Egypt’s top diplomat Sameh Shoukry will travel to Syria and Turkey on Monday in the first such visit by an Egyptian foreign minister since Cairo’s relations soured with both Damascus and Ankara over a decade ago.
The Egyptian foreign ministry said the visit aimed to convey “solidarity with the two countries and their brotherly peoples” after the devastating earthquake which struck Turkey and Syria on February 6.
The minister is expected to emphasize Egypt’s willingness to provide assistance and that both its government and people will always be ready to stand by its “brothers.”
The 7.8 magnitude earthquake was the deadliest in the countries’ modern history. It has racked up a death toll of over 50,000, injured tens of thousands, and left millions homeless.
Syria
Shoukry will be the first Egyptian foreign minister to visit Damascus and meet with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad since the eruption of Syria’s bloody civil war in 2011 which has killed hundreds of thousands and displaced millions.
Assad’s regime has been politically isolated in the region since its suspension from the Arab League over the government’s violent crackdown on pro-democracy protestors. In addition, many Arab countries severed ties with Damascus and recalled their envoys.
The country’s isolation became international when the level of brutality of the war reached new heights. Eventually, the Syrian regime was sanctioned by the US for carrying out chlorine gas attacks against civilians.
However, in present day, Assad is basking in the international limelight with the outpouring messages of support and solidarity, the pledges of assistance and the desperately needed humanitarian aid packages worth tens of millions of dollars.
Syria, already ravaged by a 12-year bloody war, was hit by a deadly natural disaster that killed approximately 6,000 people and displaced millions; yet, despite the massive scale of the calamity the war-torn country is experiencing, Assad’s government is more concerned with how best to use this disaster to make diplomatic strides in achieving legitimacy for its regime and to break out of isolation on the international stage.
Assad received a phone call from Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi on February 7. It was the first official interaction between the two. And Egypt's parliament speaker Hanafi Gibali met with Assad in Damascus on Sunday as part of a delegation of senior members of parliament from regional countries.
The Syrian president has also received phone calls from leaders in the Arab world, visits from their top diplomats, and a steady stream of humanitarian aid packages flowing into the country.
Turkey
Ties between Egypt and Turkey have been strained since Egypt’s army, led by Sisi, ousted Muslim Brotherhood President Mohammed Mursi, a close ally of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in 2013.
Cairo designates the Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist organization. Erdogan’s Islamist-rooted AK Party supported Mursi’s short-lived Egyptian government. Many Brotherhood members and their supporters have fled to Turkey since the group's activities were banned in Egypt.
The two countries also clashed over maritime jurisdiction and offshore resources, as well as differences in Libya, where they backed opposing sides in the civil war.
After trading insults and accusations for years, Ankara and Cairo started softening their public rhetoric towards one another in 2021.
Turkey was on a mission; it wanted to normalize relations and rebuild ties with regional powers, including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. In that vein, Ankara launched a charm offensive campaign to ease the tensions with those countries, and eventually relations began to thaw.
Sisi called Erdogan on February 7 to offer his sympathies over the victims of the earthquake and to offer support in terms of aid and assistance. That was their first diplomatic interaction after the reconciliation.
Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi meets with CEOs of leading Norwegian companies
H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, has met with a group of CEOs from leading Norwegian companies, as part of their participation in the UAE-Norway Investment Forum, held alongside his official visit to the Kingdom of Norway.
During the meeting, H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed underscored the UAE leadership’s commitment to strengthening economic cooperation with its international partners.
He highlighted that investment in innovation and knowledge is a cornerstone for achieving sustainable development, noting that enhancing collaboration with Norwegian companies across key sectors will open new avenues for mutual economic growth between the two countries.
The UAE-Norway Investment Forum, taking place in Oslo, aimed to highlight available investment opportunities and strengthen trade relations between the UAE and Norway, fostering shared interests and supporting innovation and knowledge-based economic visions.
At the Indonesia International Book Fair 2024, TRENDS inaugurates 10th global office, releases four books
As part of its Asian research tour, partnership with Aletihad News Center, and
primary sponsorship of the Indonesia International Book Fair 2024, TRENDS
Research & Advisory inaugurated its office in Jakarta, marking its 10th location
worldwide. It also released four books in Indonesian.
The inauguration event was attended by ambassadors of the UAE, Bahrain, and
Jordan to Indonesia, chairpersons of the UAE and Indonesian Publishers’
Associations, the Director of TRENDS’ Jakarta office, and a group of researchers
and academics.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al-Ali, CEO of TRENDS
Research & Advisory, stated that TRENDS’ international offices—set to reach 15
by the end of 2024—aim to enhance the Center’s research efforts and deepen its
role in disseminating knowledge, thus serving as a global knowledge bridge.
