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Jordan’s King Abdullah will meet President Joe Biden at the White House on Monday amid regional escalation linked to the Gaza war and worries in the kingdom about the fate of the West Bank.
It will be the first meeting between the two leaders since a drone attack Washington blamed pro-Iranian militia for killed three US soldiers in Jordan on January 28. The soldiers were stationed a few hundred metres from the border with Syria.
The attack has raised the temperature of the US's confrontation with Iran, which has intensified since the war in Gaza began on October 7, triggered by an attack on southern Israel by the Tehran-backed Hamas.
The killing of the three US soldiers in Jordan has prompted US air strikes on targets linked to the Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps and pro-Iranian militias in Iraq and Syria. The US followed with an attack in Baghdad that killed two senior figures in an Iraqi militia supported by Iran.
In a statement the White House said Mr Biden will discuss a post-war vision with the king "for a durable peace to include a two-state solution with Israel's security guaranteed."
It will be the fourth meeting between the two at the White House since Mr Biden came to office in January 2021 and rebuilt ties with Jordan.
Two Western diplomats in Amman briefed on the king's visit to Washington said he will be asking Mr Biden to continue applying pressure on Israel to contain its incursions in the occupied West Bank, as well as attacks by settlers on Palestinians.
The West Bank is situated west of the Jordan River.
“Any deterioration in the West Bank will hit home in Jordan,” said one of the diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“The reason the situation is remaining somewhat contained there and the settlers are not running completely amok is the US pressure on Israel.”
Several hundred Palestinians have been killed by Israelis in the West Bank since October 7, some of them shot dead by settlers. T|here are almost half a million Israeli settlers in the West Bank, and 3 million Palestinians.
In a rare move, Mr Biden this month issued an executive order sanctioning four Israeli settlers. The order said the violence they are instigating is producing increased instability.
Mr Biden said that “high levels of extremist settler violence, forced displacement of people and villages, and property destruction, has reached intolerable levels.”
King Abdullah warned early in the war of possible spillover effects. He blamed what he described as Israeli intransigence for any regional war that could ensue. Jordan has a 1994 peace treaty with Israel.
In 1999, the authorities in Amman expelled Hamas's leadership form Jordan to Israel, deeming them a national security threat. The group, which is supported by Iran, is linked to the Muslim Brotherhood, which unlike in most other Arab countries, is allowed in Jordan, albeit with limits.
The king has repeatedly opposed any Israeli action that could lead to another wave of Palestinian refugees arriving in Jordan. Although the king has kept diplomatic ties with Israel, he signalled the kingdom's unease about expanding its integration in the region, such as including the latter in commercial and infrastructure projects.
A regional normalisation process started with the US-supervised Abraham Accords in 2020, although a US drive for Israel-Saudi normalisation has hit major obstacles ahead of the US elections in November.
The Jordanian position received a boost last week when US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed Bin Salman, during a visit to the kingdom.
[the king] will make it clear to Biden that however electorally tempting, there is too much anger in the Arab street, and this is no time to pursue more normalisation.
Diplomatic source
Mr Blinken said the crown prince told him that Saudi Arabia still has "strong interest in normalisation" but not before "an end to the conflict in Gaza and a clear, credible, time-bound path to the establishment of a Palestinian state."
The Gaza war has revived US interest in a two-state solution, a goal that became more distant with the halting of peace talks almost a decade ago.
Another diplomat said the king "will make it clear to Biden that however electorally tempting it is, there is too much anger in the Arab street, and this is no time to pursue more normalisation."
But Mr Blinken has been discussing post-war scenarios for Gaza with Jordanian and other Arab officials. The proposals are based on a strong role for the Palestinian Authority and on the expectation of a diminished Hamas, although it is not clear what kind of response they have garnered.
A large proportion of Jordan’s 10 million population are of Palestinian origin. They are mostly descendants of waves of refugees caused by the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in 1948 and 1967.
Since the latest war, many in Jordan have been boycotting US and European goods in response to perceived Western support for the Israeli invasion of Gaza.
The invasion has killed more than 28,000 people in Gaza, according to Palestinian health officials.
