Egyptian paramedics care for an injured Palestinian woman on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip. AFP
Egyptian paramedics care for an injured Palestinian woman on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip. AFP
Egyptian paramedics care for an injured Palestinian woman on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip. AFP
Egyptian paramedics care for an injured Palestinian woman on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip. AFP

Hundreds more approved to leave Gaza as aid trickles into besieged territory


Kamal Tabikha
  • English
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Live updates: Follow the latest news on Israel-Gaza

The Gaza border authority on Tuesday published lists of more than 700 foreigners who would be allowed to leave the Palestinian enclave following the reopening of the Rafah border crossing into Egypt the previous day.

The evacuation of foreign passport holders and Gazans needing medical treatment in Egypt, which began last week, continued for a second day after being suspended at the weekend following an Israeli strike on what Gaza officials said was an ambulance bringing patients to the crossing.

One list released on Tuesday comprised about 600 foreigners from various countries including the US, the UK, Germany and France.

The other list contained 103 Egyptian citizens cleared for evacuation.

France's Foreign Ministry said two groups of French citizens had left Gaza on Monday and Tuesday, and that it had so far enabled the exit of more than 100 people.

They are among about 7,000 foreign passport holders who were trapped when Israel imposed a total blockade and began bombing Gaza in response to an attack on October 7 by the Hamas militant group that rules the territory. About 2,200 have been approved so far, according to daily lists published by the border authority on Facebook.

On Monday, 166 foreign citizens entered Egypt, an Egyptian guard at the crossing told The National.

An Egyptian Red Crescent officer said four Palestinians had been admitted to north Sinai hospitals on Tuesday, and 17 were admitted on Monday.

Foreigners and injured Gazans began crossing through Rafah on November 1 under an internationally brokered agreement.

The flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza, which began on October 21, has remained far below the levels that the UN and aid organisations say is needed. Fifty lorries carrying aid passed through on Monday and a similar number were expected to cross on Tuesday.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi stressed the need for a ceasefire and to increase aid deliveries during a meeting with CIA director William Burns in Cairo on Tuesday, a presidency spokesman said.

Ahmed Fahmy said the meeting reaffirmed Egypt’s strategic partnership with the US and “its pivotal role in maintaining security and stability in the Middle East”.

yallacompare profile

Date of launch: 2014

Founder: Jon Richards, founder and chief executive; Samer Chebab, co-founder and chief operating officer, and Jonathan Rawlings, co-founder and chief financial officer

Based: Media City, Dubai 

Sector: Financial services

Size: 120 employees

Investors: 2014: $500,000 in a seed round led by Mulverhill Associates; 2015: $3m in Series A funding led by STC Ventures (managed by Iris Capital), Wamda and Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority; 2019: $8m in Series B funding with the same investors as Series A along with Precinct Partners, Saned and Argo Ventures (the VC arm of multinational insurer Argo Group)

Desert Warrior

Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley

Director: Rupert Wyatt

Rating: 3/5

Winners

Best Men's Player of the Year: Kylian Mbappe (PSG)

Maradona Award for Best Goal Scorer of the Year: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)

TikTok Fans’ Player of the Year: Robert Lewandowski

Top Goal Scorer of All Time: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)

Best Women's Player of the Year: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)

Best Men's Club of the Year: Chelsea

Best Women's Club of the Year: Barcelona

Best Defender of the Year: Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus/Italy)

Best Goalkeeper of the Year: Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG/Italy)

Best Coach of the Year: Roberto Mancini (Italy)

Best National Team of the Year: Italy 

Best Agent of the Year: Federico Pastorello

Best Sporting Director of the Year: Txiki Begiristain (Manchester City)

Player Career Award: Ronaldinho

MATCH INFO

What: Brazil v South Korea
When: Tonight, 5.30pm
Where: Mohamed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.ae

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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirectors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Aaron%20Horvath%20and%20Michael%20Jelenic%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Chris%20Pratt%2C%20Anya%20Taylor-Joy%2C%20Charlie%20Day%2C%20Jack%20Black%2C%20Seth%20Rogen%20and%20Keegan-Michael%20Key%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Avatar: Fire and Ash

Director: James Cameron

Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana

Rating: 4.5/5

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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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
 
Started: 2020
 
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
 
Based: Dubai, UAE
 
Sector: Entertainment 
 
Number of staff: 210 
 
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Updated: November 07, 2023, 4:41 PM