Return to Transcripts main page

Connect the World

Trump's Gaza Plan; Arab Officials Express Puzzlement, Concern and Pessimism; Trump Willing to Talk with Iran; CIA Sends Buyout Offer to Entire Workforce; The Aga Khan Dies at Age 88. Aired 10-10:45a ET

Aired February 05, 2025 - 10:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[10:00:00]

(MUSIC PLAYING)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Live from CNN Abu Dhabi, this is CONNECT THE WORLD with Becky Anderson.

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST (voice-over): And welcome back. This is the second hour of the show. I'm Becky Anderson in Abu Dhabi where the time is

7 o'clock in the evening.

And a shocking announcement from president Trump, a plan for an American takeover of Gaza.

And turning to Iran, he leaves the door open for a possible nuclear deal, just as he reinstates maximum pressure on Tehran.

And sweeping layoffs expected in the federal government. Staff are encouraged to resign as Elon Musk's DOGE gets to work.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

ANDERSON: Well, there is international condemnation today to Donald Trump's plan for the United States to take over Gaza. The president

announced his intentions at the White House on Tuesday, standing side by side with the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.

He described a potential U.S. takeover to CNN's Kaitlan Collins as a business opportunity and said Palestinians should be moved out of Gaza to

neighboring countries but would ultimately benefit.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: We have an opportunity to do something that could be phenomenal. And I don't want to be cute. I don't want to be a wise

guy. But the Riviera of the Middle East, this could be something that could be so -- this could be so magnificent.

But more importantly than that is the people that have been absolutely destroyed, that live there now, can live in peace in a much better

situation because they're living in hell.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: "I don't want to be cute or a wise guy," he says.

Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas says any U.S. takeover of Gaza would be a serious violation of international law.

I want to bring in Varsen Aghabekian Shahin, the Palestinian Authority's minister of state for foreign affairs and expatriates.

President Trump's comments have caused quite the stir and that is an understatement.

Do you at the PA take these comments at all seriously?

VARSEN AGHABEKIAN SHAHIN, PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY MINISTRY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS: Good evening, Becky.

Yes, it's very worrying and of utmost concern to us and we're shocked by the statements today. Gaza is in total ruin with 2 million devastated

people, who need immediate relief and sustenance efforts. And the last thing they want to hear is anything on displacement.

These people have been displaced before. They have been made refugees. In 1948, most of them, most of them have been displaced within Gaza throughout

the various wars, wars that were undertaken by Israel on Gaza.

And the last thing they want to hear is displacement. If president Trump wants to create a Riviera, then let it be with Palestinians in their

homeland, in their land, of their ancestors.

We have tried refuge before. We have tried displacement before and it will not happen again. We have said it over and over. The Palestinian

leadership, our president, people have made it very clear that we will not leave our land.

And the best reflection of that is that tsunami of people, trying to move from south to north Gaza, upon the ceasefire taking effect. People utterly

reject anything related to displacement. They want to stay in their land. They are steadfast to stay in their land and will not move.

ANDERSON: OK. Well, I have to say that these comments, whilst shocking, are not new.

And perhaps you say you were shocked by them. I wonder whether you know, that's entirely true, because we have heard Donald Trump talk about Gaza

being this real estate opportunity now, not just in the past year but in his previous administrations.

But what we do know is both the Jordanians and the Egyptians have said from the outset of this conflict, back on October the 7th, 2023, that the

movement of Palestinians out of Gaza and into both Jordan and Egypt is a red line.

[10:05:00]

And they have repeated that over this weekend, writing to the secretary of state, Marco Rubio, as we understand it, alongside other regional leaders,

from Saudi Arabia, from the UAE, from Qatar, for example.

What sense do you have from these regional leaders about the sort of pressure they might be under from this U.S. administration now and what

they are prepared to do in order to stop this plan going any further?

SHAHIN: I think to start with, we're very grateful for all the statements that came out from Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, other capitals all through

the world. And we expect everyone to stand tall on any attempt by the U.S. administration to pressure them into accepting whatever proposals are

coming from the administration.

Their stand with the Palestinian people has been made very clear. And today, more than ever, we see clarity in those statements and utter

rejection on the displacement.

