second consignment will include 34 million tablets of HCQ.&nbsp;

Earlier India had sent 5.5 million tablets of the drug to the west Asian country with which New Delhi has close ties.

This comes even as New Delhi allowed 88 specialist, doctors and nurses to go back to UAE who were stranded in India due to lockdown.

Many Gulf countries have requested for essential medicines like hydroxychloroquine and paracetamol with New Delhi sending aid and supplies to the region on a commercial basis. India is sending hydroxychloroquine to Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Egypt and Palestine.

As part of outreach to extended neighbourhood, India has sent its rapid response teams to Kuwait to help the country deal with the COVID-19 crisis.

PM and EAM have already been in touch with gulf counterparts in the past few weeks over COVID-19 crisis.&nbsp;

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has had telephonic conversations with leaders of GCC countries --Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman-- as well as with leaders of Palestine, Jordan and Egypt.&nbsp;

EAM Jaishankar has had telephonic conversations with his counterparts of Saudi Arabia and Oman on April 23rd and with Foreign Ministers of Qatar, UAE and Palestine on 24 April. He had earlier spoken to Foreign Ministers of Bahrain, Kuwait and Algeria.

India will be soon sending 2nd consignment of hydroxychloroquine to UAE. The second consignment will include 34 million tablets of HCQ. Earlier India had sent 5.

India will be soon sending 2nd consignment of hydroxychloroquine to UAE. The second consignment will include 34 million tablets of HCQ. Earlier India had sent 5.5 million tablets of the drug to the west Asian country with which New Delhi has close ties. This comes even as New Delhi allowed 88 specialist, doctors and nurses to go back to UAE who were stranded in India due to lockdown. Many Gulf countries have requested for essential medicines like hydroxychloroquine and paracetamol with New Delhi sending aid and supplies to the region on a commercial basis. India is sending hydroxychloroquine to Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Egypt and Palestine. As part of outreach to extended neighbourhood, India has sent its rapid response teams to Kuwait to help the country deal with the COVID-19 crisis. PM and EAM have already been in touch with gulf counterparts in the past few weeks over COVID-19 crisis. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has had telephonic conversations with leaders of GCC countries --Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman-- as well as with leaders of Palestine, Jordan and Egypt. EAM Jaishankar has had telephonic conversations with his counterparts of Saudi Arabia and Oman on April 23rd and with Foreign Ministers of Qatar, UAE and Palestine on 24 April. He had earlier spoken to Foreign Ministers of Bahrain, Kuwait and Algeria.

India to send second consignment of hydroxychloroquine to UAE

Middle East state carriers Emirates and Etihad Airways say it could take three years for air travel demand to return to levels seen just before the COVID-19 pandemic. The U.S. - UAE business council hosted a video conference with Emirates President Tim Clark and Etihad Chief Executive Tony Douglas on Wednesday, it said.

Emirates, Etihad say recovery in aviation sector could take three years

India's relationship with the Arab world was impacted in the last few weeks and one of the major reasons was fake Twitter handles used from Pakistan to defame India. However, the Indian administration has started to use diplomatic channels to reset the ties.&nbsp;

Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier had telephonic conservations with his counterparts from Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman, where he stressed on India's "Think West" foreign policy. He reportedly also highlighted the need for a collaborative and coordinated strategy to tackle the COVID-19 crisis.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/wont-let-fake-tweets-create-discord-gulf-countries-assure-india-294638">Won't let fake tweets create discord, Gulf countries assure India</a>

The Minister of External Affairs (MEA) S Jaishankar also extended his greetings on the holy month of Ramzan to the foreign ministers of the Middle East countries and thanked them for supporting the Indian diaspora. The foreign ministers of Gulf nations also lauded the contribution of the Indian community during the coronavirus outbreak and promised to support them.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/twitter-suspends-isis-fake-account-being-used-to-spread-fake-news-against-india-in-gulf-countries-294510">Twitter suspends ISI's fake account being used to spread fake news against India in Gulf countries</a>

India is also supplying drugs, including hydroxychloroquine and paracetamol to Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain, Oman, and Qatar.&nbsp;

After Kuwait's request, India has also sent a specialised team of medical professionals for training purposes related to coronavirus.&nbsp;

The Indo-Gulf talks also touched upon the negative social media campaign and the two sides agreed to have a zero-tolerance policy towards such incidents.&nbsp;

This comes after a number of parody accounts on Twitter spread fake information which strained the ties between both the regions.&nbsp;

India also vowed that it will help in the evacuation at the earliest of the medical personnel from the Gulf who are stranded in India.&nbsp;

The recovery plan post-COVID-19 was also discussed, along with talks on energy and volatility in the oil market.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

India's relationship with the Arab world was impacted in the last few weeks and one of the major reasons was fake Twitter handles used from Pakistan to defame India.