He emphasized, “At TRENDS, we believe in the importance of cooperation
between think tanks and prioritize this endeavor. We believe the TRENDS office in
Jakarta will enhance the exchange of knowledge and ideas between think tanks in
Asia and the Middle East, opening new horizons for collaboration in various
fields.”
Four books in Indonesian
As part of the Jakarta office’s inaugural activities, four books were released in
Indonesian, including the 11th and 12th books of the Muslim Brotherhood
Encyclopedia and Global Trends in AI and Automation and the Future of
Competition between Man and Machine: An Analytical Forward-looking Vision.
Hostility to Arab states
The 11th book of the Muslim Brotherhood Encyclopedia, The Concept of the State
According to the Muslim Brotherhood, highlights its hostile stance toward Arab
states since its inception. The group views them as an obstacle to its ascent to
power. It opposed the modern principles upon which these states were built,
considering them incompatible with the group’s unique interpretation of Islam,
which it claimed to embody exclusively.
Exclusion of nonconformists
The 12th book, The Muslim Brotherhood: Rejection of Tolerance and Exclusion of
Nonconformists, examines the Muslim Brotherhood’s stance towards
nonconformists, individuals, and entities. The book reveals the group’s binary view
of the world, categorizing others as allies or adversaries. It ties these relationships
to the Brotherhood’s internal power struggles and self-serving interests.
Global Trends in AI
The third book, Global Trends in AI, explores significant developments in AI and
its impact on various aspects of life, including the economy, society, and
governance. It also offers a comprehensive analysis of technological advancements
in AI, its applications across sectors, the ethical and social challenges it presents,
and its future trajectory.
Automation
The fourth book, Automation and the Future of Competition between Man and
Machine: An Analytical Forward-looking Vision, addresses the growing challenges
faced by the human workforce in the face of widespread automation and AI
applications. The book concludes that while automation presents a significant
challenge to the labor market, it simultaneously creates new opportunities. It
emphasizes the importance of preparing for this shift through skills development,
continuous education, and adopting economic and social policies that support the
workforce.
Prominent pavilion and active presence
The TRENDS’ pavilion at the Indonesia International Book Fair has attracted
numerous visitors, including academic researchers and officials, such as the
ambassadors of the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, and Turkey. Additionally,
chairpersons of Arab and Indonesian publishers’ associations, authors, publishers,
and students visited the pavilion. All were impressed with and praised TRENDS’ diverse, valuable publications. They also commended TRENDS’ active
international presence and ability to address global developments with rigorous
analytical research.
Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al-Ali honored the esteemed guests, including
ambassadors of the UAE and Bahrain to Indonesia, Wedha Startesti Yudha,
Chairperson of the Indonesia International Book Fair Committee, Arys Hilman
Nugraha, Chairman of the Indonesian Publishers Association, and others,
presenting them with TRENDS’ publications and commemorative shields.
Additionally, he awarded TRENDS’ Research Medal to Ni Made Ayu Martini
Indonesian Deputy Minister of Marketing, Tourism and Creative Economy
It is worth noting that during its current Asian research tour, TRENDS announced
the launch of the TRENDS Research Medal, awarded to individuals who make
significant contributions to the development of scientific research and promote collaboration with TRENDS in strengthening a culture of research across various fields.
US determined to prevent full-scale war in Middle East, Joe Biden tells UNGA79
US President Joe Biden highlighted the US Administration’s determination to prevent a wider war that engulfs the entire Middle East region, noting that a diplomatic solution “remains the only path to lasting security to allow the residents from both countries to return to their homes on the border safely”.
In remarks he made today before the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA79), the US President said, “Full-scale war is not in anyone’s interest,” adding that a diplomatic solution is still possible.
He also touched on “the rise of violence against innocent Palestinians on the West Bank”, and the need to “set the conditions for a better future”, which he said featured “a two-state solution, where the world — where Israel enjoys security and peace and full recognition and normalised relations with all its neighbours, where Palestinians live in security, dignity, and self-determination in a state of their own”.
President Biden underscored the ceasefire and hostage deal put forth by Qatar and Egypt, which the UN Security Council endorsed. He said, “Now is the time for the parties to finalise its terms, bring the hostages home,” adding that this would help ease the suffering in Gaza, and end the war.