And if we stand together in the region as one voice, rejecting such moves, and if we are supported by Europe, the rest of the world, then maybe this

will get to the ears of president Trump and we will see --

ANDERSON: All right.

SHAHIN: -- somehow a change of the tone.

You said, Becky, that we -- you're surprised that we are shocked. We are surprised because, yes, we would have loved to see an input into the

reconstruction of Gaza but with the people, the Palestinian people in Gaza --

ANDERSON: Right.

SHAHIN: -- not out of Gaza.

ANDERSON: Understood. Netanyahu has been adamant that the ceasefire in Gaza is temporary, saying the following yesterday. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, PRIME MINISTER OF ISRAEL: But as we discussed, Mr. President, to secure our future and bring peace to our region, we have to

finish the job.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: What does finishing the job mean, do you think, now, 17 days into this ceasefire?

And I have to say, I've spoken to Arab diplomats today since the meeting yesterday in Washington. As we understand it, an Israeli delegation will

now go to Qatar for the next phase of negotiations.

But at this point, what are those negotiations about?

It seems very clear -- or at least that's what you could surmise, perhaps, from what Netanyahu has just said, which is there is no permanent ceasefire

here anytime soon.

SHAHIN: Yes. With Netanyahu, there's a lot of unpredictability. And for him, finishing the job means killing more people and more civilians. That

is understood from day one of this brutal aggression on the Gaza Strip.

For us, finishing the job means going back to reason, going back to international law, respecting international law, complying with

international law and U.N. resolutions and other resolutions and acting as a normal state.

And finishing the job means that a peace path is developed, whereby genuine interest from the Israeli side in that peace process is reflected in their

engagement and their compliance with international law. That's what finishing the job is.

ANDERSON: Right.

SHAHIN: This job will not be finished by military force.

ANDERSON: Well, that is your hope with regard to what he means by finishing the job. It remains to be seen what he actually means in

practice. It's good to have you. And you and I were together, what, 10 days ago, when we were on a panel together.

And it's very good at this -- at that stage, of course, we weren't having this discussion about the displacement of Gazans from the area; 10 days on

and things have changed a lot. Thank you.

Across the wider region, there's a sense of whiplash after the U.S. president's proposal to take over Gaza. One Arab official who spoke to CNN

called it "hard to digest." But so far, the Trump administration is standing firmly behind the plan.

[10:10:00]

CNN's chief national correspondent, Alex Marquardt, is live in Washington.

And you've been reporting, Alex, on the early reaction to president Trump's comments or plan for Gaza.

What are you hearing?

ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Becky, I have to echo your guest in terms of the shock of what we heard last night.

I think we were expecting a press conference between the Israeli and American leaders to focus on the ceasefire in Gaza, whether it would evolve

from this first phase into the second phase when the war was ended -- and when it would end.

And essentially it was hijacked by this proposal by the U.S. president to essentially take over the Gaza Strip with few details about who would do

that, how it would be done or when it would be done.

And then immediately following that, Becky, I reached out to the White House for more details and a bit more clarity, which I didn't get. But a

White House official simply called it "a bold vision to rebuild Gaza."

Now, like you, I've been speaking with Arab officials, diplomats here in Washington, as well as those who are who are in the Middle East. A lot of

concern, a lot of anger, a lot of puzzlement, frankly.

I spoke with one diplomat who immediately said that this puts the ceasefire at risk, that there's a chance that Hamas could withdraw because, of

course, we're talking about the widespread displacement of about 2 million people.

I think what was most extraordinary, Becky, is we saw, in the middle of the night, from Saudi Arabia a very forceful statement from their foreign

ministry.

Essentially rejecting everything that president Trump had said, not naming him but saying that they rejected any thought of annexing any Palestinian

land or any displacement of the Palestinian people.

And I think that says a lot that this statement came out, immediately following this press conference and in the middle of the night. So I think

what we're going to start seeing is more and more public resistance from many of those Arab leaders, in particular Saudi Arabia.

Because, as you know, the -- really the main goal for president Trump in the Middle East is this normalization of ties between Israel and Saudi

Arabia.

