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Davos 2019 Day 1: Climate change, globalism and Middle East politics

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US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo joined WEF19 in Davos - albeit via video-link. (Screenshot/WEF)
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An 'Outlook on the Middle East' panel, which included Saudi Arabia's Minister of Economy and Planning Mohammad Al-Tuwaijri. (Screenshot/WEF)
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Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro said he was "moved and honored" to be addressing the crowd at Davos. (Screenshot/WEF)
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- Prince William Duke of Cambridge interviewing Sir David Attenborough on the Davos stage, talking about the future of the planet and how to protect the natural world. (Reuters)
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Gebran Bassil, Lebanese foreign minister says democracy in his country has reached a level of "reconciliation." (Screenshot/WEF)
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A talk was given by the magician, illusionist and "endurance artist" David Blaine on how "awe can shift perception and turn sceptics into believers. (Screenshot/WEF)
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More than 3,000 political, business and civil leaders have descended upon Davos in Switzerland for the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting. (WEF)
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More than 3,000 political, business and civil leaders have descended upon Davos in Switzerland for the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting. (WEF)
Updated 23 January 2019
DANIEL FOUNTAIN
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Davos 2019 Day 1: Climate change, globalism and Middle East politics

  • More than 3,000 political, business and civil leaders have descended upon Davos in Switzerland
  • The attendees include several senior figures from Saudi Arabia and the wider Middle East
Updated 23 January 2019
DANIEL FOUNTAIN

DAVOS: More than 3,000 political, business and civil leaders have descended upon Davos in Switzerland for the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting on Tuesday. Follow Arab News' live coverage below.

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17:55 - That's a wrap on the Middle East Strategic Outlook panel and Tuesday's action, with some interesting points made by the Saudi Arabian, Emirati and Bahraini panelists - you can catch up with the whole session below:

17:45 - Mohammad Al-Tuwaijri on the journeys undertaken by both Dubai, the UAE and also Saudi Arabia in developing their economies...

17:30 - Alain Bejjani of Majid Al-Futtaim says that Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 has "set a vision and plan" for other countries to follow...

 

17:15 - Strong words from Khalid Al-Rumaihi, CEO of Bahrain Economic Development Board...

While Saudi Arabia's Mohammad Al-Tuwaijri has praised the shift in ideas and investment into renewable energies as "significant," despite the GCC still being reliant on oil.

16:45 - Coming up next is an important one for our region - an outlook on the Middle East. The panel includes Saudi Arabia's Minister of Economy and Planning Mohammad Al-Tuwaijri, Youssef Chahed, Tunisia PM and Rami Hamdallah PM of the Palestinian National Authority. Also there will be Mirek Dusek, senior WEF director, who spoke to Arab News on the eve of the summit to reveal what will be on the agenda. The panel will be chaired by Hadley Gamble, reporter and anchor, CNBC.

16:15 - Remember David Blaine? As a bit of respite, Davos attendees are being treated to a talk by the magician, illusionist and "endurance artist" on how "awe can shift perception and turn skeptics into believers..."

15:45 - Wondering what the latest Saudi Arabian lines from Davos are? Of course you are. According to the chief of the International Energy Agency (IEA), the Kingdom will remain the largest global oil exporter for years to come despite the growth of the US oil sector, Fatih Birol told the World Economic Forum.

READ MORE: Saudi Arabia to remain oil exporting kingpin says IEA boss

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15:20 - Pompeo shares his thoughts on Yemen and the Middle East as a whole, and what role the US is looking to play...

15:10 - Pompeo praises what he calls "beautiful coalitions" with countries in challenging the threat of North Korea and checking China's expansionism as well as countering terrorism and Iran's "foreign adventurism," but reiterates that there is still a lot of work for the US and the world to do - together...

15:00 - US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo joins WEF19 in Davos - albeit via video-link...

14:45 - Bolsonaro makes some bold claims about what he envisages his government doing to help Brazil and its economy - saying he will “actively support” reform of the WTO, will fight corruption and organised crime and with the help of global partners with technological knowledge tap into Brazil’s “abundant mineral riches” to “develop resources.”

