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UAE seeks ICJ's help to mount pressure on Qatar

Agencies
May 11, 2019

Abu Dhabi, May 11: UAE has told the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that the documents and arguments presented to the Court by Qatar against the UAE were either fabricated or outright counterfactual. The UAE requested the World Court to take punitive steps necessary to stop Qatar from its cynical attempts to manipulate the international forums for settling scores with its neighbours.

The submission made by the UAE at the conclusive session of the three-day ICJ hearing stressed that the Qataris whose rights to enter the UAE were allegedly violated had never used the hotline set up for the purpose in June 2017 or apply for entry permits. The UAE pointed out that similar fabrication of names and documents by Qatar happened in the case with Bahrain as well. The hearing on Thursday, May 9 took place to consider the UAE's request for interim action for protecting its sovereign rights and adjudicating its complaints against Qatar.

The UAE Ambassador to the Netherlands Dr Hessa Al Otaiba said in her conclusive remarks that the submission presented to the Court by the UAE's legal team showed beyond any shadow of doubt that the UAE had never indulged in racial discrimination as alleged by Qatar. She added that Qatar was continuously escalating the conflict and making resolution of the crisis even harder.

The UAE pointed out that Qatar was actually misusing the Agreement for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination with a view to defaming the UAE by lodging two separate cases on the same issue. The documents submitted by the UAE also confirmed that Qatar had used its vast media network to spread lies and falsehoods against the UAE about the issues brought to the Court's attention.

The UAE also disproved the allegation that it had expelled Qatari citizens from the country. Interestingly, Qatar admitted before the Court that it had blocked on grounds of security the website through which its citizens could apply for entry permits. This, the UAE asserted, was a ploy to cook up evidence against the UAE and claim it was defying the Court's decision.

Pointing out that the Court had taken some interim action while it considered the Qatari pleas, the UAE Ambassador said that the UAE expected the same from the Court in respect to the UAE's pleas.

"All that we are asking is for the Court to protect the UAE's rights on an equal footing. We request the Court to order Qatar to unblock our website for Qataris to apply for entry permits. Blocking the website is a typical Qatari ploy to prevent us from facilitating the visit of their citizens to the UAE and to create the impression that we were discriminating against them," she explained.

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News Network
March 6,2020

Riyadh, Mar 6: Saudi Arabia on Thursday emptied Islam's holiest site for sterilisation over fears of the new coronavirus, an unprecedented shutdown state media said will last while the year-round Umrah pilgrimage is suspended.

The kingdom halted the pilgrimage for its own citizens and residents on Wednesday, on top of restrictions announced last week on foreign pilgrims to stop the disease from spreading.

State television relayed images of an empty white-tiled area surrounding the Kaaba -- a large black cube structure inside Mecca's Grand Mosque -- which is usually packed with tens of thousands of pilgrims.

As a "precautionary measure", the area will remain closed as long as the umrah suspension lasts but prayers will be allowed inside the mosque, state-run Saudi Press Agency cited a mosque official as saying.

Additionally, the Grand Mosque and the Prophet's Mosque in the city of Medina will be closed an hour after the evening "Isha" prayer and will reopen an hour before the dawn "Fajr" prayer to allow cleaning and sterilisation, the official added.

A group of cleaners was seen scrubbing and mopping the tiles around the Kaaba, a structure draped in gold-embroidered gold cloth towards which Muslims around the world pray.

A Saudi official told news agency the decision to close the area was "unprecedented".

On Wednesday, Saudi Arabia suspended the umrah for its own citizens and residents over fears of the coronavirus spreading to Islam's holiest cities.

The move came after authorities last week suspended visas for the umrah and barred citizens from the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council from entering Mecca and Medina.

Saudi Arabia on Thursday declared three new coronavirus cases, bringing the total number of reported infections to five.

The umrah, which refers to the Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca that can be undertaken at any time of year, attracts millions of Muslims from across the globe annually.

The decision to suspend the umrah mirrors a precautionary approach across the Gulf to cancel mass gatherings from concerts to sporting events.

It comes ahead of the holy fasting month of Ramadan starting in late April, which is a favoured period for pilgrimage.

It is unclear how the coronavirus will affect the hajj, due to start in late July.

Some 2.5 million faithful travelled to Saudi Arabia from across the world in 2019 to take part in the hajj, which is one of the five pillars of Islam as Muslim obligations are known.

The event is a massive logistical challenge for Saudi authorities, with colossal crowds cramming into relatively small holy sites, making attendees vulnerable to contagion.

Already reeling from slumping oil prices, the kingdom risks losing billions of dollars annually from religious tourism as it tightens access to the sites.

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News Network
April 23,2020

Dubai, Apr 23: UAE announced on Thursday 4 deaths, 518 new coronavirus cases and 91 recoveries.

According to the Ministry of Health and Prevention, an additional 29,000 COVID-19 tests were performed, which revealed 518 new positive cases, bringing the total number of cases to 8,756. The new patients identified are in a stable condition and undergoing treatment, according to the ministry.

UAEGov
✔
@uaegov
 · 4h
An additional 29,000 Covid-19 tests were performed, which revealed 518 new cases bringing the total number of cases to 8756. The new cases identified are in a stable condition and undergoing treatment, @mohapuae announced today. #UAEGov

UAEGov
✔
@uaegov
Also, @mohapuae announced that four Asian expats who tested positive for COVID-19 died due to complications. This brings the total death toll to 56. The Ministry of Health and Prevention expressed sincere condolences to the families of the deceased.

The ministry announced that four Asian expats who tested positive for COVID-19 died due to complications. This brings the total deaths to 56. The ministry expressed sincere condolences to the families of the deceased.

The total number of recovered cases has reached 1,637 with 91 patients fully recovered on Thursday, after receiving treatment.

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News Network
July 28,2020

Dubai, Jul 28: A heart-broken father who lost his 19-year-old son in a tragic car accident during Christmas last year has sponsored the repatriation costs of 61 Indians stranded in the UAE.

 The special flydubai repatriation flight, chartered by the All Kerala Colleges Alumni Federation (Akcaf) volunteer group, of which he is a member of, departed from Dubai to Kochi on July 25 carrying 199 passengers.

 On this particular flight, I sponsored 55 air tickets," said TN Krishnakumar, a sales and marketing director. He had lost his son Rohit Krishnakumar in a car accident, which also claimed the life of the teen's friend, Sharat Kumar (21).

"All passengers who were registered with the Indian missions were also asked to register on the Akcaf volunteer group website. Each passenger was further vetted, after which we made home visits to ensure that all the applicants were genuinely in need of financial support and repatriation," he said.

Commenting on what inspired him to dedicate himself to community work, Krishankumar said: "When a situation like this comes up, you realise there is no meaning in money. I invested everything I made into my son, and that had crashed in front of my eyes. He was a third-year medical student at the University of Manchester in the UK and had returned home for a vacation when the accident took place. Since then, I have been involved in a lot of social activities. If I do not do this, there is no meaning to my existence."

Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, Krishnakumar said the group has supported thousands of individuals in need of help. "We supported unemployed people with several hundred bags of grocery kits and other necessary items. We also supported Covid-19 patients by transferring them to the medical facility in Warsan, etc.," he said.

"I come from a very middle-class family. I got a scholarship to study in college, and I studied with the help of taxpayers' money. I have always wanted to give back to society. I have grown immensely in life and now is my time to give back.," he added.

Krishnakumar also sponsors the education of over 1,000 academically gifted school children in Kerala's government-aided schools. He is a life trustee at the College of Engineering Trivandrum Alumni Galaxy Charitable Trust and an active participant towards various educational causes.

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