HAMAD CONFERS WITH IRAQI MINISTER and with ARAB LEADERS
HH Sheikh Hamad bin Mohammed al Sharqi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Fujairah and Representative of President HH Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al Nahyan at the Islamic summit due to open in Islamabad today, received yesterday Iraqi Minister of Justice Shabib Lazim Malki, who is leading his country's delegation to the meeting. They reviewed issues relating to the summit and its role in boosting Islamic solidarity in addition to preparing the Islamic world to confront the challenges of the 21st century.
Sheikh Hamad, who is heading the UAE delegation to the summit, later received Major General Abdirabi Mansour Hadi, Yemeni Vice President and head of his country's delegation, as part of a series of meetings he held with the heads of delegations participating in the conference. In a statement to WAM, the Yemeni leader hailed the key role played by the UAE under the wise leadership of President Sheikh Zayed, in bolstering solidarity among the Muslims. The Yemeni Vice President said he conveyed to Sheikh Hamad greetings to Sheikh Zayed from the Yemeni President and people.
Hadi affirmed the views of the two brotherly countries towards Arab and Islamic issues were "identical". He also expressed pleasure at Sheikh Zayed's repeated calls for unifying Arab ranks, adding that this was aimed at finding a way out of the current dilemma facing the Arab world.
Sheikh Hamad later received Pakistani Interior Minister Chaudry Shujat Hussein and discussed with him issues of mutual concern in addition to subjects on the summit agenda. The Pakistani Minister underlined the constructive role played by Sheikh Zayed in strengthening the friendly relations between the two countries.
Sheikh Hamad later conferred with Thuweini bin Shahab al Saeed, Sultan Qaboos bin Saeed's Personal Representative and head of Oman's delegation. The Ruler also met with Nasser Abdul Latif, Kuwaiti Second Deputy Premier and head of his country's delegation. The meetings reviewed the summit agenda.
Meanwhile, Foreign Ministers of Islamic countries chalked out the final draft of the Islamabad Declaration which is to be issued by the extraordinary session of the Islamic Summit Conference. The draft includes articles on the expansion of Islamic co-operation in all fields and the exploitation of human and financial resources for the welfare of Muslim people. The draft focuses on efforts to defend all Islamic issues including Jerusalem and the Palestinian rights and to put an end to any occupation of Arab and Islamic lands.
It also highlights Islam and its humanitarian messages which call for forgiveness, justice, understanding, moderation, the respect of human rights, the unification of efforts for the preservation of Islamic civilisation, values and tradition as well as enhancing moral values among Muslim youth. The draft also calls for enhancing Islamic joint action in humanitarian, economic, scientific and commercial fields.
The UAE delegation to the conference comprises Foreign Minister Rashid Abdullah, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries Saeed al Ragabani, Under Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Culture Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al Nahyan and UAE Ambassador to Pakistan Mohammed bin Atiq al Qamzi, who later held a banquet in honour of Sheikh Hamad. The delegation was received in Islamabad by Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Foreign Minister Gohar Ayub Khan and other officials. (The Emirates News Agency, WAM)
BASHIR WELCOMES UAE INITIATIVE
Sudanese President Omar Hassan al Bashir yesterday praised the stances of President HH Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al Nahyan in supporting Arab issues in general and his interest in the stability of Sudan in particular. Bashir told a press conference in Abu Dhabi, before leaving for Pakistan to attend the Islamic summit, that his country welcomed the initiative of Sheikh Zayed, which highlighted the President's wisdom and non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries.
The Sudanese leader said he briefed Sheikh Zayed on the current situation in Sudan including the dispute between the Government and the opposition in the north and the rebel movement in the south. Bashir welcomed a dialogue between the Government and the opposition and other African peace overtures and said the two sides have common grounds regarding Sudan's Islamic identity and unity but have different views on a multi-party country. (The Emirates News Agency, WAM)
The Sudanese President said he backed the UAE's effort to mediate an end to Sudan's conflict. He said he discussed the initiative with Sheikh Zayed and... "reiterated to His Highness that Sudan welcomed his offer." Bashir said Khartoum would welcome a visit by a UAE envoy to detail the initiative which mainly seeks to achieve national reconciliation by starting a dialogue between the Government and the opposition. Sheikh Zayed launched the mediation bid in early February after talks in Abu Dhabi with Sudanese government officials and leading opposition figures following renewed fighting. (Reuter)
Bashir said yesterday that he accepted a UAE bid to halt civil war but rejected a key demand by the opposition for ending the one-party rule. Bashir repeated accusations that Ugandan forces and foreign mercenaries were invading Sudan. "We are ready for a reconciliation with the opposition," he told reporters at the end of his two-day visit to the Emirates. "We have common concepts, including the Islamic trend, the unity of Sudan and the Federal system but we differ with them on the pluralistic system." (The Agence France-Presse, AFP)
Dubai's non-oil foreign trade was valued at Dh 54.0 billion for the first eight months of 1996, showing an increase of 19.3% when compared to the same period in 1995, according to Dubai's Department of Economic Development.
