ALGIERS // The role of Arab parliaments on the international stage has been marginalised and Arab parliamentary meetings in their current form are a "waste of time", the speaker of the Federal National Council said yesterday.
Because of this, said Abdul Aziz al Ghurair, the Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union and its executive body are in need of reform.
The gatherings of Arab parliamentarians "basically consist of a meeting, and when the meeting is over there are press statements that sound powerful, and none of them are carried out," said Mr al Ghurair. "I am not happy with Arab co-ordination. Top Arab leaders are present, but it ends with long official statements that cannot be carried out, but are just pleasing to the [Arab] street."
The union's annual budget is US$700,000 (Dh2.5 million).
Mr al Ghurair was speaking yesterday at joint sessions with Algerian parliamentary leaders, during which he pressed for reforms in a draft agreement that received Algerian support. He had met earlier with the Algerian president, Abdul Aziz Bouteflika, before talks yesterday with the prime minister, Ahmed Oyehia, who said the Algerian government would strive to remove obstacles to Emirati investment in the country.
During his speech yesterday, Mr al Ghurair bemoaned the failure of co-ordinating the Arab position on a major initiative in Geneva in July that would have made the International Parliamentary Union into a UN body.
"The Arab parliamentarians did not attend all of the meetings," Mr al Ghurair said.
That lack of coordination "has failed us" and prevented emergency proposals to discuss the Gaza crisis at international meetings, Mr al Ghurair said. He also called for better planning of the gatherings and for meetings of heads of the Arab parliaments that would allow Arabs to pursue a stronger, unified agenda.
Arab parliamentary leaders are expected to meet in Abu Dhabi in January.
The organisation must have strength "so it can defend Arab causes and not simply consist of press statements," Mr al Ghurair said.
Calls for reform have been prompted by a dissatisfaction with the union, whose general secretariat has produced few initiatives and suffers from a lack of money. The criticisms echo those directed at the Arab League.
Algeria also yesterday offered support for an Emirati proposal that would lead to the UAE hosting a meeting of the Islamic Parliamentary Union in January next year.
The push for more assertive Arab diplomacy comes amid a backdrop of close political relations between the UAE and Algeria and a desire to strengthen Emirati investment in the country.
A report from the UAE foreign ministry described the relationship between the two countries as "exceptional".
Though official UAE figures show there are only 10 Emirati residents in Algeria, mostly representatives of UAE companies there, investments from the Emirates to Algeria have reached US$25 billion.
There are around 8,000 Algerians living in the UAE, according to Ministry of Interior figures.
The UAE has maintained a strong relationship with Algeria since President Bouteflika came to power, in 1999.
kshaheen@thenational.ae
THE BIG THREE
NOVAK DJOKOVIC
19 grand slam singles titles
Wimbledon: 5 (2011, 14, 15, 18, 19)
French Open: 2 (2016, 21)
US Open: 3 (2011, 15, 18)
Australian Open: 9 (2008, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21)
Prize money: $150m
ROGER FEDERER
20 grand slam singles titles
Wimbledon: 8 (2003, 04, 05, 06, 07, 09, 12, 17)
French Open: 1 (2009)
US Open: 5 (2004, 05, 06, 07, 08)
Australian Open: 6 (2004, 06, 07, 10, 17, 18)
Prize money: $130m
RAFAEL NADAL
20 grand slam singles titles
Wimbledon: 2 (2008, 10)
French Open: 13 (2005, 06, 07, 08, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20)
US Open: 4 (2010, 13, 17, 19)
Australian Open: 1 (2009)
Prize money: $125m
The Gentlemen
Director: Guy Ritchie
Stars: Colin Farrell, Hugh Grant
Three out of five stars
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, last 16, first leg
Liverpool v Bayern Munich, midnight (Wednesday), BeIN Sports
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WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
GOLF’S RAHMBO
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THREE
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Lexus LX700h specs
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T20 World Cup Qualifier
October 18 – November 2
Opening fixtures
Friday, October 18
ICC Academy: 10am, Scotland v Singapore, 2.10pm, Netherlands v Kenya
Zayed Cricket Stadium: 2.10pm, Hong Kong v Ireland, 7.30pm, Oman v UAE
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Ahmed Raza (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Rameez Shahzad, Darius D’Silva, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Boota, Zawar Farid, Ghulam Shabber, Junaid Siddique, Sultan Ahmed, Imran Haider, Waheed Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Zahoor Khan
Players out: Mohammed Naveed, Shaiman Anwar, Qadeer Ahmed
Players in: Junaid Siddique, Darius D’Silva, Waheed Ahmed
Afghanistan fixtures
- v Australia, today
- v Sri Lanka, Tuesday
- v New Zealand, Saturday,
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- v England, June 18
- v India, June 22
- v Bangladesh, June 24
- v Pakistan, June 29
- v West Indies, July 4
The biog
Name: Younis Al Balooshi
Nationality: Emirati
Education: Doctorate degree in forensic medicine at the University of Bonn
Hobbies: Drawing and reading books about graphic design
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
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Always check the weather forecast before setting off
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UK's plans to cut net migration
Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.
Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.
But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.
Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.
Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.
The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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Sabri Razouk, 74
Athlete and fitness trainer
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The biog
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Favourite film: The Shawshank Redemption
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Where to buy
Limited-edition art prints of The Sofa Series: Sultani can be acquired from Reem El Mutwalli at www.reemelmutwalli.com
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