One more thing to note that, in just six days' time, the king of Jordan is coming to Washington. I imagine he will have quite a few things to say to

president Trump, because, as you noted, he and the Egyptian leader, Sisi, President Sisi, have both rejected any displacement of Palestinians into

their countries, Becky.

ANDERSON: And as you and I have been speaking to your very point, Jordan's king has just rejected plans to remove Palestinians from Gaza and the West

Bank. I put my glasses on to read this.

Jordan's King Abdullah reaffirmed his rejection of any plans that include displacing Palestinians from Gaza or the occupied West Bank.

This is a day after Trump's plan. He stressed the need to stop Jewish settlement activities and reject any attempts to annex lands and displace

Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, stressing the need to establish the Palestinians on their own land.

And as you say, we will hear more from Jordan's King Abdullah in six days' time when he is in Washington.

Alex, Trump's plan is not new. Jared Kushner said this very thing last year.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JARED KUSHNER, TRUMP'S SON IN LAW: In Gaza's waterfront property, it could be very valuable to -- if people would focus on kind of building up, you

know, livelihoods. You think about all the money that's gone into this tunnel network and into all the munitions.

If that would have gone into education or innovation, what could have been done?

And so I think that it's a little bit of an unfortunate situation there. But I think from Israel's perspective, I would do my best to move the

people out and then clean it up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: And in 2020, Kushner produced a plan which was effectively a real estate brochure, talking about what should happen next for the

Palestinians. And it included exactly what they are talking about now, the sort of New Monaco of the Mediterranean.

Now that Donald Trump, Alex, has floated this plan, I want to get our viewers a sense of sort of what happens next.

Is this now official U.S. policy?

MARQUARDT: It certainly seems like it is, Becky, because, not long after president Trump said this, we also heard from the secretary of state, Marco

Rubio, who tweeted the phrase, "Make Gaza beautiful again."

And I did get that confirmation from the White House that this is indeed what they call a bold new vision. I distinctly remember when Jared Kushner

made those comments. There was a huge uproar because, of course, he is very close to his father in law.

He was a senior adviser in the first Trump term, not in this one, but he is certainly an informal adviser. And what Kushner did not say is that, even

after it was cleared out and rebuilt, where the Palestinians themselves would go.

And when president Trump was asked by our colleague, Kaitlan Collins, who would be in the Gaza Strip following this development, he said the world's

people, international people.

[10:15:08]

And so I think president Trump is convinced that he would be able to move Palestinians out of Gaza despite this resistance from the Jordanians and

the Egyptians, because he feels that he has leverage over the Jordanians and the Egyptians.

We've already seen him slapping tariffs on countries like Mexico and Canada and then they've backed down. And he probably thinks that he can do the

same thing here, because he gives them more than $1 billion in military aid every year.

But he does not have as much leverage over the Gulf countries; the Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, all of whom will be viscerally, forcefully

against this position. We're already starting to hear it. And so not only is the Jordanian king coming next week but you can

certainly imagine that the king of Saudi Arabia, both in public as well, and the crown prince, more importantly, will be very forceful, both in

public and in private.

And again, if Donald Trump wants this normalization of ties and the expansion of the Abraham Accords, there's a potential -- potential -- that

he may back down a bit off of this point.

But right now we are really just trying to sort out what this means. But president Trump certainly sticking firmly to what he says will be the U.S.

takeover of Gaza, Becky.

ANDERSON: Yes, Alex, it's always good to have you. Thank you very much indeed for making the time, sir.

Well, the CIA is offering its entire workforce a buyout offer. The first major U.S. national security agency to do so. The offer, part of president

Trump's plan to shrink the federal employment -- sorry; government.

If employees accept, they can quit their jobs and receive roughly eight months of pay and benefits. The Trump administration denies critics' claims

that this is a purge. A CIA spokesperson says instead, the goal is to infuse the agency with, quote, "renewed energy."

Well, CNN's Alayna Treene is live at the White House.

Let's just pick this apart a little bit.

Does this offer truly apply to all CIA employees?

What's the potential impact here.?

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And not necessarily. We do know -- well, I should put it this way. We know that the email went out and the offer

went out widespread to all of the agency.

However, not everyone is expected to be able to be offered this program. That's how they're referring to it, as a deferred resignation program,

allowing them to voluntarily opt to go on paid administrative leave and receive benefits and pay until the end of September.