Klaus Schwab says the world looks forward to seeing the progress he makes…

14:30 - Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro says he is "moved and honored" to be addressing the crowd at Davos...

14:15 - As attendees start to file back in after a quick bite for lunch, we are looking ahead to addresses by Brazil's new president Jair Bolsonaro and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in the afternoon session here in Davos - how will Bolsnaro's populist approach go down with the globalist attendees at WEF? Stay tuned to find out...

13:35 - Prince William asks Sir David about how technology is being used to further explore the natural world. Attenborough emphasized humans’ responsibility toward the natural world. “We are only too well aware that the whole of the natural world is at our disposal … We can do things accidentally that exterminate a whole area of the natural world and the species that live within in,” he said.

13:25 - Prince William, Duke of Cambridge is interviewing broadcaster and natural historian Sir David Attenborough on the Davos stage now, watch a live stream above...

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If you want to follow World Economic Forum panels specifically about the Middle East, check out our handy guide here

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13:10 - The "Belt and Road - China's Trillion-Dollar Vision" panel is currently going on - and it comes after a top financial regulator in China said on Tuesday it’s “certain” that the Chinese economy will slow further this year — but that’s largely due to a “much-needed” cooling of the real estate market. Speaking at Davos, Fang Xinghai, vice-chairman of the China Securities Regulatory Commission, said the slowdown from last year’s 28-year low rate of 6.6 percent to around 6 percent is not a “collapse.” That remains to be seen...

And the panel has been discussing the pros and cons of free trade - a topic the British are clearly sending a tongue-in-cheek message to Davos about this week, as discovered by our roving reporter Frank Kane...

13:00 - Coming up shortly, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge will be interviewing conservationist and broadcaster Sir David Attenborough - and the latter has already come out with one of the "quotes of Davos"...

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Arab News is covering WEF19 in depth, and you can read all of our coverage from the World Economic Forum by visiting our Davos 2019 spotlight

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12:50 - David Miliband speaks about the growing global problem of refugees and displaced peoples, he briefly mentions Yemen and his hope that peace talks between the two parties operating in the country will offer a solution to the humanitarian needs of the country.

12:30 - Our next panel is The Humanitarian Crises That Will Shape 2019 - the panel includes: David Miliband, president of International Rescue Committee and Heba Aly who is director of IRIN - who starts the discussion about climate change affecting millions of lives and the "fragile states" being some of the biggest humanitarian crises the world needs to be working to solve...

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12:20 - Up later: Brazil's far-right President Jair Bolsonaro is set to address Davos as the first main headline act of the day. It will be interesting to hear Bolsonaro’s pitch to the “global elite” gathered at the World Economic Forum. Bolsonaro surfed a populist wave to ride to power (sound familiar?) — and seems to be everything the so-called “Davos Man” is not. Still, as with Donald Trump’s appearance at the World Economic Forum a year ago, Bolsonaro’s attendance emphasizes the big global shift toward populism, whether the Davos Man likes it or not. 

READ MORE: Brazil’s nationalist leader to address Davos globalist crowd

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12:10 - The terrifying threat of climate change is one of the most important items on the agenda at Davos this year. And many of the panelists would have doubtlessly perfected their speeches on, er, their private jets on the way over. According to the Air Charter Service, a record number of private jet flights — nearly 1,500 — are forecast to travel to airports near Davos in the Swiss Alps over the week of the World Economic Forum (WEF). That would be up from the more than 1,300 aircraft movements seen at last year’s forum. So for the “Davos elite,” the environment is clearly very important — especially when it comes to putting your feet up on the plane …

READ MORE: Never mind climate change, Davos prefers private jets

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12:00 - Arab News reporter Anna Pukas will be speaking with Young Photographer of the Year 2018 Skye Meaker at the World Economic Forum, who is taking part in a panel with Jane Goodall this afternoon - take a look at some of his beautiful wildlife images here. And to brighten your Tuesday afternoon amid all the serious stuff, here is his stunning winning photo below...




