A boy walks on the dried-up bed of a section of Iraq's southern marshes of Chibayish in Dhi Qar province. AFP
A boy walks on the dried-up bed of a section of Iraq's southern marshes of Chibayish in Dhi Qar province. AFP
A boy walks on the dried-up bed of a section of Iraq's southern marshes of Chibayish in Dhi Qar province. AFP
A boy walks on the dried-up bed of a section of Iraq's southern marshes of Chibayish in Dhi Qar province. AFP

Iraq will only be able to meet 15% of its water needs by 2035, UN official warns


Adla Massoud
  • English
  • Arabic

Iraq will only be able to meet 15 per cent of its water demands by 2035 if current trends continue, a top UN official said on Thursday, warning that water scarcity has become the country's most critical environmental issue.

The dire situation is made worse by the fact that 90 per cent of Iraq's rivers are contaminated, leaving seven million people struggling to gain access to clean water.

“This is a significant multiplier of threats to Iraq's stability,” Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, special representative of the UN Secretary General for Iraq, told the Security Council.

She stressed the need to view water as a collaborative concern among Iraq's neighbours, rather than as a resource to be competed for.

“If water is a competition, everyone loses,” she said, stressing that bold domestic actions and close regional co-operation offer the only winning solution.

Ms Hennis-Plasschaert said water represents “the most critical climate emergency for Iraq”.

“By 2035, it is estimated that Iraq will have the capacity to meet only 15 per cent of its water demands,” she added, as she urged the Iraqi government to intensify diplomacy with its neighbours on topics including water sharing, border security, trade and climate issues.

She also emphasised the significance of upholding the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and good neighbourliness for regional stability.

The UN has classified Iraq as one of the countries most affected by climate change, including drought.

The International Committee of the Red Cross and the Norwegian Red Cross jointly released a report on Thursday highlighting the urgent need for greater assistance in Iraq, Syria and Yemen.

The report emphasised how climate change and armed conflict have together triggered a dire humanitarian situation across the region.

According to the report, dozens of UN, World Bank and other multilateral funds have approved only 19 single-country projects in Iraq, Syria and Yemen as of January 2022.

It also revealed that the total amount disbursed to date was a mere $20.6 million, less than 0.5 per cent of the global expenditure on climate projects.

Anne Bergh, head of the Norwegian Red Cross, stressed the need for policymakers to directly address the region's climate challenges, expressing concern that current climate finance distributions largely exclude the most fragile and unstable areas.

“It’s clear from a humanitarian perspective that this must change,” Ms Bergh said.

Iraq’s deputy UN ambassador Sarhad Fattah underscored Baghdad’s keenness to engage in water diplomacy to secure the “legitimate right of Iraqis to their water share”.

In March, Iraq became the first country in the Middle East to join the UN Water Convention, which aims to ensure the sustainable use of water resources that flow across international borders.

A buffalo swims near fishing boats in Iraq's receding southern marshes in Dhi Qar province. AFP
A buffalo swims near fishing boats in Iraq's receding southern marshes in Dhi Qar province. AFP
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Date started: July 2020

Founders: Omar and Humaid Alzaabi

Based: Abu Dhabi

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# of staff: 10

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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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Key figures in the life of the fort

Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.

Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.

Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.

Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.

Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.

Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.

Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.

Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.

Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae

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Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

Tori Amos
Native Invader
Decca

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Haemoglobin disorders explained

Thalassaemia is part of a family of genetic conditions affecting the blood known as haemoglobin disorders.

Haemoglobin is a substance in the red blood cells that carries oxygen and a lack of it triggers anemia, leaving patients very weak, short of breath and pale.

The most severe type of the condition is typically inherited when both parents are carriers. Those patients often require regular blood transfusions - about 450 of the UAE's 2,000 thalassaemia patients - though frequent transfusions can lead to too much iron in the body and heart and liver problems.

The condition mainly affects people of Mediterranean, South Asian, South-East Asian and Middle Eastern origin. Saudi Arabia recorded 45,892 cases of carriers between 2004 and 2014.

A World Health Organisation study estimated that globally there are at least 950,000 'new carrier couples' every year and annually there are 1.33 million at-risk pregnancies.

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Saturday, April 20: 11am to 7pm - Abu Dhabi World Jiu-Jitsu Festival and Para jiu-jitsu.

Sunday, April 21: 11am to 6pm - Abu Dhabi World Youth (female) Jiu-Jitsu Championship.

Monday, April 22: 11am to 6pm - Abu Dhabi World Youth (male) Jiu-Jitsu Championship.

Tuesday, April 23: 11am-6pm Abu Dhabi World Masters Jiu-Jitsu Championship.

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Friday, April 26: 3pm to 6pm Finals of the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship.

Saturday, April 27: 4pm and 8pm awards ceremony.

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Director: James Cameron

Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana

Rating: 4.5/5

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Uefa Men's Player of the Year: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)

Uefa Women's Player of the Year: Lucy Bronze (Lyon)

Best players of the 2018/19 Uefa Champions League

Goalkeeper: Alisson (Liverpool)

Defender: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)

Midfielder: Frenkie de Jong (Ajax)

Forward: Lionel Messi (Barcelona)

Uefa President's Award: Eric Cantona

VEZEETA PROFILE

Date started: 2012

Founder: Amir Barsoum

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: HealthTech / MedTech

Size: 300 employees

Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)

Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC

Jeff Buckley: From Hallelujah To The Last Goodbye
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Updated: May 18, 2023, 5:56 PM