If you have gas, that’s good

ABU DHABI --- Shell and the Masdar Institute of Technology recently underscored the important role gas will play in the region's energy transition at a landmark educational session for members of the Young Future Energy Leaders (YFEL) outreach programme.

The growing importance of gas as a part of the regional energy mix and the benefits of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) in achieving a sustainable energy future were discussed with the region's future leaders in the fields of energy, who are part of this unique outreach programme led by Masdar Institute.

The second annual knowledge seminar at the Masdar Institute campus is part of Shell's ongoing commitment to the UAE's youth and is aligned with the UAE vision 2021's pillar of developing a diversified knowledge-based economy. It aims to nurture participant's skills and knowledge through engaging them with energy leaders of today in learning opportunities.

In attendance at the seminar were members of Shell's leadership team, officials and members of YFEL from Masdar Institute.

Speaking at the workshop, Rafi Baghdijian, Chief Operating Officer for Shell Abu Dhabi, said, "The MENA region is not only a key producing and exporting region, it also has an exponentially growing demand. By 2020, it is estimated to be the second largest gas market and by 2035 energy demand is estimated to increase by 60%. Natural gas is shaping up to be a natural choice to meet this demand, as the region holds 40% of the world's proven reserves; and accelerating the deployment of gas supports two elements of a 'clean and green' energy system. It allows the global economy to begin decarbonising today and it complements the development of renewables and other innovative low carbon energy technologies."

"Developing an energy system that enables countries in the region to establish sustainability while making responsible choices on climate change can be effectively addressed through investment in gas and LNG. And we are seeing many countries in the region investing in LNG - Dubai & Kuwait are operational, while Abu Dhabi has committed to the development of a terminal in Fujairah and Jordan is already importing LNG," he continued.

Dr. Lamya Fawwaz, Vice-President, Institutional Advancement and Public Affairs, Masdar Institute, said, "This annual experiential seminar has become one of the most important events on the YFEL calendar as it enables YFEL members to engage with industry leadership in discussions relevant to their daily lives and with a direct impact on their future and that of the region. Masdar Institute continues to invest in research and development while creating human and intellectual capital in the energy sector. Our collaborative efforts in this regard are complementary and will definitely pave a way to achieve sustainability."

YFEL invests in sharing knowledge with students and young professionals in the fields of renewable energy and sustainability.

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                   peanuts.wikia.com

Yes, in Hindi

DUBAI --- The General Authority for Regulating the Telecommunications Sector, TRA, has announced that UAE mGovernment has added Hindi as a language of communication through its official Twitter account with the aim to elevate public engagement and open more communication channels, in addition to raising awareness among various public sectors about the mGovernement’s concept and services.

Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, UAE TRA Director-General, said, "This initiative reflects UAE government’s respect to its residents’ diverse cultures and civilisations. It also emphasises the government’s keenness on interacting with the people and hearing their voices through different social media platforms. This comes in the context of the eParticipation process implemented by the mGovernment. The eParticipation extends over three phases as it commences with providing information, then opening the door for receiving feedback, reaching the third stage which is using the public’s views in the decision making process to enhance the services and promote mGovernment’s online presence."

The Indian community is the largest in UAE, and its working in numerous sectors marking the majority of customers using the mGovernment’s services.

The 14th of September marked the first Hindi tweet’s birth. The tweet was highly welcomed by mGovernment’s followers as they sensed government’s respect for their cultures and its keenness to open more communication channels with them. mGovernment joined Twitter in January 2011 and succeeded in attracting more than 200,000 followers. It is this commitment to leadership that qualified UAE to stand 13th globally in eParticipation index and to be amongst the top 50 performers in the world in eParticipation, as per the UN E-Government Survey Report.

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Prestigious award goes to…

ABU DHABI --- Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid Al Qasimi, Minister of International Cooperation and Development (Micad) of the UAE, and Chair of UAE Committee for the Coordination of Foreign Humanitarian Aid, has been honored by the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) with the Clinton Global Citizen Award for her leadership in public service, making her the first Emirati to receive the honor.