Of course, I think it's worth noting that this offer was actually initially extended to all 2 million people within the federal workforce. There were

also some exceptions, though, however, for that. We know military and other functions and employees deemed critical to the government were not allowed

to opt in.

But this is the first time we're really seeing any sort of national security agency be able to have access to this program.

Now we are told, one, that CIA director John Ratcliffe was personally involved in wanting the agency to have this offer but also that, of course,

again, part of the reason this wasn't offered to national security employees is because of the critical function that they serve to United

States national security.

So that's something to keep in mind.

And with that, to your point about what could the impact be, I mean, look, it is clear that there are going to be widespread layoffs, I'm told,

throughout the federal government. The deadline initially for people to accept this program is tomorrow.

They were given a very short timeline for whether or not they could opt in. And potentially, if some major event happens, particularly as it relates to

national security, and there are far fewer career employees, there could be a major impact.

And so that is something, of course, that is creating a lot of concern among lawmakers and others on Capitol Hill as they continue to try and

massively reduce the size of the federal government, Becky.

ANDERSON: It's 10:18 in the morning in Washington. It is already a very busy day there. Alayna, good to have you. Thank you very much indeed.

We are back after this quick break. Stay with. Us.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:20:00]

(MUSIC PLAYING)

ANDERSON: All right. Welcome back. I'm Becky Anderson. You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD. Time in Abu Dhabi, our Middle East broadcasting hub, is

7:21.

To president Trump's other key announcement affecting the Middle East on Tuesday, Mr. Trump leaving the door open to a possible nuclear deal with

Iran while signing a directive to reimpose maximum pressure, trying to drive Tehran's oil exports to zero and push it to the negotiating table.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: We will see whether or not we can arrange or work out a deal with Iran and everybody can live together and maybe that's possible and maybe

it's not possible.

So I'm signing this and I'm unhappy to do it but I really have not so much choice because we have to be strong and firm. And I hope that it's not

going to have to be used in any great measure at all.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well, Trump then posted on Truth Social today, quote, "I want Iran to be a great and successful country but one that cannot have a

nuclear weapon. Reports that the United States, working in conjunction with Israel, is going to blow Iran to smithereens are greatly exaggerated.

"I would much prefer," he said, "a verified nuclear peace agreement which will let Iran peacefully grow and prosper."

Ali Vaez joins me now, a regular guest on the show, is the International Crisis Group's Iran project director.

Trump instated this policy last time he was in the Oval Office and continues to give almost no detail on what a deal would actually look like.

So what's different, Ali, to your mind this time?

And crucially, what is this deal that he actually wants?

ALI VAEZ, CRISIS GROUP'S IRAN PROJECT: Well, Becky, nobody knows other than the fact that it is his deal.

It's not an improvement on Obama's deal or anything in line with what Biden was negotiating. It is it is going to be his deal. But nobody, of course,

knows the details.

What I found really fascinating about -- when Trump was signing this presidential memorandum, was his body language. And he was really reluctant

to do it. He clearly was torn.

And this is where you see the distinction between Trump and the Trump administration. I think the former is interested in a mutually beneficial

deal with Iran, whereas the latter is not.

And I think one of the things that president Trump learned from his first experience with Iran was that he was surrounded in an anti-Iran ecosystem

that didn't allow him to negotiate with Iran effectively. So we have to see if, this time around, he is able to overcome resistance around him and

reach a deal with Iran or not.

ANDERSON: Ali, he said that he would like to talk directly to the Iranian president about this. I have spoken to a number of people locally in this

region and in Iran, who say that the Iranians have been given the green light to negotiate with Donald Trump this time around.

How is what we have heard in the last 24 hours going to be absorbed in Tehran?

VAEZ: Well, Becky, I'm sure when Trump said Iran is actually not in a position of weakness, Iran is very strong, it was -- and saying that with

Netanyahu standing right next to him -- was something that was very well received in Tehran.

[10:25:10]

Because the Iranians never want to negotiate from a position of weakness. And that perception, that they were in a position of weakness, was really

problematic for them. But I think, Becky, there are two main enemies to a diplomatic process.

