Latest news with #Shakhbout
The National
20-03-2025
- Politics
- The National
Sheikh Shakhbout bin Nahyan leads humanitarian visit to refugee camp in South Sudan
Sheikh Shakhbout bin Nahyan, Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the UAE remains unwavering in its support for displaced people who have fled conflict. He made his comments during a humanitarian tour of the Gorom Refugee Camp in Juba, South Sudan, state news agency Wam reported on Thursday. Also on the tour led by Sheikh Shakhbout were senior South Sudanese officials, high-level delegations from several countries and Birtukan Ayano, Minister of State of Ethiopia. "Since its founding, humanitarian aid and the protection of civilians, particularly the sick, children, the elderly and women, have served as the foundation of the UAE's policy and approach that prioritises civilians' requirements and fulfils their needs," he said. South Sudan split from Sudan in 2011. Civil war followed and a peace deal in 2018 has yet to be fully implemented. A civil war also broke out in Sudan in April, 2023. The UN said last year that Sudan has been world's largest displacement crisis with at least 11 million displaced. Earlier this month, the UAE opened a field hospital in South Sudan to help treat vulnerable people most in need. The 100-bed Madhol Field Hospital in the country's Northern Bahr el Ghazal state aims to support those facing challenges in accessing essential services, especially urgent health care and treatment. During the tour of the refugee camp, Sheikh Shakhbout took the opportunity to emphasise "the UAE's steadfast and unwavering commitment to support all efforts to address this catastrophic crisis and to work alongside regional and international partners to ensure stability and peace for the Sudanese people". An example of this took place last month at an aid conference in which the UAE donated a substantial amount of aid. 'The UAE announced an additional $200 million of aid during the High-Level Humanitarian Conference for the People of Sudan, held in Addis Ababa," Sheikh Shakhbout said, reported Wam. "The conference, the first to be held for Sudan this year, will serve as a catalyst for future conferences that are scheduled to assist the people of Sudan. The pledge made during the conference was not merely an announcement but rather a call to the international community for action and participation.' Since the onset of the crisis, he added, the UAE has provided $600.4 million to support a humanitarian response. Furthermore, the UAE has provided U$3.5 billion of humanitarian aid over the past 10 years, sent 160 aircraft carrying relief aid, and distributed 12,000 tonnes of food, medical, and relief supplies to the people of Sudan. 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The National
09-03-2025
- Health
- The National
UAE opens field hospital in South Sudan
The UAE has opened a field hospital in South Sudan to help treat vulnerable communities most in need, state news Wam reported on Saturday. The Madhol Field Hospital in the Northern Bahr el Ghazal state of the country aims to support those facing challenges in accessing essential services, especially urgent health care and treatment. Wam said this was particularly significant amid health challenges such as the spread of malaria caused by insufficient medical services and inadequate access to medication. 'Today, as we celebrate with South Sudan and reap the benefits of our strong bilateral relations and deep-rooted values, we announce the inauguration of Madhol Field Hospital, which has a 100-bed capacity, and several specialised clinics to treat approximately two million people from the host community, South Sudanese returning from Sudan, and Sudanese refugees in Northern Bahr el Ghazal state,' said Sheikh Shakhbout bin Nahyan, Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at the opening. 'Since its founding, humanitarian aid and the protection of civilians, particularly the sick, children, the elderly, and women, have served as the foundation of the UAE's policy.' South Sudan split from Sudan in 2011. Civil war followed and a peace deal in 2018 has yet to be fully implemented. A civil war also broke out in Sudan in April, 2023. The UN has said last year that Sudan has been world's largest displacement crisis with at least 11 million displaced. The hospital is the third healthcare centre built by the UAE to provide medical services to Sudanese refugees in neighbouring countries after two previous field hospitals that were opened in Amdjarass and Abeche, Chad. Sheikh Shakhbout said the UAE had been resolute in its position in relation to the crisis in neighbouring Sudan since April 2023. The country's primary focus remains on addressing the catastrophic humanitarian situation and prioritising civilians, he said. Sheikh Shakhbout said the UAE was committed to supporting all efforts to address the crisis and to work alongside regional and international partners to ensure stability and peace for the Sudanese people. 'The UAE announced an additional US$200 million of aid during the High-Level Humanitarian Conference for the People of Sudan, held in Addis Ababa,' he said. Sheikh Shakhbout added the UAE had provided more than $600 million to support a humanitarian response and provided US$3.5 billion of humanitarian aid over the past 10 years to the people of Sudan. The opening of the hospital was attended by several ministers and officials from both the UAE and South Sudan, and international organisations. 'We express our appreciation to the UAE for its leading international humanitarian efforts in enhancing the healthcare sector in Africa, through several projects and initiatives,' said Dr Humphrey Karamagi, World Health Organisation Representative for South Sudan. Simon Uber Mawut, governor of Northern Bahr el Ghazal, said it was a 'historic day'. 'Today is the moment we have been waiting for, and we thank the UAE for constructing Madhol Field Hospital, which will aim to address health challenges in our region. Today is a historic day for the residents of Northern Bahr el Ghazal state and the entire region.' The opening of the hospital came following the directives of President Sheikh Mohamed, and under the supervision of the International Humanitarian and Philanthropic Council.