Sheikha Lubna dedicated the honour to the top leaders of the UAE. The award recognises remarkable individuals for their leadership and impact in improving the lives of people around the globe and exemplify global citizenship through their vision and leadership.

The Award recognises Sheikha Lubna's outstanding role in her country's efforts in the humanitarian and global arena.

Sheikha Lubna is the second awardee from a GCC country since the award’s inception in 2008. Honourees include members of NGO’s, academia, the private sector, philanthropists, or public servants.

The event was hosted by former U.S. President Bill Clinton. The award was presented to Sheikha Lubna at a ceremony in New York. The ceremony was attended by Dr. Sultan al Jaber, Minister of State and head of the UAE/Egypt Liaison Office, Reem Al Hashimi, Minister of State, and Ambassador Lana Nusseibeh, the Permanent Representative of the UAE to the United Nations.

"I am humbled by this recognition, and, with gratitude, I stand before all of you today to receive this award on behalf of my country, the United Arab Emirates," said Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi.

"Allow me to say that this is not about me, I am representing my country the UAE, which, with the guidance of the founding father of the UAE, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, has set a policy of giving to all those in need regardless of race, color and religion . I am here, holding this award, because I am very fortunate to have been given the opportunity by the UAE leadership to be the first-ever female minister, and more importantly, to be an agent of positive change."

"I dedicate this award to President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces," Lubna Al Qasimi added.

Established in 2007, the Clinton Global Citizen Awards embody President Bill Clinton’s call to action by honoring outstanding individuals who have proven that diverse sectors of society can work together successfully to devise solutions that effect positive, lasting social change.

Nominated by Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) members, CGI staff, and other global leaders, honorees are chosen based on their innovative approaches, and on the demonstrated results and sustainability of their work. Through their uncommon abilities to strengthen civil society, these visionaries inspire us all to take action and to become true global citizens.

Although still a relatively young and developing country, the UAE has risen to become the world’s most generous donor in the last two consecutive years, providing official development assistance above the target of 0.7 percent of gross national income (1.34% in 2013, and 1.17% in 2014), and provides extensive support to fellow developing countries.

These achievements have been driven by the visionary leadership, effective policies and initiatives undertaken across the UAE.

Could you tell which is the best economy?

Commenting on the launch of the report, His Excellency Essa Kazim, Secretary General of DIEDC said: "While we celebrate the achievements of Dubai's leadership in the Islamic finance domain that have led to the emirate outpacing top global financial centres in sukuk listing, we are confident the trillion dollar industry will continue to drive innovative ideas for future investments and help enhance competitiveness across the world to create new avenues for the growth of the whole ecosystem. The State of the Global Islamic Economy Report and Index 2015 can serve as a roadmap for a world of future opportunities that investors globally can tap into."

Abdulla Mohammed Al Awar, CEO of DIEDC said, "With the launch of this report Dubai reinforces its position as a reliable research reference in Islamic economy. We are pleased with the positive results revealed by the SGIE 2015 and the promising indicators on the sectors' growth, as well as on the progress of the UAE among the most active and healthiest Islamic economy ecosystems."

Commenting on the insights, Hassan Al Hashemi, Vice President of International Relations at Dubai Chamber , said, "These impressive growth figures point towards opportunities within a multitude of sectors in the coming years. This is the right time to be discussing ideas and crafting a roadmap of how to better serve Muslims across different geographies, seize the opportunities and in turn, further grow this market."

Commenting on the report, Mustafa Adil, Acting Head of Islamic Finance at Thomson Reuters , said, "The SGIE 2015-2016 report will provide an in-depth picture of the sectors contributing to the phenomenal growth of the Islamic economy, from outlook to key trends, this is effectively a guide for entrepreneurs and businesses to help them better understand the market in different regions and make informed choices and decisions."

At a time when the global economy recorded growth of just 2.6 percent in 2014, with growth estimates increasing to 3.1 and 3.3 percent in 2015 and 2016 respectively, the Islamic economy is seeing steady expansion overall, particularly in Islamic banking and finance as international financial institutions increasingly look to apply Sharia-compliant financial practices to investments that meet requirements for sustainability and economic development. Meanwhile, the abundance of Islamic assets and wealth has led to greater interest in sukuk issuance from investors seeking fixed returns with lower risk over the long term.