Skye Meaker, Young Photographer of the Year 2018 - winning image

11:50 - Gebran Bassil says that the Lebanese model of coexistence is "still holding," despite examples of it not working elsewhere around the world, and that while a stable Syria is the target of Lebanon, spreading the Lebanese model to the rest of the region "is not easy."

11:20 - Gebran Bassil, Lebanese foreign minister says democracy in his country has reached a level of "reconciliation" despite decades of conflict converging on Lebanon, which has often acted as a "bumper" during these regional clashes, and wider conflicts.

11:00 - Our next panel - Peace and Reconciliation in a Multipolar World - has started, and the panel includes: Gebran Bassil, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Lebanon, Abdullah Abdullah of the Afghanistan government and Abdelkader Messahel, Minister of Foreign Affairs in Algeria. Follow it live here:

10:50 - Satya Nadella, chief executive officer of Microsoft, is adding his thoughts on how young people can shape the future of society - he acknowledges the problems the young panellists raised, and acknowledges the challenges require new approaches to solve them. He says: "Young people have shown us in constrained environments what can be achieved, your ingenuity and that you did not accept the status quo."

10:40 - We are now hearing an emotional appeal and inspiring life story being shared by refugee Mohammed Hassan Mohamud, who lives in - and is Zonal Chairman of - Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya. Powerful stuff.

10:25 - The first panel - Shaping Globalization 4.0 - has begun featuring young voices from a range of sectors, with Basima Abdulrahman, founder and Chief Executive Officer of KESK Green Building Consulting, Iraq's first green building company kicking us off...

10:15 - In his opening remarks, Professor Schwab hints at the "Globalization 4.0" theme of the forum by saying: “Globalization has to be human-centered, it has to be more inclusive, it has to be much more sustainable.”

10:00 - The "Welcoming Remarks" and a special address are just getting started, with the founder and executive chairman of WEF Klaus Schwab and Ueli Maurer, president of the Swiss Confederation and Federal Councillor of Finance kicking us off...

The welcoming remarks were opened with a lovely tune played by some alpine horn players - WEF19 is well and truly up and running...

09:55 - Monday saw Saudi Arabian filmmaker Haifaa Al-Mansour awarded at the 25th Crystal Awards, along with conductor Marin Alsop and broadcaster Sir David Attenborough.

09:45 - We have quite a packed agenda for Tuesday, with panels on globalization, the environment and strategic outlooks for the Middle East all coming up today. Stay tuned for more details.

 

Topics: Davos 2019 WEF Davos World Economic Forum (WEF)

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Baroness Warsi accuses UK Conservative Party of demonizing her over Islamophobia claims

Updated 4 sec ago
Arab News
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Baroness Warsi accuses UK Conservative Party of demonizing her over Islamophobia claims

  • Party recently told Warsi she would not have whip restored in UK’s upper house of parliament
  • Internal inquiry clears Warsi of ‘bringing the party into disrepute’ over support for pro-Palestinian protester
Updated 4 sec ago
Arab News

LONDON: The UK’s first Muslim cabinet member has accused her Conservative Party of attempting to “demonize” her after she criticized the party over Islamophobia.

Baroness Sayeeda Warsi was told recently she was not welcome back into the Conservative Party in the UK’s upper house of parliament, where she holds a seat, The Independent reported on Wednesday.

Warsi resigned from the party in the House of Lords in September, claiming the Conservatives had moved too far to the right.

The former co-chair of the Conservative Party had also come under pressure from senior party members over language used in a tweet supporting a pro-Palestinian protester.

Warsi has now been cleared of being “divisive” and “bringing the party into disrepute” by a disciplinary panel investigating the tweet.

But the Conservatives wrote to Warsi saying that while she could remain a member of the party, they would not restore to her the party whip, meaning she could not be affiliated with the party in the Lords.