One is Trump himself and his lack of discipline, which, as, H.R. McMaster, his former national security, said, is often turns Trump into an antagonist

in his own story.

And second is, basically the Iranian leadership, which often lacks creativity, flexibility and courage to seize opportunities, which I am

certain Trump presents an extraordinary opportunity because he has already broken the orthodoxy in Washington by saying things like, Iran doesn't want

nuclear weapons.

Which is really not in line with what every U.S. senior official has said in the past 20 years. And the fact that he can strongarm Congress in ways

that Obama never could and Biden never would.

ANDERSON: Yes, this is fascinating, isn't it?

Donald Trump was also asked about an Iranian assassination attempt against him, Ali. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: That would be a terrible thing for them to do, not because of me. If they did that, they would be obliterated. That would be the end. I've

left instructions. If they do it, they get obliterated. There won't be anything left.

And they shouldn't be able to do it. And Biden should have said that but he never did. I don't know why. Lack of intelligence, perhaps.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well, that was Trump threatening to obliterate an entire country.

What did you make of that?

VAEZ: Well, look, as someone who has survived two recent assassinations, it's completely understandable that Trump is threatening to deter Iran from

moving in that direction.

But I think the Iranians have also understood now, that this would be almost a declaration of war if they kill a sitting U.S. president. Even a

former U.S. president would have would have been almost the same thing. But now a sitting U.S. president is completely out of the question.

So I understand the threat but I don't think this is what the Iranians are considering at this stage.

ANDERSON: It's always good to have you, sir. Busy times. And let's, as we all try to get our arms around what is going on and what might happen next,

thank you very much indeed for joining us.

We are back after this quick. Break.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:30:00]

(MUSIC PLAYING)

ANDERSON (voice-over): Welcome back. You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Becky Anderson, just about 7:30 here in Abu Dhabi. These are your

headlines.

Arab leaders are soundly rejecting U.S. president Donald Trump's stunning declaration that he wants the U.S. to take control of Gaza. Speaking

alongside Israel's prime minister on Tuesday in Washington, he also suggested Palestinians should be moved out of Gaza and settled in

neighboring Arab countries.

The Palestinian Authority president says any such takeover would violate international law.

Well, the CIA has offered so-called buyouts to its entire workforce. The offer tells employees they can quit their jobs and get roughly eight months

of pay and benefits. It is part of president Trump's effort to shrink the federal government and shape it to his agenda.

Investigators are searching for a motive after the worst mass shooting in Sweden's history. Police say 11 people have died, including the gunman, and

six others were injured at a school for adults. Police believe the shooting was not terror related and that the gunman acted alone.

Well, two of president Trump's most controversial picks for top government roles have cleared the last major hurdles on their paths to confirmation.

The Senate Finance Committee voted along party lines to send Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s nomination as Health and Human Services Secretary for a full

vote by the Senate.

Republicans hold a 53-47 majority but Kennedy's stance, of course, on vaccines could still cost him votes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. LISA MURKOWSKI (R-AK): As you know, I had expressed the concerns that I had about his position on vaccines. I'm looking for -- just to understand

clearly his commitments there. But it certainly appears that he's moving closer to confirmation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BILL CASSIDY (R-LA): Now Mr. Kennedy and the administration reached out, seeking to reassure me regarding their commitment to protecting the

public health benefit of vaccination.

To this end, Mr. Kennedy and the administration committed that he and I would have an unprecedentedly close, collaborative working relationship if

he is confirmed. These commitments and my expectation that we can have a great working relationship. To make America healthy again is the basis of

my support.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Tulsi Gabbard, president Trump's choice for national -- for Director of National Intelligence survived a narrow party line vote in the

Senate Intelligence Committee. She, too, will go before the full Senate for confirmation.

Well, staying in the States and to South Carolina now, where a 33 year old man has been charged with kidnapping and impersonating a police officer

after local authorities said he detained a group of Latino men. Be aware, this is a strange and disturbing video.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You've got caught, bro.

Where are you from?

Mexico?

You're from Mexico?

You're going back to Mexico.

ANDERSON (voice-over): This video was recorded by one of the victims during last month's incident. Authorities say it shows Sean Michael Johnson

taking the driver's keys, mocking the Latino men with curse words and saying, "You're going back to Mexico."