According to the report, 2015 has seen a number of emerging trends across the different sectors of Islamic economy. In the halal food sector, where Muslim consumer spending reached US$1.1 billion in 2014, new partnerships were formed between countries like Malaysia and South Africa as well as the UAE and South Korea. Further corporate sukuk issuance in Malaysia and the UAE has helped maintain the positive momentum in the Islamic finance market, which grew to US$1.8 billion in 2014. This growth has been supported by regional initiatives such as a joint venture between Bahrain and the UAE and the launch of Cameroon's Afriland First Bank's Islamic window.

The report also covers emerging trends in the areas of halal fashion - which in 2014 boasted a predominantly Muslim market size of US$230 billion, as well as tourism, media and recreation, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.

Amidst these findings, GIES 2015 will host more than 60 international speakers across 15 sessions, and convene over 2,000 policymakers, thinkers and business leaders. The summit will examine the changing dynamics of Islamic economy and the momentum Islamic sectors such as halal food and halal fashion are gaining on both regional and international levels. Innovation is a key area of focus this year, anchoring the discussion for a number of panels around halal tourism, halal industry and Islamic digital economy, as well as the Innovation4Impact competition.

Keynote speakers at GIES 2015 include His Highness Prince Mohammadu Sanussi II, Emir of Kano, His Excellency Sultan Bin Saeed Al Mansoori, UAE Minister of Economy, and His Excellency Mubarak Rashed Al Mansoori, Governor of Central Bank of the UAE. Other speakers include Tirad Mahmood, CEO of ADIB, Jamal Bin Ghalaita, CEO of Emirates Islamic Bank, and Dr Aiad Alkhatib, Head of Corporate Regulatory & Scientific Affairs at Nestle Middle East. These speakers and many others will headline the sessions that will focus on the seven core pillars of Islamic economy: Islamic finance, halal industry, family tourism, Islamic knowledge, Islamic arts and design, Islamic digital economy, and Islamic standards.

They just love Brazilian coffee

DUBAI --- Statistics released by the Brazilian Coffee Exporters Council (Cecafe) marked a noticeable rise in exports from Brazil to the Arab region to US$134.5 million in the period between January and August of this year.

The substantial numbers represent a 4.67 per cent increase compared to exports from the previous year, highlighting the rapidly expanding trade relations between the two regions.

Region-wise, Europe was the leading destination of Brazilian coffee exports from January to August of 2015, followed by North America, Asia and South America. Although many countries have exhibited strong interest and wide purchasing power for these exports, the top buying countries in the past year were the United States, Germany, Italy and Japan.

The council said the positive trend has impacted many facets of Arab-Brazilian trade relations. Total exports from Brazil have reached US$4.087 billion so far, up one per cent over the first eight months of 2014. The numbers show no sign of slowing down, with August recording export revenues at US$451.7 million. Overall, 23.4 million bags of coffee have been shipped abroad.

Dr. Michel Alaby, Secretary General and CEO, Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, said the increasing number of exports between Brazil and the Arab region is a strong indicator of the dynamic and rapidly evolving trade relations between the two parties.

The growing revenues, Alaby added, are largely due to the popularity of Brazilian coffee among people in the Gulf, which has encouraged Brazil to better address the rising demand.

Image by: gulfbusiness.com

After the polls, what?

Warsaw – Bogdan Borusewicz, Marshal (Speaker) of the Senate of Poland, during a meeting with the UAE Ambassador to Poland, Dr. Yousuf Isa Al Sabri, has applauded the experiment of the Federal National Council elections abroad as carefully planned.

The meeting discussed the vital role of the UAE embassy in enhancing UAE-Poland's ties, notably parliamentary co-operation, in light of the ongoing FNC elections.

The UAE envoy emphasized that the UAE embassy in Warsaw would spare no effort to further bolster bilateral ties, noting that tireless efforts were being exerted to advance parliamentary co-operation and benefit from the Polish experience in this respect.