In response, Warsi said she had not asked to have the whip restored, and accused the Conservatives of playing games.

She told The Independent that the party was attempting to “demonize” her for challenging the party’s “rising levels of extremism, racism and Islamophobia.”

Warsi was appointed as the first Muslim Conservative Party chair in 2010 by Prime Minister David Cameron as he sought to modernize the party. 

But in recent years the Conservatives have shifted further right as they seek to counter the growing popularity of far-right parties. 

In March, Warsi said the party had become known as “the institutionally xenophobic and racist party.” She has also repeatedly accused it of failing to tackle Islamophobia within the party and criticized significant figures for their rhetoric over immigration.

In 2014, she resigned as a minister in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office over the government’s “morally indefensible” approach to Gaza.

Warsi’s decision to resign the whip in September was, she said: “A reflection of how far right my party has moved and the hypocrisy and double standards in its treatment of different communities.”

The move came after complaints against her for a tweet congratulating a pro-Palestinian protester acquitted of a racially aggravated public order offense. The protester had used a placard depicting Rishi Sunak, who was prime minister at the time, as a coconut.

 

Topics: Baroness Sayeeda Warsi

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Poland shuts consulate in Saint Petersburg on Russian order

Updated 08 January 2025
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Poland shuts consulate in Saint Petersburg on Russian order

  • Russia ordered the closure in December after Poland said in October it was closing Russia’s consulate in the Polish city of Poznan
  • “The Polish Consulate General in Saint Petersburg was shut down upon Russia’s withdrawal of its consent to the activity of the Polish post,” Poland’s foreign ministry said
Updated 08 January 2025
AFP

WARSAW: Poland announced Wednesday it had shut its consulate in the Russian city of Saint Petersburg, after Russia ordered the closure in a tit-for-tat move.
Russia ordered the closure in December after Poland said in October it was closing Russia’s consulate in the Polish city of Poznan, accusing Moscow of “sabotage” attempts in the country and its allies.
“The Polish Consulate General in Saint Petersburg was shut down upon Russia’s withdrawal of its consent to the activity of the Polish post,” Poland’s foreign ministry said in a statement Wednesday.
“It is in retaliation for a decision of the Polish foreign minister to close down Russia’s Consulate General in Poznan in the aftermath of acts of sabotage committed on Polish territory and linked to Russian authorities.”
After Russia ordered the closure, Poland responded that it would close all the Russian consulates on its soil if “terrorism” it blamed on Moscow carried on.
Tensions between Russia and NATO member Poland have escalated since Moscow sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022, with both sides expelling dozens of diplomats.
Poland is a staunch ally of Kyiv and has been a key transit point for Western arms heading to the embattled country since the conflict began.
In one of the largest espionage trials, Poland in 2023 convicted 14 citizens of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine of preparing sabotage on behalf of Moscow as part of a spy ring.
They were found guilty of preparing to derail trains carrying aid to Ukraine, and monitoring military facilities and critical infrastructure in the country.

Topics: Russia-Ukraine Conflict Poland Saint Petersburg sabotage

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2 Russian firefighters died in blaze caused by Ukraine drone: governor

Updated 08 January 2025
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2 Russian firefighters died in blaze caused by Ukraine drone: governor

  • “As a result of the liquidation (of the fire), there are two dead,” said the governor of Saratov region
Updated 08 January 2025
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MOSCOW: Two Russian firefighters died on Wednesday fighting a blaze caused by a Ukrainian drone attack, the local governor said, after Kyiv said it hit an oil depot that supplies Russia’s air force.
“Unfortunately, as a result of the liquidation (of the fire), there are two dead — employees of the emergency situations ministry’s fire department,” Roman Busagrin, governor of the Saratov region where the strike happened, said on Telegram.