The National
02-03-2025
- Business
- The National
How the start of Abu Dhabi's oil and gas journey made a spectacular comeback
One of Abu Dhabi's newest luxury resorts, The Anantara Santorini hotel, is just 45 minutes from the capital along the E11 motorway, on the coast near Ghanadhah. But back in 1950 it was a remote and inaccessible spot, almost impossible to visit by vehicles and guarded by sabka, the deceptive mix of sand hardened with gypsum and salt that turned into a quagmire with the first rains of winter. It was on the beach here, 75 years ago, now overlooked by a five-star replica of a Greek village, that men and machines first arrived by sea to begin Abu Dhabi and the UAE's journey towards becoming an oil and gas superpower. Just 20 kilometres away lay Ras Sadr, identified as the first site for drilling by what was then known as Petroleum Development (Trucial Coast), the concession granted by the then Ruler of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Shakhbout bin Sultan. Sheikh Shakhbout was a patient man, which was fortunate as negotiations to award a concession for oil exploration in the emirate had started nearly two decades earlier. An agreement had been reached in January 1939, promising the Ruler a lump sum of 300,000 Gulf rupees, the currency of the year, and 100,000 rupees every year until oil was found. Allowing for inflation, that translates to more than Dh8.32 million for the initial instalment at today's prices, and Dh2.7 million every year after. Useful income for what was then a poor country, but nothing compared to the riches that would flow along with oil in commercial quantities. Eight months later, the Second World War broke out, with the oil company representative Basil Lermitte regretfully telling Sheikh Shakhbout that 'the company's exploration programme for this year in Your Excellency's territory has had to be temporarily abandoned owing to the international emergency'. 'Temporary' turned out to be over a decade, for even when the war ended in 1945, it would be several years before the oil men returned to begin their explorations. Finally, though, in early 1950 the British political agent in the Gulf was able to report to his superiors in London that 'The drilling rig of the Petroleum Development (Trucial Coast) Limited, has already been completed to a height 140 feet (45m) at Ras Sadr (Abu Dhabi territory) and the drilling for oil will be commenced on the 15th'. Arriving on barges, equipment was hauled to the site by a fleet of Land Rovers and massive Dodge Power Wagons. For the next 14 months, the giant rig, visible for miles across empty desert, drilled ever deeper. By April, it had become the deepest well in the Middle East at 3,962m – equal to nearly five Burj Khalifa's stacked on top of each other. And yet apparently it was all for nothing. Only traces of oil were found, and nothing to indicate significant quantities. A second well the following year near Jebel Ali also proved dry. It was only in 1958 that oil was finally struck off the coast of Abu Dhabi. The long promised oil revenue came in 1962. Ras Sadr remained as a monument to the start, if not the conclusion of the UAE's modern economic prosperity. In 1999, a small memorial was created on the drilling site, marked only by a concrete square, in a ceremony attended by three elderly Emiratis who had worked there nearly 50 years earlier. But as it turns out, Ras Sadr was not quite the failure first thought all those years ago. Last May, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc), made surprising announcement. A huge reserve of natural gas reserves had been discovered under the site with the capacity to produce 100 million standard cubic feet every 24 hours - equivalent to produce enough to supply a country of the size of Sweden for an entire day. How had not been spotted all those years ago? The answer is the huge advances in technology led by Adnoc, including a 3D mega seismic survey started in 2018 which covered the entirety of Abu Dhabi both on land and offshore. Interpreting the results of the survey using artificial intelligence and other advanced digital technologies had led to the new discovery. Three quarters of a century ago, hitting natural gas when prospecting for oil had been a dangerous hazard. Just three years after drilling ended at Ras Sadr, drilling a third well at Murban ended in tragedy when poisonous fumes from escaping sour gas caused the deaths of two oil company engineers. Once considered a nuisance in oilfields that had to be burnt in a process known as flaring, natural gas is now recognised as a value resource in great demand, with exports of liquid natural gas (LNG) from the UAE now worth over $7bn (Dh25.7bn) annually. Today, Ras Sadr stands as both a historical landmark and a testament to the UAE's ability to turn past failures into future successes. What was once dismissed as an unproductive well is now poised to play a crucial role in Abu Dhabi's energy strategy and serve as a reminder that, in the world of energy, the journey is never truly over.
The National
14-02-2025
- Politics
- The National
UAE pledges another $200 million in humanitarian funding for Sudan
The UAE on Friday pledged another $200 million in humanitarian funding for Sudan, with Minister of State Sheikh Shakhbout bin Nahyan saying the crisis in the country demands "our immediate and collective action". The UAE, Ethiopia, the African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development are hosting a high-level humanitarian conference in Addis Ababa to mobilise urgent support for the Sudanese people, as war rages between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. Representatives of countries including France, Canada and the US have joined the UAE, the UN and African partners in calling for a Ramadan ceasefire – a call previously rejected by the Sudanese army. About 190 people are set to attend the conference, including representatives from at least 50 countries and international organisations. "The situation in Sudan must be addressed and we must all address it together," Sheikh Shakhbout said during a media conference in Addis Ababa. Sudan's civil war, which started in April 2023, has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced millions and devastated the country. Famine has been detected in at least five areas of Sudan, including three camps for displaced people in Darfur, the Integrated Food Security Classification has said. The Sudanese army and the RSF have been accused of obstructing the delivery of aid during the conflict. Humanitarian groups say they have struggled to reach the most vulnerable people, especially in the western region of Darfur. 'Since April 2023, the UAE has provided over $400 million to support the Sudanese people in Sudan and neighbouring countries who have so generously welcomed Sudanese refugees," Sheikh Shakhbout said. "Today, we reaffirm our commitment to the people of Sudan by announcing an additional $200 million in humanitarian funding. This support reflects our unwavering solidarity since, in the last decade alone, we have stood by our brothers and sisters in Sudan with $3.5 billion. 'We reiterate our call on all parties to the conflict to immediately guarantee safe and unhindered humanitarian access throughout Sudan, to protect aid workers and humanitarian facilities, and to cease attacks on humanitarian operations. The urgency of this moment cannot be overstated. The UAE stands firm in its support of the Sudanese people.' Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said his country would continue to stand with Sudan in its time of need. It will offer refuge to Sudanese fleeing the conflict, he added.