He said the UAE embassies and diplomatic missions overseas had received voters for the important FNC elections, which he said constitutes the cornerstone for deepening the sense of loyalty of the Emirati citizens for their nation and its democratic principles and values as well as respect for human rights.

Al Sabri expressed his thanks to the government of Poland for its assistance, which he said, had contributed to the success of the electoral process.

Borusewicz lauded the role of the UAE in supporting development and maintaining stability in the region and its constructive steps towards promoting democracy in the UAE.

Expressing satisfaction over the outstanding bilateral ties, Borusewicz hoped for further efforts to scale ties to new heights, emphasizing Poland's readiness to co-operate in the parliamentary field.

Image by: www.polskieradio.pl

This airline continues to soar

ABU DHABI -- Etihad Airways has signed a five-year, multi-million Dollar agreement with British Telecom, BT, one of the world’s leading providers of communications services and solutions, to virtualise its global contact centres. The partnership has enhanced the airline’s guest experience by reducing call waiting times, introducing new servicing capabilities, and providing services in 15 languages.

Based on a Cisco platform, the cloud-based contact centre solution, BT Cloud Contact Cisco, is enabling Etihad Airways to seamlessly route calls from 40 countries to any one of 450 multi-lingual agents available across its three contact centres in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain in the UAE, and Manchester in the UK.

By making a single virtual entity of the UAE and UK contact centre locations, the airline ensures that guests receive high-quality service by automatically transferring calls to the right agent with the right skills, irrespective of where the guest calls from. In addition to improved service levels, this approach has significantly reduced the average time to answer calls by more than 30 percent.

Peter Baumgartner, Etihad Airways’ Chief Commercial Officer, said, "We are always searching for new ways to raise the guest experience bar and this intelligent, reliable technology will help us achieve that by making a significant difference to our contact centre management.

"With this agile, innovative solution, our contact centre teams can now efficiently manage inbound traffic and virtualise resources. It helps us work smartly, but importantly, it supports the company’s rapid global growth with an increased focus on the guest."

Robert Webb, Etihad Airways’ Chief Information and Technology Officer, added, "This agreement aligns perfectly with our technology and innovation strategy of delivering a world-class digital guest experience by creating services that seamlessly integrate and personalise all guest interactions with the airline."

Etihad Airways’ three virtually integrated contact centres operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and manage more than three million calls per year from around the world.

Luis Alvarez, CEO, BT Global Services, said, "We are proud to work with Etihad Airways for the first phase of its Global Contact Centre Virtualisation project and to be a provider of their global customer experience platform."

Image by: www.alternativeairlines.com

There’s money for new enterprises

ABU DHABI -- FGB, one of the leading banks in the UAE, has said that it has become the first bank in the country to offer a one-stop financing solution for UAE start-ups.

The bank’s new Startup Proposition offers new businesses a range of financial solutions from business current accounts and business credit cards, to start-up loans, overdrafts and trade/working capital facilities, with no collateral required.

The start-up package is designed to support new businesses in the initial stages of their business venture. New businesses can access a 'no minimum balance' current account and Platinum Visa business credit card in the first six months of operation, along with an overdraft or a start-up loan after six months. Business ventures within the first 18 to 24 months of operation have a combination of cash loans and trade facilities available to them.

There are over 350,000 SMEs operating within the UAE, which represent almost 92 percent of the total number of UAE companies and provide more than 86 percent of jobs in the private sector. They also account for over 60 percent of the country’s GDP, but only around 4 percent of total lending in the country. Facilitating access to finance for SMEs is considered essential for fostering economic growth in the UAE and supporting these businesses is currently a top priority for both the government and business community.

Hana Al Rostamani, Head of Consumer Banking at FGB, said, "Starting any new business requires funding, however SMEs often find it difficult to access the financial support they need to get up and running, and start operating efficiently. With the launch of our new Startup Proposition, we want to meet businesses’ immediate requirements and cater to their needs at each stage, without collaterals required. As part of our efforts to further develop the SME segment in the UAE, we’re looking to build long-term partnerships with local businesses and support them throughout their business journey."

