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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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Biden to host Jordan king next week amid Gaza talks

Updated 4 sec ago
AFP
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Biden to host Jordan king next week amid Gaza talks

  • Hamas accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday of trying to derail the proposed Gaza deal with his threats to launch an operation in Rafah
  • Israel has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory
Updated 4 sec ago
AFP

WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden will host Jordan’s King Abdullah II next week, the White House said Friday, as negotiations continue in the Middle East for a ceasefire in Gaza.
The meeting will be “private” and will be followed by a readout, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters, without giving a date for the encounter.
The meeting comes against the backdrop of talks for a deal to release hostages and secure a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza after nearly seven months of war.
The talks, which come after months of efforts by mediators Egypt, Qatar and the United States to broker a new agreement between the combatants, are at a critical juncture.
The United States has urged the Palestinian militant group to accept the “extraordinarily generous” offer.
But Hamas accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday of trying to derail the proposed Gaza deal with his threats to launch an operation in Rafah.
King Abdullah II last visited the White House in February when he called for an immediate ceasefire and warned an attack on Rafah would cause a “humanitarian catastrophe.”
In April, Jordan worked alongside the United States and other allies to shoot down Iranian drones that Tehran sent toward Israel, with the kingdom keen to avoid a wider conflict.
 

 

Topics: War on Gaza Palestine Gaza US

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Austin: No indication Hamas planning attack on US troops

Updated 03 May 2024
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Austin: No indication Hamas planning attack on US troops

  • Israel has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry
Updated 03 May 2024
Reuters

WASHINGTON: US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said he did not see any indication Hamas was planning any attack on US troops in Gaza but added adequate measures were being put in place for the safety of military personnel.
“I don’t discuss intelligence information at the podium. But I don’t see any indications currently that there is an active intent to do that,” Austin said during a press briefing.
“Having said that ... this is a combat zone and a number of things can happen, and a number of things will happen.”
Austin’s remarks came as the US military said it was temporarily pausing the offshore construction of a maritime pier because of weather conditions and instead would continue building it at the Israeli Port of Ashdod.

FASTFACT

The US military says it is temporarily pausing the offshore construction of a maritime pier because of weather conditions.

The maritime pier, once built, will be placed off the coast of Gaza in a bid to speed the flow of humanitarian aid into the enclave.
“Forecasted high winds and high sea swells caused unsafe conditions for soldiers working on the surface of the partially constructed pier,” the US military said in a statement.
“The partially built pier and military vessels involved in its construction have moved to the Port of Ashdod, where assembly will continue,” it added.
Earlier this week, the Pentagon said about 50 percent of the pier had been constructed.
Israel has sought to demonstrate it is not blocking aid to Gaza, especially since President Joe Biden issued a stark warning to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying Washington’s policy could shift if Israel fails to take steps to address civilian harm, humanitarian suffering, and the safety of aid workers.
US officials and aid groups say some progress has been made but warn it is insufficient, amid stark warnings of imminent famine among Gaza’s 2.3 million people.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza — which has been devastated by more than six months of Israeli operations against Hamas — remains dire, with a senior US administration official saying last week that the territory’s entire population of 2.2 million people is facing food insecurity.

 

Topics: War on Gaza Palestine US Hamas

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Canada police charge three with murder of Sikh leader Nijjar

Updated 03 May 2024
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Canada police charge three with murder of Sikh leader Nijjar

  • Nijjar was a Canadian citizen campaigning for the creation of Khalistan, an independent Sikh homeland
Updated 03 May 2024
Reuters

OTTAWA: Canadian police said on Friday they had arrested and charged three Indian nationals with the murder of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June 2023 and said they were probing possible links to the Indian government.

Nijjar, 45, was shot dead outside a Sikh temple in Surrey, a Vancouver suburb with a large Sikh population. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has cited evidence of Indian government involvement, prompting a diplomatic crisis with New Delhi.

Assistant Commissioner David Teboul said the matter was still under investigation and other probes were being carried out. These “include investigating connections to the government of India,” he told a televised news conference.

Nijjar was a Canadian citizen campaigning for the creation of Khalistan, an independent Sikh homeland carved out of India. The presence of Sikh separatist groups in Canada has long frustrated New Delhi, which had labeled Nijjar a “terrorist.”

Last week the White House expressed concern about the reported role of the Indian intelligence service in assassination plots in Canada and the United States.

Topics: Canada India

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India’s Rahul Gandhi to contest elections from family borough

Updated 03 May 2024
Reuters
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India’s Rahul Gandhi to contest elections from family borough

  • Gandhi contests polls from second seat in family bastion
  • Emotional moment to contest from Raebareli, Gandhi says
Updated 03 May 2024
Reuters

NEW DELHI: Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi will contest the general election from the family bastion in the north, his Congress Party announced on Friday, a move that will challenge Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a region he dominates.

