Burger King is back in the line of fire after it released an advertisement making light of the recent Suez Canal blockage, in which 200,000-tonne container ship Ever Given blocked one of the world's busiest waterways for almost a week, causing oil prices to rise and holding up almost $10 billion in maritime trade a day.
A post on Instagram by Burger King Chile shows an aerial view of the Suez Canal, with an image of a Double Whopper superimposed in the spot where the blockage occurred.
The caption talks about the fast food chain's delivery service, saying "there's no channel to interrupt" it.
The global chief marketing officer for Restaurant Brands International, which owns Burger King, Tim Hortons and Popeyes, retweeted it, adding it was a "great post", although that tweet now appears to have been deleted.
While other marketing professionals also retweeted the advert, describing it as an "excellent post", users across Egypt did not receive it as well.
"If you think marketing is to make fun and take advantage of breakdown in any country, you should think again," wrote one Instagram user. "Exploiting the suffering of others will not promote you, but rather lowering your respect."
Over on Twitter, Mohamed Shalaan wrote: "A call to all Arab brothers from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman ... a call to everyone who holds Egypt close or even a little love, boycott the Burger King chain."
There were others who didn't take it so badly. "I’m Egyptian and this is SO FUNNY," wrote Salma Useef on Instagram, adding a laughing face emoji.
The end result, however, was that the hashtag #BoycottBurgerKing attracted thousands of tweets.
'Women belong in the kitchen'
This comes mere weeks after a tweet from Burger King UK on International Women's Day was slammed for its "women belong in the kitchen" message. While it aimed to promote an initiative to help increase the number of women in head chef roles, people on social media took it the wrong way, with some describing it as tone deaf.
At first, the restaurant chain defended its message, tweeting: "Why would we delete a tweet that's drawing attention to a huge lack of female representation in our industry." But then they backtracked, apologised and deleted it. "We hear you. We got our initial tweet wrong and we’re sorry."
Plant-based or not?
Over in the UAE, Burger King also managed to upset the vegan and vegetarian community late last year after it began advertising its "plant-based" burger, which not only uses non-vegan ingredients, but is also cooked on the same grill as meat products and so is not suitable for vegetarians, either.
This spurred users of the Vegans take Dubai group to submit a complaint of "false advertising" to the Department of Economic Development (DED).
"It seems that not only the mayo has egg like the disclaimer states, but they told some people that the patty itself has egg, too," wrote the user who created the DED complaint. "It’s also grilled on same equipment and so in the UK it has the disclaimer 'not suitable for vegetarians', but here they are getting away with it."
The brand later released imagery that explained more about its ingredients, clarifying that its patty and bun contained no animal products at all.
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
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Essentials
The flights: You can fly from the UAE to Iceland with one stop in Europe with a variety of airlines. Return flights with Emirates from Dubai to Stockholm, then Icelandair to Reykjavik, cost from Dh4,153 return. The whole trip takes 11 hours. British Airways flies from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Reykjavik, via London, with return flights taking 12 hours and costing from Dh2,490 return, including taxes.
The activities: A half-day Silfra snorkelling trip costs 14,990 Icelandic kronur (Dh544) with Dive.is. Inside the Volcano also takes half a day and costs 42,000 kronur (Dh1,524). The Jokulsarlon small-boat cruise lasts about an hour and costs 9,800 kronur (Dh356). Into the Glacier costs 19,500 kronur (Dh708). It lasts three to four hours.
The tours: It’s often better to book a tailor-made trip through a specialist operator. UK-based Discover the World offers seven nights, self-driving, across the island from £892 (Dh4,505) per person. This includes three nights’ accommodation at Hotel Husafell near Into the Glacier, two nights at Hotel Ranga and two nights at the Icelandair Hotel Klaustur. It includes car rental, plus an iPad with itinerary and tourist information pre-loaded onto it, while activities can be booked as optional extras. More information inspiredbyiceland.com
MATCH INFO
Syria v Australia
2018 World Cup qualifying: Asia fourth round play-off first leg
Venue: Hang Jebat Stadium, Malayisa
Kick-off: Thursday, 4.30pm (UAE)
Watch: beIN Sports HD
* Second leg in Australia on October 10