India's relationship with the Arab world was impacted in the last few weeks and one of the major reasons was fake Twitter handles used from Pakistan to defame India. However, the Indian administration has started to use diplomatic channels to reset the ties. Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier had telephonic conservations with his counterparts from Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman, where he stressed on India's "Think West" foreign policy. He reportedly also highlighted the need for a collaborative and coordinated strategy to tackle the COVID-19 crisis. Also read | Won't let fake tweets create discord, Gulf countries assure India The Minister of External Affairs (MEA) S Jaishankar also extended his greetings on the holy month of Ramzan to the foreign ministers of the Middle East countries and thanked them for supporting the Indian diaspora. The foreign ministers of Gulf nations also lauded the contribution of the Indian community during the coronavirus outbreak and promised to support them. Also read | Twitter suspends ISI's fake account being used to spread fake news against India in Gulf countries India is also supplying drugs, including hydroxychloroquine and paracetamol to Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain, Oman, and Qatar. After Kuwait's request, India has also sent a specialised team of medical professionals for training purposes related to coronavirus. The Indo-Gulf talks also touched upon the negative social media campaign and the two sides agreed to have a zero-tolerance policy towards such incidents. This comes after a number of parody accounts on Twitter spread fake information which strained the ties between both the regions. India also vowed that it will help in the evacuation at the earliest of the medical personnel from the Gulf who are stranded in India. The recovery plan post-COVID-19 was also discussed, along with talks on energy and volatility in the oil market.

Diplomacy at work to ease off straining Indo-Arab ties

Pakistan has started repatriating some of its citizens from the United Arab Emirates, which had threatened to review labour ties with countries refusing to take back their nationals during the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The first Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight carrying 227 "stranded passengers" from Dubai and other emirates left for Islamabad on Saturday evening, Pakistan's consulate general in Dubai said in a Twitter post.

It was not clear when other flights would depart. More than 40,000 Pakistanis in the Gulf Arab state have registered with the consulate to return home, two UAE newspapers reported.

The UAE and other Gulf states have reported increased infections among low-income migrant workers who live in overcrowded quarters. Some have moved to re-house them in shuttered schools or dedicated centres, and are trying to arrange flights to repatriate them.

The UAE last week said it would review labour relations with states refusing to evacuate citizens, including those who have lost jobs or been put on leave, after the ambassadors of India and Pakistan said their countries were not yet ready to do so.

PIA said on its website that it would not be able to provide services for inbound flights beyond Islamabad International Airport due to suspension of domestic flights and a lockdown in the country.

Millions of foreign workers, many from Asia, form the backbone of Gulf economies and work in sectors that have been disrupted by the coronavirus outbreak.

The pandemic is also likely to disrupt the significant remittances those workers send back to their home countries.

The total infection count in the six Gulf states has risen steadily to more than 25,000, with 161 deaths, despite containment measures such as halting passenger flights, curfews and in several cases locking down districts with large populations of low-income expatriate workers.

On Sunday the UAE announced another 479 new cases and four more deaths, bringing its total to 6,781 cases and 41 deaths so far.

Kuwait's 90-year-old ruler, Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah, on Sunday addressed the nation to welcome back the first group of Kuwaitis returned home under a new repatriation programme.

He urged them to comply with all isolation and quarantine guidelines given by authorities in the Gulf state, which has recorded seven deaths, including one on Sunday, and almost 2,000 cases of the infection.

Pakistan has started repatriating some of its citizens from the United Arab Emirates, which had threatened to review labour ties with countries refusing to take back their nationals during the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Pakistan has started repatriating some of its citizens from the United Arab Emirates, which had threatened to review labour ties with countries refusing to take back their nationals during the novel coronavirus pandemic. The first Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight carrying 227 "stranded passengers" from Dubai and other emirates left for Islamabad on Saturday evening, Pakistan's consulate general in Dubai said in a Twitter post. It was not clear when other flights would depart. More than 40,000 Pakistanis in the Gulf Arab state have registered with the consulate to return home, two UAE newspapers reported. The UAE and other Gulf states have reported increased infections among low-income migrant workers who live in overcrowded quarters. Some have moved to re-house them in shuttered schools or dedicated centres, and are trying to arrange flights to repatriate them. The UAE last week said it would review labour relations with states refusing to evacuate citizens, including those who have lost jobs or been put on leave, after the ambassadors of India and Pakistan said their countries were not yet ready to do so. PIA said on its website that it would not be able to provide services for inbound flights beyond Islamabad International Airport due to suspension of domestic flights and a lockdown in the country. Millions of foreign workers, many from Asia, form the backbone of Gulf economies and work in sectors that have been disrupted by the coronavirus outbreak. The pandemic is also likely to disrupt the significant remittances those workers send back to their home countries. The total infection count in the six Gulf states has risen steadily to more than 25,000, with 161 deaths, despite containment measures such as halting passenger flights, curfews and in several cases locking down districts with large populations of low-income expatriate workers. On Sunday the UAE announced another 479 new cases and four more deaths, bringing its total to 6,781 cases and 41 deaths so far. Kuwait's 90-year-old ruler, Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah, on Sunday addressed the nation to welcome back the first group of Kuwaitis returned home under a new repatriation programme. He urged them to comply with all isolation and quarantine guidelines given by authorities in the Gulf state, which has recorded seven deaths, including one on Sunday, and almost 2,000 cases of the infection.