While imports into Dubai were valued at Dh 40.9 billion, registering an increase of 16.4%, exports amounted to Dh 2.8 billion, showing a decline of 0.7% when compared to the first eight months of 1995. Re-exports were valued at Dh 10.6 billion, showing an increase of 40.3% over the same period in 1995.
On a monthly basis, the value of Dubai's total trade in August 1996 was Dh 6.4 billion, increasing by 19.0% against the same month in 1995. The durable consumer goods group was the most important group in Dubai's imports, representing 43.0% oft he value of total imports during the January-August 1996 period.
During the first eight months of 1996, Dubai imported various goods from 160 countries, the top ten suppliers to Dubai being China, the USA, Japan, India, South Korea, the UK, Germany, Italy, Taiwan and Indonesia, together accounting for 70.4% of the value of total imports.
China ranked first as Dubai's trading partner during the first eight months of 1996, with Dubai's imports totalling Dh 4.6 billion, showing an increase of 19.0% over that of 1995. Textiles and textile products, electrical and mechanical equipment and machinery formed the largest imports from China representing 24.6% and 22.5% respectively of the value of total imports during the period.
The USA ranked second as Dubai's trading partner with imports amounting to Dh 4.5 billion, a 61.4% increase over the same period in 1995. Japan was Dubai's third biggest trading partner with exports to Dubai totalling Dh 3.9 billion, an increase of 2.5% over the corresponding period in 1995. Japan was Dubai's third largest trading partner with exports to Dubai totalling Dh 2.9 billion during the first eight months of 1996, registering a decline of 0.7% when compared to 1995.
During the first eight months, Dubai exported various goods to 125 countries. Japan, India, Taiwan, South Korea, the UK, the USA, Switzerland, Oman, Thailand and Germany were Dubai's top ten destinations. The value of exports to these countries accounted for 56.4% of the value of total exports from Dubai.
Japan topped the list of export destinations with the value of exports to Japan from Dubai totalling Dh 340.0 million. India ranked second with exports worth Dh 152.0 million and Taiwan ranked third with exports valued at Dh 146.1 million.
Dubai's re-exports amounted to Dh 10.6 million during the first eights months of 1996, increasing by 40.3% compared to the same period in 1995. Iran maintained its lead as the top re-export destination with re-exports amounting to Dh 1.98 billion, despite a decline of 12.0% over the same period in 1995.
India ranked second as Dubai's re-export destination with re-exports valued at Dh 807.0 million, rising by 40.7% over the previous year. Pearls, precious stones and metals were the major re-exports to India, accounting for 46.8% of the value of total re-exports to India. Saudi Arabia ranked third as Dubai's re-export destination, with re-exports amounting to Dh 547.0 million. (The Gulf Today)
HECTIC EFFORTS BY ARCHAEOLOGISTS TO SOLVE MASS GRAVE MYSTERY
Hectic efforts are being made by the Emirate of Ras al Khaimah Archaeology and Museums Department to solve the mysterious mass grave, unearthed recently in the emirate's Saml Fawq area. Al Bayan daily quoted Derick Keneth, an archaeologist at Oxford University, as dating the tomb to the same era as that of the famous Giza Pyramids in Egypt.
"The stones were perfectly cut, indicating that artisans at that time were very skillful in mathematics and architecture, exactly like the Pharaohs," Keneth said. "The tomb was 3.0 metres high and 14.3 metres side, the largest discovered in the Arabian Peninsula so far."
He added that excavations showed that the tomb was delicately designed and divided into 12 chambers, each with several bodies, pottery items and jewellery. "It is likely that people buried here belonged to the same clan. Excavations on the tomb's quarter area led to discovery of about 100 bodies and we are expecting more than 400."
He continued by saying that inhabitants of the area did not know any writing and resorted to petroglyphs to chronicle their era. Further studies led to acquaintance with the rituals which were practiced by the inhabitants. "It seems that all bodies were burned before burial. The prosperous conditions were also apparent in the magnificent building of the tomb. Their wealth might have been acquired by selling copper, then a valuable metal, to the Tigris and Euphrates and Sind civilisations."
According to Keneth, the importance of he discovery may change the Western archaeologists' theory on the history of the Gulf. "They have the wrong notion that the Gulf had no civilisation but petroglyphs discovered at the two rivers' sites spoke of copper imports from Mafan, which was Ras al Khaimah's old name," he argued. The petroglyphs described the inhabitants of Mafan as "Kings who lived in palaces".
An Australian archaeologist who is preparing for her Ph.D. on the findings of the tomb, said analysis and research on the human bones discovered, showed the nature of life they were leading, their diet and their health. "Compared to what has been found in Dubai and Ajman, this one is somehow mysterious as many questions are unanswered," said Subra Blau, who intends to submit her thesis to Sydney University.
"We will compare the skulls and bones to bodies discovered in other areas and this will show whether they were of the same clan and migrated to that area," she explained, adding that, contrary to the bodies discovered in Ajman, the teeth were intact" which indicates that they survived on a well-cooked diet, that they cleaned their teeth or that the water they used to drink contained fluoride." She revealed that a highly-sophisticated technique will be used to determine the sex of each body and family connections. (The Emirates News)
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