Saudi Arabia has banned the import of fruit and vegetables from Lebanon after authorities seized more than 600 million pills and hundreds of kilograms of hashish in the past six years, Riyadh's ambassador to Beirut said on Sunday.
Walid Al Bukhari revealed the full extent of drug seizures days after more than five million captagon pills were found in a shipment of pomegranates that arrived in Jeddah from Lebanon.
“The quantities that were thwarted are enough to drown the entire Arab world, not just Saudi Arabia, in narcotics and psychotropic substances,” Mr Al Bukhari wrote on Twitter.
Last week's discovery, the latest in a long line of drug busts in shipments from Lebanon, prompted Saudi authorities to introduce the ban on produce.
Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain and the UAE have supported the ban, which came into force at 9am on Sunday.
The move has left Lebanese farmers, who rely on exports to the Gulf, reeling and the government in Beirut urgently seeking a response.
Saudi Arabia said fruit and vegetables coming from or transiting through Lebanon are banned until authorities are convinced that Beirut has clamped down on smuggling networks.
The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation said the Emirates supported Saudi measures to protect society from drugs and combat organised crime.
Kuwait's Foreign Ministry said the ban was based on Riyadh’s determination to prevent the smuggling of drugs across its borders.
It also called on Lebanese authorities to ensure exports were free of “prohibited materials”.
Lebanese President Michel Aoun called a meeting of Cabinet and industry leaders for noon on Monday to discuss the ban, which has shaken Lebanon’s agricultural industry and added to fears that the country's economic crisis could worsen.
The Gulf is the most important market for Lebanon’s fruit and vegetable exports – one of the few well-performing sectors in an ailing economy.
Antoine Howayek, who leads the Lebanese Farmers Association, told The National he feared that if other Gulf states follow suit it would cripple the sector's exports.
“All the Gulf countries will go with the same decision – Saudi, Kuwait the UAE, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar,” he said.
“They are 55 per cent of the fruit and vegetable export market for Lebanon.”
He said that while it would take time to see the full impact of the ban, the move would have long-lasting consequences for the country's agricultural sector.
“We need some days to see the results of this but it will be a disaster," Mr Howayek said. “If this product is not exported, all the prices will go down.
"Several sectors will not be able to plant again. We will feel the effects of this for a long time."
He was sceptical of the government’s ability to respond to the crisis.
“I don’t think they will be able to control the drug trade," Mr Howayek said. "They will make statements but effectively the government can’t do much.”
Caretaker Agriculture Minister Abbas Mortada said fruit and vegetable exports to Saudi Arabia were worth up to $24 million a year.
Captagon is an amphetamine commonly used by warring Syrian factions and revellers at parties across the region.
Lebanese authorities claimed the shipment merely transited through the country and had originated in Syria.
It was the latest drugs bust originating from Lebanon in recent months.
On Friday, four tonnes of cannabis bound for Slovakia from Lebanon were seized by Greek authorities at the port of Piraeus.
The production of captagon and other amphetamines has boomed in neighbouring Syria since its civil war erupted 10 years ago.
Its production is widely associated with the Syrian regime and its Lebanese ally, the militant group Hezbollah.
Lebanon’s ports are a major thoroughfare for the banned substances.
Company profile
Name: Thndr
Started: October 2020
Founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: pre-seed of $800,000
Funding stage: series A; $20 million
Investors: Tiger Global, Beco Capital, Prosus Ventures, Y Combinator, Global Ventures, Abdul Latif Jameel, Endure Capital, 4DX Ventures, Plus VC, Rabacap and MSA Capital
The biog
Marital status: Separated with two young daughters
Education: Master's degree from American Univeristy of Cairo
Favourite book: That Is How They Defeat Despair by Salwa Aladian
Favourite Motto: Their happiness is your happiness
Goal: For Nefsy to become his legacy long after he is gon
Anghami
Started: December 2011
Co-founders: Elie Habib, Eddy Maroun
Based: Beirut and Dubai
Sector: Entertainment
Size: 85 employees
Stage: Series C
Investors: MEVP, du, Mobily, MBC, Samena Capital
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Fines for littering
In Dubai:
Dh200 for littering or spitting in the Dubai Metro
Dh500 for throwing cigarette butts or chewing gum on the floor, or littering from a vehicle.
Dh1,000 for littering on a beach, spitting in public places, throwing a cigarette butt from a vehicle
In Sharjah and other emirates
Dh500 for littering - including cigarette butts and chewing gum - in public places and beaches in Sharjah
Dh2,000 for littering in Sharjah deserts
Dh500 for littering from a vehicle in Ras Al Khaimah
Dh1,000 for littering from a car in Abu Dhabi
Dh1,000 to Dh100,000 for dumping waste in residential or public areas in Al Ain
Dh10,000 for littering at Ajman's beaches
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now
Results
2.30pm: Dubai Creek Tower – Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (Dirt) 1,200m; Winner: Marmara Xm, Gary Sanchez (jockey), Abdelkhir Adam (trainer)
3pm: Al Yasmeen – Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,700m; Winner: AS Hajez, Jesus Rosales, Khalifa Al Neyadi
3.30pm: Al Ferdous – Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,700m; Winner: Soukainah, Sebastien Martino, Jean-Claude Pecout
4pm: The Crown Prince Of Sharjah – Prestige (PA) Dh200,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: AF Thayer, Ray Dawson, Ernst Oertel
4.30pm: Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Cup – Handicap (TB) Dh200,000 (D) 2,000m; Winner: George Villiers, Antonio Fresu, Bhupat Seemar
5pm: Palma Spring – Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 2,000m; Winner: Es Abu Mousa, Antonio Fresu, Abubakar Daud
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
Slow loris biog
From: Lonely Loris is a Sunda slow loris, one of nine species of the animal native to Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore
Status: Critically endangered, and listed as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature red list due to growing demand in the global exotic pet trade. It is one of the most popular primate species found at Indonesian pet markets
Likes: Sleeping, which they do for up to 18 hours a day. When they are awake, they like to eat fruit, insects, small birds and reptiles and some types of vegetation
Dislikes: Sunlight. Being a nocturnal animal, the slow loris wakes around sunset and is active throughout the night
Superpowers: His dangerous elbows. The slow loris’s doe eyes may make it look cute, but it is also deadly. The only known venomous primate, it hisses and clasps its paws and can produce a venom from its elbow that can cause anaphylactic shock and even death in humans
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 247hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm from 1,500-3,500rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 7.8L/100km
Price: from Dh94,900
On sale: now