Pakistan starts repatriating UAE-based nationals stranded by coronavirus

Pakistani nationals protest in Dubai as more than 2,000 Pakistanis stuck in United Arab Emirates. Stranded Pakistani nationals beg authorities to take them home.

Pak Nationals protest in Dubai, More than 2,000 Pakistanis stuck in UAE

The United Arab Emirates on Monday temporarily suspended all passenger and transit flights to control the spread of novel coronavirus.&nbsp;

The Emirati officials "have decided to suspend all inbound and outbound passenger flights and the transit of airline passengers in the UAE for two weeks as part of the precautionary measures taken to curb the spread of the COVID-19", the official state news agency, WAM said.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uae-reports-first-two-deaths-from-coronavirus-287746">UAE reports first two deaths from coronavirus</a>

They said that the move would be reviewed in two weeks and be enforced in 48 hours.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/saudi-arabia-reopens-mecca-medina-holy-sites-after-coronavirus-closure-report-284702">Saudi Arabia reopens Mecca, Medina holy sites after coronavirus closure: Report</a>

"Cargo and emergency evacuation flights would be exempt," the authorities said.&nbsp;

On Friday, the UAE reported its first two coronavirus deaths, with infections over 150 so far.&nbsp;

Abu Dhabi and Dubai have international airports and are considered as major travel hubs.&nbsp;

The latest announcement came hours after Dubai carrier Emirates said it would suspend all passenger flights by March 25.

However, it later reversed its decision, stating it "received requests from governments and customers to support the repatriation of travellers" and would continue to let passenger flights fly to 13 destinations.

Emirates had said it will continue its services to the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Australia, South Africa, the United States and Canada.

"We continue to watch the situation closely, and as soon as things allow, we will reinstate our services," the airline's chairman and CEO, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum said.&nbsp;

The Middle Eastern countries have taken various measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, especially in the air transport sector.&nbsp;

The UAE stopped granting visas on arrival and refused to accept foreigners who are legal residents but are outside the country.&nbsp;

The United Arab Emirates on Monday temporarily suspended all passenger and transit flights to control the spread of novel coronavirus. The Emirati officials "have decided to suspend all inbound and outbound passenger flights and the transit of airline passengers in the UAE for two weeks as part of the precautionary measures taken to curb the spread of the COVID-19", the official state news agency, WAM said.

The United Arab Emirates on Monday temporarily suspended all passenger and transit flights to control the spread of novel coronavirus. The Emirati officials "have decided to suspend all inbound and outbound passenger flights and the transit of airline passengers in the UAE for two weeks as part of the precautionary measures taken to curb the spread of the COVID-19", the official state news agency, WAM said. Also read | UAE reports first two deaths from coronavirus They said that the move would be reviewed in two weeks and be enforced in 48 hours. Also read | Saudi Arabia reopens Mecca, Medina holy sites after coronavirus closure: Report "Cargo and emergency evacuation flights would be exempt," the authorities said. On Friday, the UAE reported its first two coronavirus deaths, with infections over 150 so far. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have international airports and are considered as major travel hubs. The latest announcement came hours after Dubai carrier Emirates said it would suspend all passenger flights by March 25. However, it later reversed its decision, stating it "received requests from governments and customers to support the repatriation of travellers" and would continue to let passenger flights fly to 13 destinations. Emirates had said it will continue its services to the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Australia, South Africa, the United States and Canada. "We continue to watch the situation closely, and as soon as things allow, we will reinstate our services," the airline's chairman and CEO, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum said. The Middle Eastern countries have taken various measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, especially in the air transport sector. The UAE stopped granting visas on arrival and refused to accept foreigners who are legal residents but are outside the country.

UAE suspends all passenger, transit flights to halt COVID-19 spread

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