Topics: Russia-Ukraine Conflict Saratov drones

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UK police investigating suspicious vehicle in central London, carry out controlled explosions

British police carried out a number of controlled explosions as a precaution in central London as they investigated vehicle.
Updated 08 January 2025
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UK police investigating suspicious vehicle in central London, carry out controlled explosions

  • Road closures are in place in the vicinity of Regent Street and New Burlington Street in central London, police said on X
Updated 08 January 2025
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LONDON: British police carried out a number of controlled explosions as a precaution in central London as they investigated a suspicious vehicle on Wednesday, the city’s police force said on social media.
Road closures are in place in the vicinity of Regent Street and New Burlington Street in central London, police said on X.

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Sri Lanka vows crackdown on illegal activities by Israeli tourists

People enjoy the beach in Colombo, Sri Lanka. (File/AFP)
Updated 08 January 2025
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Sri Lanka vows crackdown on illegal activities by Israeli tourists

  • Government reacts to complaints over emergence of Israeli-run businesses and place of worship in Arugam Bay
  • Last month, Sri Lankan civil groups demanded screenings of Israeli visitors to keep out potential war criminals
Updated 08 January 2025
Mohammed Rasooldeen

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka will crack down on reported illegal activities carried out by Israeli tourists, its prime minister said on Wednesday, following a series of complaints since last year regarding their arrivals in the country.

A total of 25,514 Israelis visited Sri Lanka in 2024, according to government data. One of their favorite destinations is Arugam Bay, a small town on the southeastern coast, which is widely recognized as one of the world’s best surfing spots.

The predominantly Muslim region made international headlines in October last year, when US and Israeli authorities warned visitors of what they said was a “terrorist threat” focused on tourist areas and beaches. The alleged threat followed a series of altercations between Israelis and local residents.

Social media posts by visitors to Arugam Bay and complaints by locals themselves indicate that many of the arriving Israelis come for vacations after taking part in the ongoing deadly onslaught on Palestinians in Gaza.

Residents have also complained over the emergence of Israeli businesses in the area and the establishment of a Chabad house — a Jewish community center and place of worship.

Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya said during Wednesday’s parliament session that Sri Lankan authorities have not granted “any permission for Israeli citizens to build religious places of worship or related buildings” and “the government will take prompt action to stop it.”

Responding to questions raised by opposition lawmaker Mujibur Rahman, she also addressed reports regarding Israelis running businesses in the area.

“We have identified this as a problem. Action will be taken against this, and steps will be taken to hold talks regarding it and stop such business activities,” Amarasuriya said.

“The government has not issued any visa for Israelis to engage in business activities in Sri Lanka, especially under tourist visas. They are engaging in such activities by violating our laws.”

The government’s reaction follows last month’s protests in Sri Lanka’s capital and a petition by civil society groups demanding special screenings of Israelis arriving in the country.

The direct trigger for the protest was the identification of at least one Israeli tourist as a soldier accused of war crimes.

The man was spotted in Sri Lanka by the Hind Rajab Foundation, a nongovernmental organization based in Belgium, which pursues legal action against Israeli military personnel involved in the killing of tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza over the past 15 months.

Swasthika Arulingam, a human rights lawyer and leader of the People’s Struggle Movement, which helped organize the protest, slammed the former Israeli personnel.

She said those “coming here after/between service rounds, taking rest or time off from attacking Palestinians in the ongoing genocide,” and their “sympathizers who hold vigils and events for their genocidal comrades” were the most problematic groups of tourists arriving in the country and often spotted in Arugam Bay.

“We are also hearing stories of illegal tourist businesses being carried out by Israelis in Sri Lanka,” she told Arab News.

“The local economy is impacted by the factor these people are running operations in Sri Lanka making use of resources here and not paying their dues.”

The recent “terrorist threat” warning by the US has also affected the local community.

“Local residents and local tourism providers have told us that in the last couple of weeks, the advisories and threats have meant their own properties are subject to surveillance and checking from the military,” Arulingam said.

“As citizens of Sri Lanka, we are yet to know if there were actual security concerns or was this simply bullying tactics by the US to keep Sri Lanka in check. We are concerned regarding what’s transpiring in Arugam Bay.”

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