Iraq repatriates 706 people from Syria camp

LONDON: Digital transformation, while crucial, is insufficient for driving true modernization in governance, Maryam Al Hammadi, the UAE’s minister of state and secretary-general of the UAE Cabinet, told attendees at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday.

Speaking on a panel titled “Governments Rewired,” Al Hammadi emphasized that digital initiatives must be paired with sweeping regulatory reforms to ensure nations remain competitive and appealing to global talent.

She said: “We need to attract talents, we need to attract entrepreneurs, so we need them to be living in the UAE.

“It’s not about attracting them alone, but actually to make them live in the UAE. And that’s why we have to do massive reform in our regulations, in all aspects.”

Al Hammadi cited the UAE’s introduction of specialized courts operating in English as an example of such reforms. She argued that without updating regulatory frameworks, countries risked widening bureaucratic gaps as technology and industries evolved, discouraging both investment and talent retention.

She added: “In four years, 80 percent of the federal laws in the UAE have been changed, more than 40 laws in the UAE have been rebuilt and 30 new laws introduced.” She said that 99 percent of government services had been digitally transformed.

Al Hammadi highlighted that the rapid pace of technological advance had significantly elevated expectations, making modernization not a “luxury” but a “necessity” for governments to remain relevant, competitive, and effective.

Artificial intelligence and its potential to bridge global divides dominated discussions both on and off the forum’s panels. While many speakers championed AI’s ability to foster development, concerns about growing protectionism and restricted access to the technology persisted.

Achim Steiner, administrator of the UN Development Programme, highlighted the importance of adopting a decentralized and agile approach to AI governance.

He said: “What I sometimes find intriguing is that the AI narrative of Davos is sometimes somewhat removed from the narrative that I hear in the rest of the world.”

He pointed out that much of AI’s foundational research had been publicly funded, emphasizing the role of governments in shaping AI’s trajectory.

“We often pretend that all of this is just a commercial and business value proposition. Actually, much of the fundamental research is publicly funded,” Steiner said, stressing the critical role of governments in fostering innovation.

He further argued that while fundamental research helped to lay the groundwork, the real challenge was at the other end — how these applications could drive entirely new economic trajectories, create markets, and establish platforms.

Steiner stressed the importance of governments striking a balance between being “enablers and regulators” in this process, adding: “Society leads technology, and not always technology leads society.”

Former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair said that while technological advance presented a concrete opportunity to “transform,” how “government understands, masters and harnesses the technology revolution is the single biggest thing for government to get its head around today.”

He added: “This is the challenge, both for the developed world and the developing world.”

BEIRUT: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan has congratulated Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on his election as president on behalf of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Following his meeting with Aoun at the Presidential Palace, which lasted about half an hour, Prince Faisal said that they discussed “developments in the region; I conveyed to him the Kingdom’s support for Lebanon and its brotherly people in all fields.”

He emphasized “the importance of adhering to the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon and the importance of implementing Resolution 1701.”

Prince Faisal said that Saudi Arabia was “optimistic about Lebanon’s future, in light of the reformist approach outlined in the president’s inaugural address.”

He added: “We have great confidence in the president and the prime minister-designate to implement the required reforms in Lebanon, which will enhance the world’s confidence in Lebanon and contribute to stabilizing the political and economic situation in the country.

“We are optimistic that Lebanese leaders will seize the opportunity and work earnestly for Lebanon.”

The Kingdom, Prince Faisal said, “will continue to provide full support to Lebanon to achieve stability and development in various fields.”

He stressed the “necessity of continuous coordination between the two countries to achieve their shared goals.”

His visit marked a turning point in years of strained relations between Lebanon and Saudi Arabia.

The tension was caused by Hezbollah’s dominance over Lebanon’s political decisions over the past years, and the use of illegal crossings for drug smuggling, particularly Captagon, to Gulf states.

The Saudi minister emphasized from Davos that the election of Aoun as Lebanon’s president was a “very positive development.”

Prince Faisal welcomed the “formation of the government,” but emphasized the need for “real reforms and a forward-looking approach to ensure sustainable progress.”

He also reiterated that “the future of Lebanon rests in the hands of its people to make decisions that steer the country in a new direction.”

Meanwhile, Qatar’s ambassador to Lebanon, Saud bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, expressed hope for “the formation of the new government in Lebanon, allowing it to focus on accomplishing its awaited tasks, which would foster stability and ensure the flow of aid for Lebanon’s reconstruction.”

He highlighted “the Gulf’s interest in Lebanon, illustrated by the visits of the Saudi and Kuwaiti ministers of foreign affairs, along with the Gulf Cooperation Council’s secretary-general, to Beirut.

“I believe Israel will withdraw from the territories it recently occupied in southern Lebanon. The international ceasefire monitoring committee is fulfilling its role, with the US and France supporting this outcome.”

The ambassador also said that “Gulf nationals, including Qataris, are expected to return to Lebanon for the summer season.”

Meanwhile, Emirati businessman Khalaf Al-Habtoor said that he plans to invest in a “large and ambitious project in Lebanon once the new government is formed. The project has a vision to contribute to the economic renaissance and provide thousands of jobs, to be a real addition to support the Lebanese economy and restore confidence in it.”

However, Al-Habtoor stressed that any new investment would be contingent on the formation of a properly constituted government.

“The new government must be free of subordination and quotas, and it must not include those who ruined Lebanon, caused the collapse of the economy and instigated its wars,” he said.

“This phase requires trustworthy leaders and a Cabinet of experienced and qualified individuals who are committed to prioritizing Lebanon’s interests. Security and stability are the foundation of any recovery, and these can only be achieved through a strong and independent government capable of restoring the confidence of Lebanese, Arab and international investors.”

Al-Habtoor also cautioned that “any leniency in the formation process or acceptance of subordination will only lead to the continuation of the crisis and will close the doors of investment and renaissance to Lebanon and its people.”