The marriage of Crown Prince Hussein, 28, and Saudi architect Rajwa Al Saif, 29, drew a distinguished guest list including Britain's Prince William and his wife Kate, and regional royals.
The ceremony at Zahran Palace was well attended by Gulf royals, all of who were welcomed by King Abdullah II and Queen Rania on their way into the venue.
Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, represented the UAE at the occasion.
Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, the mother of Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim, was in attendance.
So were Oman's Crown Prince Theyazin bin Haitham, Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the son of Bahrain’s Crown Prince, and Kuwaiti Crown Prince Mishal Al Ahmad.
US first lady Jill Biden was there, along with her daughter Ashley.
From Iraq, President Abdul Latif Rashid and Nechirvan Barzani, President of the semi-autonomous Kurdish region, attended.
Mr Rashid’s role is mostly ceremonial, but he frequently meets Jordanian government officials to discuss energy and security co-operation between the two countries.
Mr Barzani last met King Abdullah at Al Husseiniya Palace in 2021 to discuss Iraq-Jordan ties.
The British heir was not the only royal from his nation to attend. Prince Andrew's daughter Princess Beatrice and her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi were also there.
European royals also attended. Among those at the wedding were King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands; Swedish Crown Princess Victoria and her husband, Prince Daniel; and Norway's Crown Prince Haakon.
Japanese Princess Hisako and her eldest daughter, Princess Tsuguko, were all smiles on arrival. Princess Hisako told Arab News this week that she was looking forward to attending the “joyous occasion”.
“The future of Jordan rests on their shoulders,” said the Princess, representing Emperor Naruhito.
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
The biog
Family: He is the youngest of five brothers, of whom two are dentists.
Celebrities he worked on: Fabio Canavaro, Lojain Omran, RedOne, Saber Al Rabai.
Where he works: Liberty Dental Clinic
Company%20profile
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MATCH INFO
Everton v Tottenham, Sunday, 8.30pm (UAE)
Match is live on BeIN Sports
RESULT
Arsenal 1 Chelsea 2
Arsenal: Aubameyang (13')
Chelsea: Jorginho (83'), Abraham (87')
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
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
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Friday's schedule in Madrid
Men's quarter-finals
Novak Djokivic (1) v Marin Cilic (9) from 2pm UAE time
Roger Federer (4) v Dominic Thiem (5) from 7pm
Stefanos Tsitsipas (8) v Alexander Zverev (3) from 9.30pm
Stan Wawrinka v Rafael Nadal (2) from 11.30pm
Women's semi-finals
Belinda Bencic v Simona Halep (3) from 4.30pm
Sloane Stephens (8) v Kiki Bertens (7) from 10pm
TOURNAMENT INFO
Fixtures
Sunday January 5 - Oman v UAE
Monday January 6 - UAE v Namibia
Wednesday January 8 - Oman v Namibia
Thursday January 9 - Oman v UAE
Saturday January 11 - UAE v Namibia
Sunday January 12 – Oman v Namibia
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Mohammed Usman, CP Rizwan, Waheed Ahmed, Zawar Farid, Darius D’Silva, Karthik Meiyappan, Jonathan Figy, Vriitya Aravind, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Basil Hameed, Chirag Suri
WORLD'S%2010%20HIGHEST%20MOUNTAINS
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