Iraq's President Barham Salih met Jordan's King Abdullah II and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi in Baghdad on Sunday for talks to strengthen ties and co-operation between the three countries.
The three leaders discussed a transport route and ways to boost trade and security co-operation in the region.
Mr Salih, who welcomed his fellow leaders on the tarmac at Baghdad airport, said the summit was "an eloquent message amid enormous regional challenges".
"Iraq's recovery paves the way to an integrated system for our region built on the fight against extremism, respect for sovereignty and economic partnership," he said on Twitter.
Mr El Sisi's visit is the first by an Egyptian president since before Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait under former dictator Saddam Hussein, in 1990.
Mr El Sisi told Mr Salih that Egypt "looked forward to developing co-operation with Iraq into a sustainable framework of economic integration and strategic co-operation", the Egyptian presidency said.
It said Mr Salih expressed Iraq's "keenness to raise co-operation with Egypt to the level of strategic partnership ... as a cornerstone for maintaining regional security and stability".
While relations between the three have not always been close, they have rebuilt ties since the US-led invasion toppled Saddam in 2003 and upended the political order in Baghdad.
Since Mr Salih took office in 2018 and then under Prime Minister Mustafa Al Kadhimi, Baghdad has sought to re-engage with its neighbours, and senior ministers have met for several rounds of talks to boost trade, political ties and travel since 2019.
They have named the co-operation the New Levant, or Al Mashriq Al Jadeed, Alliance.
Mr Al Kadhimi's office said the summit would address topics including political and economic co-operation, in particular strengthening investment, and "joint efforts in the fight against terrorism".
As in previous meetings between officials from the three countries, Sunday’s summit ended with no major announcements but Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said the leaders stressed the need to continue discussions on a verity of topics.
They discussed several projects, including establishing an industrial city with Jordan, producing medicine and insecticides, as well as housing and construction, Mr Hussein said.
He said holding the summit amid the current challenges in the region marked a success.
“The leaders of the three countries and the political leaders are continuing co-operation in order to face the challenges and to invest the opportunities, whether in economy and politics,” Mr Hussein said.
Jordanian Foreign Minister, Ayman Al Safadi, said the leaders expressed support to Egypt and Sudan in the Nile dam dispute with Ethiopia, and their support for the Palestinian people to establish their independent state on 1967 borders.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said the next summit would be held in Cairo, but did not set a date.
Sunday’s meeting was supposed to take place in March but was delayed because of a deadly train crash in Egypt that month, and a plot in Jordan involving a former palace adviser to the king, as well as his half-brother.
Previously, the three nations agreed to link up electricity grids to allow the sale and sharing of power to help Iraq reduce its dependence on Iranian electricity and gas imports.
Baghdad must obtain regular sanctions waivers from the US to continue the imports without penalty.
The partners are also working out a deal to export Iraqi crude oil through Jordan to Egypt or to international markets.
Iraq also plans to build an oil pipeline with a capacity of 1 million barrels a day to export crude from Jordan’s Port of Aqaba.
Of that, 150,000 barrels would be supplied to Jordan's Zarqa refinery.
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UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
JOKE'S%20ON%20YOU
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Henrik Stenson's finishes at Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship:
2006 - 2
2007 - 8
2008 - 2
2009 - MC
2010 - 21
2011 - 42
2012 - MC
2013 - 23
2014 - MC
2015 - MC
2016 - 3
2017 - 8
West Indies v India - Third ODI
India 251-4 (50 overs)
Dhoni (78*), Rahane (72), Jadhav (40)
Cummins (2-56), Bishoo (1-38)
West Indies 158 (38.1 overs)
Mohammed (40), Powell (30), Hope (24)
Ashwin (3-28), Yadav (3-41), Pandya (2-32)
India won by 93 runs
Company%20profile
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
Funding: $40 million
Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)