Image by: www.uaeinteract.com

Can’t find our voting center? Use your smartphone

A smart application - developed by the Dubai Police - that provides information to voters and candidates ahead of tomorrow's Federal National Council (FNC) elections, has been reviewed by senior officials.

Dr. Anwar Mohammed Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, who also serves as Minister of State for FNC Affairs and Head of the National Election Commission, and Lt-General Saif Abdullah Al Shafaar, Undersecretary of Ministry of Interior who is also Head of the Higher Security Committee for FNC Election, have reviewed the smart application released by the committee tasked to secure the events held in Dubai.

The two top officials have been briefed on the advantages of the smart application for voters like providing them with information about the polling stations and it is also supported with a GPS navigation map, which would help and guide voters to reach the polling stations easily. The application can tell a voter where he or she could park their cars, in addition to locating the parking space where they parked their cars when walking out of the polling station.

The application can help a user locate the place of an event held in Dubai, and guide him/her how to arrive there due to the navigation system linked to the application.

There they go

ABU DHABI: The UAE ladies team of riders, defending champions in the individual and team competitions of the Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival-sponsored Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Endurance CEIO ride, were confident of a good show in the 100-km event which will be held here in Verona, Italy on Sunday.

Afra Al Suwaidi, the individual gold medal winner and also member of the Team championship in last year’s ride, said: “We are confident. We have had a feel of the terrain here and though it is a bit hot we are looking forward to a good ride tomorrow.”

Shathra Al Hajaj, one of the more experienced riders who could not complete last year, said: “I have a young horse and the gravel terrain will be a challenging one. But I will be looking to ensure we ride according to team tactics and will be happy to finish and help the team’s cause.”

Apart from the Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Endurance CEIO ride, the Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival Cup will also be held on Sunday.

Earlier on Friday evening the riders taking part in the FEI World Championship for Young Horses and the officials took part in a parade which was followed by a horse parade at the historic Segurta Park at the Valeggio Sul Mincio in Verona.

The show-stopper was the great stallion Akbar – a champion Purebred Arabian race horse and a highly-successful sire (Sire of Mizzna, Nieshan etc) — and he did a proud final bow before being retired for good. Organising Committee chief James Coppini welcomed the gathering which included Saqr Nasser Ahmed Al Raisi, the UAE Ambassador to Italy, Aref Alawani, General Secretary of Abu Dhabi Sports Council, Dr Abdulla Elreyes, Director-General of the UAE National Archives, Ministry of Presidential Affairs, Sultan Zakaria Aouda National Feed and Flour Production and Marketing Co. LLC, Lara Sawaya, Executive Director of the Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival, Chairperson of the International Federation of Horse Racing Academies (IFHRA)  and Chairperson  of Ladies & Apprentice Racing Committees in the International Federation of Arabian Horse Racing Authorities.

Sawaya announced that the top five winners of the World Championship for Young Horses and the members of the top three teams in the Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Endurance CEIO ride along with the Jury and vet teams will be invited to the Nov.3-9 ‘One World, 6 Continents’ finale of the Festival in Abu Dhabi.

“We will also invite the lady riders of the top three teams to take part in the Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak ride on Nov.28 in Abu Dhabi,” she said.

Tourists are flocking here

ABU DHABI – The UAE holds a prominent place on the world tourism map as an attractive destination for visitors given its wonderful, historic and archaeological landmarks and rich heritage, Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development, and Chairman of the National Council for Tourism and Antiquities, said.

In a message on World Tourism Day, which falls on 27th September each year, Sheikh Nahyan commended efforts being made by the UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) for promoting the industry. World Tourism Day is celebrated on that day since 1980. This date coincides with the anniversary of the adoption of the UNWTO Statutes on 27 September 1970.

''Tourism is an effective tool not only for successful economic development but also for the development of the environment and rationalisation and motivation of human behaviour to conserve and preserve history, heritage and culture and other successive achievements,'' Sheikh Nahyan underscored.

