1. Home
  2. Middle East
  3. Khalifa asks new envoys to elevate UAE’s stature

Khalifa asks new envoys to elevate UAE’s stature

April 11, 2012

kalif


Abu Dhabi, April 11: The UAE’s new permanent representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Nato), Mohammed Ali Al Naqbi, ambassador to Libya Obaid Mohammed Al Ka’abi and ambassador to Kuwait Ali Ahmed bin Shukr Al Za’abi were sworn in before the President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in presence of Shaikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President’s Representative, and General Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.


Shaikh Khalifa also received the credentials of 12 new ambassadors to the UAE at Al Diyafa Palace in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.


During the swearing-in ceremony, Shaikh Khalifa gave directives to the new ambassadors to further elevate the UAE’s international stature at various levels. He also underscored the role of the UAE’s diplomatic missions in helping nationals abroad and attending to their affairs, noting that the UAE considers human beings as its top priority and harnesses its resources to serve the nation and nationals.


For their part, the new ambassadors pledged to dedicate themselves to sincerely working for bolstering cooperation and friendship with other countries in order to reflect the prestigious stature of the UAE and its wise policy under the leadership of Shaikh Khalifa.


While receiving the new foreign envoys, the President reiterated the UAE’s interest in extending bridges of friendship, cooperation and tolerance among people of the world, building balanced relations with all friendly countries as well as in promoting its economic, cultural and tourism relations with other countries. The new resident ambassadors include Jose de Mendonca e Lima of Brazil, Orazumyrat Gurbannazarov of Turkmenistan, Gegham Gharibjanian of Armenia and Dhananjay Jha of Nepal. The eight non-resident ambassadors are of Cuba, Mongolia, Slovenia, San Marino, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Equatorial Guinea and Sierra Leone. The President welcomed the new ambassadors and expressed his best wishes of success in their efforts to promote and expand relations with the UAE. “The UAE will provide full support to you in your second home through the relevant authorities in order to facilitate your missions and enhance relations between the UAE and your countries,” Shaikh Khalifa said.


He asked the ambassadors to convey greetings and best wishes to their heads of states.


Also in attendance at the ceremony were Shaikh Tahnoun bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Ruler’s Representative in the Eastern Region; Shaikh Surour bin Mohammed Al Nahyan; Shaikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, National Security Advisor; Shaikh Saeed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Ruler’s Representative; Shaikh Nahyan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Charitable and Humanitarian Foundation; Lt. General Shaikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior; Shaikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs; Shaikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chief of Abu Dhabi Crown Prince’s Court; Shaikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs; Shaikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research; Shaikh Hamdan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Public Works; Dr Anwar Mohammed Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs; other Shaikhs and senior officials.


Comments

Add new comment

About text formats
  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
Agencies
July 31,2020

Mount Arafat, July 30: Muslim pilgrims converged Thursday on Saudi Arabia's Mount Arafat for the climax of this year's hajj, the smallest in modern times and a sharp contrast to the massive crowds of previous years.

A tight security cordon has been erected all around the foot of the rocky hill outside Mecca, also known as Jabal al-Rahma or Mount of Mercy.

Pilgrims, donning masks and observing social distancing, were brought in buses from neighbouring Mina, state television showed, as Saudi authorities impose measures to prevent a coronavirus outbreak.

They were subject to temperature checks and attended a sermon -- which state media said was translated into 10 languages -- before they set off on the climb to the summit for hours of Koran recitals and prayers to atone for their sins.

The scene was strikingly different to last year's ritual when a sea of pilgrims ascended Mount Arafat, marshalled by tens of thousands of stewards in a bid to prevent any crushes.

After sunset prayers, pilgrims will make their way down Mount Arafat to Muzdalifah, another holy site where they will sleep under the stars to prepare for the final stage of hajj, the symbolic "stoning of the devil".

It takes place on Friday and also marks the beginning of Eid al-Adha, the festival of sacrifice.

The hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam and a must for able-bodied Muslims at least once in their lifetime, is usually one of the world's largest religious gatherings.

But only up to 10,000 people already residing in the kingdom will participate in this year's ritual, compared with 2019's gathering of some 2.5 million from around the world.

"You are not our guests but those of God, the custodian of the two holy mosques (Saudi Arabia's King Salman) and the nation," Hajj Minister Mohammad Benten said in a video released by the media ministry on Wednesday.

Security cordon

A security cordon has been thrown around the holy sites to prevent any security breaches, an interior ministry spokesman said.

Riyadh faced strong criticism in 2015 when some 2,300 worshippers were killed in the deadliest stampede in the gathering's history.

But this year, those risks are greatly reduced by the much smaller crowd.

The pilgrims have all been tested for the virus, and foreign journalists were barred from this year's hajj, usually a huge global media event.

As part of the rites completed over five days in the holy city of Mecca and its surroundings, the pilgrims converged on Mount Arafat after spending the night in Mina.

A district of Mecca, Mina sits in a narrow valley surrounded by rocky mountains, and is transformed each year into a vast encampment for pilgrims.

They began the hajj on Wednesday with their first "tawaf", the circumambulation of the Kaaba, a large structure in Mecca’s Grand Mosque towards which Muslims around the world pray.

The Kaaba is draped in a black cloth embroidered in gold with Koranic verses and known as the kiswa, which is changed each year during the pilgrimage.

Pilgrims were brought inside the mosque in small batches, walking along paths marked on the floor, in sharp contrast to the normal sea of humanity that swirls around the Kaaba during hajj.

Comments

Add new comment

About text formats
  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
February 24,2020

Dubai, Feb 24: Kuwait and Bahrain confirmed on Monday their first novel coronavirus cases, the countries' health ministries announced, adding all had come from Iran.

Kuwait reported three infections and Bahrain one in citizens who had returned home from the Islamic republic.

Comments

Add new comment

About text formats
  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
May 21,2020

May 21: Mosques across the UAE will remain closed during Eid Al Fitr, a top official has said. The Takbeer, which is chanted before the special prayers performed on Eid, will be broadcast from mosques 10 minutes before the prayer time.

During the virtual press briefing held on Wednesday, Dr Farida Al Hosani, official spokesperson of the UAE health sector, reminded citizens and expats about the importance of adhering to the safety measures as laid out by the authorities.

Contact tracing process

"Before we began to use Al Hosn app to trace the contacts of Covid-19 cases, the tracking process used to take more than 48 hours. It also depended on the memory and honesty of people. The app is an AI-enabled methodological way to trace individuals who came in contact with Covid-19 cases so that they are isolated. It has proven to be an efficient way to stop the spread of the coronavirus," Dr Farida said.

Install the app

She called on all the public to install the app on their smart phones. "The success of the tracing system via Al Hosn app relies on its use. We hope 50 to 70 per cent of people in the UAE instal and use the app in an effective way."

No sermon

Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al Shamsi, Spokesperson for the General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowments, said there will be no sermon for the Eid prayers.

He called on everyone to welcome Eid with joy and positivity and to stay connected with their loved ones via social media.

Mass testing

Dr Amna Al Dahhak Al Shamsi, the official spokesperson of the UAE Government, said mass testing continues across the country.

She stressed on the importance of adhering to precautionary measures and cooperating with the authorities.

Comments

Add new comment

About text formats
  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.