Gandhi, the scion of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty, will contest from Raebareli in politically crucial Uttar Pradesh state, Congress said, in addition to Wayanad in Kerala state in the south, which has already voted. India allows candidates to contest multiple constituencies but they can represent only one.
Uttar Pradesh is India’s most populous state and elects 80 lawmakers to the lower house of parliament, the most of any state. In the last election in 2019, Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party and allies won 64 seats, including from Amethi, adjacent to Raebareli, where Gandhi was defeated.
His return to the area, albeit for a second constituency, will invigorate the party, Congress officials said.
Gandhi said being nominated from Raebareli was an “emotional moment” for him.
“My mother has entrusted me with the responsibility ... with great confidence and given me the opportunity to serve it,” he posted on X.
“In the ongoing battle for justice and against injustice, I seek the love and blessings of my loved ones. I am confident that all of you are standing with me in this battle to save the constitution and democracy,” he said.
Gandhi’s mother Sonia won from Raebareli in 2019, which has returned a Congress candidate in 17 of the 20 elections held there since 1952, mostly members of the Gandhi family. Sonia Gandhi is now a member of the upper house of parliament.
Modi is widely expected to win a rare third term in the general election that got underway on April 19 and concludes on June 1, with votes set to be counted on June 4.
However, analysts say a low voter turnout in the first two phases of the seven-phase election has dampened hopes of a huge majority for the party, although they said the BJP was still likely to retain power in the world’s most populous nation.
Soon after the announcement, Gandhi flew to Raebareli in a private aircraft, accompanied by his mother Sonia, sister Priyanka and senior Congress leaders, and filed his nomination papers.
Modi and the BJP attacked Gandhi for the decision.
“I had said that the prince will lose in Wayanad and in fear of his loss ... he will look for another seat,” Modi said on Friday, referring to Gandhi.
“I also want to tell them wholeheartedly, do not be afraid, do not run away,” Modi said.
Congress has ruled India for 54 of its 76 years since independence from Britain, and members of the Nehru-Gandhi family were prime ministers for more than 37 of those 54 years.
However, the party has floundered since it was swept out of power by Modi in 2014 and has been struggling to revive itself.
Gandhi contesting from Raebareli is good news for the opposition INDIA alliance of 27 parties that Congress leads, said Rasheed Kidwai, political analyst and visiting fellow at New Delhi’s Observer Research Foundation.
“The significance of Rahul contesting here is that it will boost the alliance with Samajwadi Party,” Kidwai said referring to the regional partner of Congress in Uttar Pradesh. “The opposition story is not all that bad and this will force a contest with BJP.”

 

Topics: India Rahul Gandhi India's Congress party

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Defense chiefs from US, Australia, Japan and Philippines vow to deepen cooperation

Updated 03 May 2024
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Defense chiefs from US, Australia, Japan and Philippines vow to deepen cooperation

  • Defense chiefs from the four nations held their first meeting in Singapore last year
Updated 03 May 2024
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HONOLULU: Defense chiefs from the US, Australia, Japan and the Philippines vowed to deepen their cooperation as they gathered Thursday in Hawaii for their second-ever joint meeting amid concerns about China’s operations in the South China Sea.
The meeting came after the four countries last month held their first joint naval exercises in the South China Sea, a major shipping route where Beijing has long-simmering territorial disputes with a number of Southeast Asian nations and has caused alarm with its recent assertiveness in the waters.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters at a news conference after their discussion that the drills strengthened the ability of the nations to work together, build bonds among their forces and underscore their shared commitment to international law in the waterway.

HIGHLIGHT

The meeting came after the four countries last month held their first joint naval exercises in the South China Sea, a major shipping route where Beijing has long-simmering territorial disputes with a number of Southeast Asian nations and has caused alarm with its recent assertiveness in the waters.

Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles said the defense chiefs talked about increasing the tempo of their defense exercises.
“Today, the meetings that we have held represent a very significant message to the region and to the world about four democracies which are committed to the global rules-based order,” Marles said at the joint news conference with his counterparts.
Austin hosted the defense chiefs at the US military’s regional headquarters, US Indo-Pacific Command, at Camp H.M. Smith in the hills above Pearl Harbor. Earlier in the day, Austin had separate bilateral meetings with Australia and Japan followed by a trilateral meeting with Australia and Japan.
Defense chiefs from the four nations held their first meeting in Singapore last year.
The US has decades-old defense treaties with all three nations.
The US lays no claims to the South China Sea, but has deployed Navy ships and fighter jets in what it calls freedom of navigation operations that have challenged China’s claims to virtually the entire waterway. The US says freedom of navigation and overflight in the waters is in America’s national interest.
Aside from China and the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei also have overlapping claims in the resource-rich sea. Beijing has refused to recognize a 2016 international arbitration ruling that invalidated its expansive claims on historical grounds.
Skirmishes between Beijing and Manila in particular have flared since last year. Earlier this week, Chinese coast guard ships fired water cannons at two Philippine patrol vessels off off Scarborough Shoal, damaging both.
The repeated high-seas confrontations have sparked fears of a larger conflict that could put China and the United States on a collision course.. The US has warned repeatedly that it’s obligated to defend the Philippines — its oldest treaty ally in Asia — if Filipino forces, ships or aircraft come under an armed attack, including in the South China Sea.
President Joe Biden’s administration has said it aims to build what it calls a “latticework” of alliances in the Indo-Pacific even as the US grapples with the Israel-Hamas war and Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

Beijing says the strengthening of US alliances in Asia is aimed at containing China and threatens regional stability.

 

Topics: US Australia Japan Philippines

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