CNN is seeking comment from Johnson.

Well, coming up, a teenager who is revolutionizing how we treat skin cancer explains how a simple bar of soap can make a big difference.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:35:00]

(MUSIC PLAYING)

ANDERSON: Right. Now to an inspiring story of a young man who wants to save lives by making affordable and accessible health care a big feat; 15

year old Ethiopian American Heman Bekele is on his way to achieving just that.

He was honored last night at the Zayed Awards in Abu Dhabi for developing a cost effective soap to prevent and treat early stage skin cancer. This

invention also earned him the title of "Time" magazine's 2024 Kid of the Year.

Well, Heman joins me now live here in Abu Dhabi.

And as we say here, mabruk, congratulations. It's wonderful to have you here.

HEMAN BEKELE, TEEN SCIENTIST: Thank you so much for having me. It really is an honor to be here.

ANDERSON: Explain to us how this soap works and how you got into. This.

BEKELE: Sure. So since before I can remember, I've always been really passionate about science and had that empathy. I was born in Ethiopia and I

saw so many people that were working really long hours under the sun and that started to develop into skin cancer.

And when they did get skin cancer, they really couldn't afford or have access to skin cancer treatment. And so that really inspired me to create

skin cancer treating soap, which is this bar of soap that's aimed to treat different forms of skin cancer.

And its main novelty is that it's affordable, it's cheap and it's really accessible as a simple bar of soap. So people who need it in third world

countries can have access to it.

ANDERSON: How long did it take you to take this from sort of concept in your mind to product?

BEKELE: Gosh, well, it's been almost 4.5 years. I mean, it did not start out as this intensive cancer research project. It was just a little drawing

on a piece of paper. And so it's gone a long way. But it really has been a long journey.

ANDERSON: You started. By creating what you would call positions with soap and laundry detergent at home. I mean, I don't really understand what that

means.

So can you just explain?

BEKELE: Sure. So when I was quite young, I used to mix together random household chemicals just to see if I could make a reaction.

(CROSSTALK)

ANDERSON: -- your parents.

BEKELE: I know.

(LAUGHTER)

BEKELE: And so it was definitely not cancer research back then. It was just mixing things together and playing with that initial curiosity. But I

really do give that so much credit because that was what grew to where I am now with my research.

ANDERSON: You won last night at the 2025 Zayed Awards in Abu Dhabi, you're being praised for advancing humanity.

What does this honor mean for you or to you?

BEKELE: Well, I'm truly touched and also just so motivated simply because this award is beautiful in that it recognizes humanitarianism and human

fraternity.

And for someone of my age, as a 15 year old, to receive this award, it really just shows how anything is possible. And it really is so motivating

for me to continue working hard on my goals, especially with my age.

ANDERSON: And I was going to say, you are just 15 years old, Heman.

What do you want to do?

BEKELE: My dream in life is to be able to, you know, hyperfixate on affordability and accessibility through health care. And so right now, I'm

doing it with the bar of soap. But in the future, I hope to do it with so many other passion projects as well, just centered around making sure that

health care is affordable and accessible.

ANDERSON: Well, you are you. Are doing an amazing job. Thank you. Thank you very much indeed for joining us here. Honestly, I'm so pleased for you

that you've been honored and that you clearly have so much more to offer. So we wish you the best and stay in touch, please.

BEKELE: Yes. Thank you so much for having me.

ANDERSON: Well, the Aga Khan, spiritual leader of the world's Ismaili Muslims, has died at the age of 88. He inherited the leadership of the sect

from his grandfather when he was a 20 year old student at Harvard.

[10:40:00]

All Ismailis consider him a direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad and see it as their duty to pay him a share of their income in tithes with

those. The Aga Khan became a billionaire business magnate and philanthropist.

Through his development work and network, he built homes, health facilities and schools in developing countries. His successor was named in his will,

which will be read in the presence of his family and religious leaders in Lisbon, where he died on Tuesday.

Well, that is it for CONNECT THE WORLD. From the team working with me here in Abu Dhabi and those working with us around the world, it is a very good

evening. Stay with CNN. "MARKETPLACE MIDDLE EAST" is up next for.

You.

END