The conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza has caused a humanitarian crisis, with the Palestinian Health Ministry estimating that 20,000 people have been killed and 70% of those being women and children. In response, the United Arab Emirates has pledged to evacuate up to 1,000 injured children and 1,000 cancer patients by plane, and the United Nations is calling for an immediate ceasefire to end the conflict and allow for the delivery of humanitarian aid.
Posts tagged as “the United Arab Emirate”
The 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is currently underway in Dubai, UAE, presided over by Sultan Al Jaber. Al Jaber has been criticized for his attempts to use the talks to strike oil and gas deals and for his dismissal of the need to urgently phase out fossil fuels. He has argued that there is "no science" to support the idea of phasing out fossil fuels, sparking debate among those attending the conference. It remains to be seen whether a deal to phase out fossil fuels will be reached.
Leaked documents have revealed that Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, president of the 28th Conference of Parties (COP28) and CEO of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, planned to use his position to promote the UAE's oil and gas industry. This has raised questions about the potential conflict of interest and the integrity of the summit, which is focused on finding solutions to the climate crisis. Al-Jaber has also been criticized for remarks he made about the role of fossil fuels in limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken is engaging in Middle East diplomacy to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, and to protect civilians in the Gaza Strip and Israel. He has met with Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and is now in the United Arab Emirates, speaking with world leaders and the United Nations Secretary-General to find a lasting solution to the conflict.
Oil prices have surged in response to the looming Israeli ground assault on Gaza, with the Biden administration warning Israeli counterparts to show restraint and avoid mass civilian casualties. The US has also tightened sanctions on major crude-producing countries, further stoking market fears over a drop in supply as demand increases. President Biden has called Hamas' actions "pure evil" and urged all sides to de-escalate the situation and find a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
The U.S. Navy destroyer USS McFaul intervened to prevent Iranian warships from seizing two oil tankers in international waters near Oman on Wednesday. The Iranian navy attempted to get the tankers to stop, but the Navy's presence caused them to change course and leave. Both tankers continued their voyages without casualties or major damage.
SpaceX and NASA launched a mission to the International Space Station on Thursday morning, carrying two NASA astronauts, a Russian cosmonaut, and an astronaut from the United Arab Emirates. The Crew Dragon capsule detached from the Falcon 9 rocket and is expected to dock at the space station on Friday. This mission is the first time an Arab astronaut has been assigned to a long-duration spaceflight and will last roughly six months, during which the astronauts will conduct a variety of experiments and research projects.
NASA, SpaceX, and the United Arab Emirates are working together to launch a historic mission to the International Space Station on Monday. The four-man crew consists of two NASA astronauts, one Russian cosmonaut, and the first-ever UAE astronaut. This mission marks the first time that astronauts from all three countries will be working together in space, and is part of a public-private partnership between NASA and SpaceX to keep the ISS fully staffed and to return astronaut launches to US soil. It is also part of the UAE’s ambitious space program, and is expected to be a success.