He highlighted the strategic importance of the UAE as an active centre of human activities through time and place.

''Today we are living a prosperous life that we are all proud of under the wise leadership of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan,'' he added.

He also acknowledged that the UAE’s citizens are reaping the benefits of a successful and sound foreign policy. The exemption of the UAE’s citizens from a Schengen visa is strong evidence of the European Union’s confidence in the country’s tourists and a recognition of its renewed roles in reality, notably its warm welcome to tourists from across the world to have a memorable experience and allow them to immerse themselves in the rich history, culture, heritage and diverse nature of the UAE.

Under the theme ‘One billion tourists, one billion opportunities’, World Tourism Day 2015 emphasizes the impact of the sector on economic growth, job creation and development.

In this regard, the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon states in his message on the occasion of World Tourism Day "let us work together to maximize the immense potential of tourism to drive inclusive economic growth, protect the environment and promote sustainable development and a life of dignity for all."

With five consecutive years of growth, tourism has been a major contributor to the economic recovery, creating jobs and opportunities for communities in many parts of the world. With an increase of 4% in international tourist arrivals in the first semester of 2015, the sector follows an increasing trend that is estimated to reach 1.8 billion international tourists by the year 2030.

"Every time we travel we are part of a global movement that has the power to drive inclusive development, to create jobs and to build the sustainable societies we want for our future," said UNWTO Secretary General, Taleb Rifai in his World Tourism Day message. "This movement also contributes to build mutual understanding and to safeguard our shared natural and cultural heritage," he added.

A transformative force, tourism brings livelihood opportunities and helps alleviate poverty, making a genuine difference in the lives of millions of people. At present, international tourism contributes $US 1.5 billion to global trade representing 30% of the world?s service exports, a share that goes up to 45% in Least Developed Countries (LDCs). Tourism also plays a key role in fostering multicultural understanding and contributing to the preservation of cultural and natural heritage.

This linkage is particularly relevant as the international community prepares to adopt the post-2015 agenda with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) where tourism has been identified as a sector that "creates jobs and promotes local culture and products".

What did they talk about?

                                           

NEW YORK – H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Foreign Minister, has met with the United Nations Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, in New York.

The meeting was held on the sidelines of Sheikh Abdullah's participation in the 70th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 70).

The two sides reviewed their stance pertaining to the latest developments of the Syrian crisis. Sheikh Abdullah was also briefed on de Mistura's plan regarding the Syrian dossier, during the meeting.

Sheikh Abdullah emphasised the UAE's unwavering stance towards the ongoing conflict in Syria and ways to put an end to it through a comprehensive political solution. He also stressed the UAE's support for all the efforts exerted by de Mistura to the political process, which would contribute to ending the conflict and terrorism that destroyed Syria and destabilised the entire region.

They also tackled the aid provided by the UAE to Syria, both, through the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees or through direct assistance to the refugee camps in Jordan, as well as other efforts aimed at alleviating the suffering of the Syrian people, stressing the UAE's commitment to continue its support to the Syrians.

Ambassador Lana Zaki Nusseibeh, Permanent Representative of the UAE to the United Nations, also attended the meeting.

More military Hardware goes to...

                                                          

BEIRUT --- The US has extended a total of US$59 million in military aid to the Lebanese army, mainly frontier security equipment, US Ambassador to Lebanon David Hale said here Wednesday.

Speaking to journalists following a meeting with Lebanese Prime Minister Tammam Salam, Hale said his country had recently received a basic payment of Saudi funds for buying US additional military equipment to help the Lebanese army.

The US ambassador added that such funds, together with US finance, would surely help the Lebanese army in continuously developing its military capabilities, according to Kuwait News Agency, KUNA.

Since the outbreak of the Syrian crisis, the US has already offered around US$1 billion in humanitarian aid to the communities which host Syrian refugees in Lebanon, he noted.

However, the US ambassador said different types of assistance cannot create stability that should be provided by good governance only.

He added it was time for the Lebanese parliament to convene and elect a new president at an early date.

Washington has offered US$1.3 billion in security aid to Lebanon over the past ten years.