Authorities in Jordan have also allowed some anti-Israeli demonstrations, but not too close to the kingdom's 480km border with Israel.
On Friday, security forces blocked roads leading to the northern crossing with Israel to prevent people assembling near the bridge for a planned demonstration organised mainly by the Muslim Brotherhood, which Hamas has links to.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
25%20Days%20to%20Aden
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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
Know your camel milk:
Flavour: Similar to goat’s milk, although less pungent. Vaguely sweet with a subtle, salty aftertaste.
Texture: Smooth and creamy, with a slightly thinner consistency than cow’s milk.
Use it: In your morning coffee, to add flavour to homemade ice cream and milk-heavy desserts, smoothies, spiced camel-milk hot chocolate.
Goes well with: chocolate and caramel, saffron, cardamom and cloves. Also works well with honey and dates.
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
Five hymns the crowds can join in
Papal Mass will begin at 10.30am at the Zayed Sports City Stadium on Tuesday
Some 17 hymns will be sung by a 120-strong UAE choir
Five hymns will be rehearsed with crowds on Tuesday morning before the Pope arrives at stadium
‘Christ be our Light’ as the entrance song
‘All that I am’ for the offertory or during the symbolic offering of gifts at the altar
‘Make me a Channel of your Peace’ and ‘Soul of my Saviour’ for the communion
‘Tell out my Soul’ as the final hymn after the blessings from the Pope
The choir will also sing the hymn ‘Legions of Heaven’ in Arabic as ‘Assakiroo Sama’
There are 15 Arabic speakers from Syria, Lebanon and Jordan in the choir that comprises residents from the Philippines, India, France, Italy, America, Netherlands, Armenia and Indonesia
The choir will be accompanied by a brass ensemble and an organ
They will practice for the first time at the stadium on the eve of the public mass on Monday evening
Email sent to Uber team from chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi
From: Dara
To: Team@
Date: March 25, 2019 at 11:45pm PT
Subj: Accelerating in the Middle East
Five years ago, Uber launched in the Middle East. It was the start of an incredible journey, with millions of riders and drivers finding new ways to move and work in a dynamic region that’s become so important to Uber. Now Pakistan is one of our fastest-growing markets in the world, women are driving with Uber across Saudi Arabia, and we chose Cairo to launch our first Uber Bus product late last year.
Today we are taking the next step in this journey—well, it’s more like a leap, and a big one: in a few minutes, we’ll announce that we’ve agreed to acquire Careem. Importantly, we intend to operate Careem independently, under the leadership of co-founder and current CEO Mudassir Sheikha. I’ve gotten to know both co-founders, Mudassir and Magnus Olsson, and what they have built is truly extraordinary. They are first-class entrepreneurs who share our platform vision and, like us, have launched a wide range of products—from digital payments to food delivery—to serve consumers.
I expect many of you will ask how we arrived at this structure, meaning allowing Careem to maintain an independent brand and operate separately. After careful consideration, we decided that this framework has the advantage of letting us build new products and try new ideas across not one, but two, strong brands, with strong operators within each. Over time, by integrating parts of our networks, we can operate more efficiently, achieve even lower wait times, expand new products like high-capacity vehicles and payments, and quicken the already remarkable pace of innovation in the region.
This acquisition is subject to regulatory approval in various countries, which we don’t expect before Q1 2020. Until then, nothing changes. And since both companies will continue to largely operate separately after the acquisition, very little will change in either teams’ day-to-day operations post-close. Today’s news is a testament to the incredible business our team has worked so hard to build.
It’s a great day for the Middle East, for the region’s thriving tech sector, for Careem, and for Uber.
Uber on,
Dara
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Saturday, May 16 (kick-offs UAE time)
Borussia Dortmund v Schalke (4.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Freiburg (4.30pm)
Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin (4.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Paderborn (4.30pm)
Augsburg v Wolfsburg (4.30pm)
Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Monchengladbach (7.30pm)
Sunday, May 17
Cologne v Mainz (4.30pm),
Union Berlin v Bayern Munich (7pm)
Monday, May 18
Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen (9.30pm)
Company%20profile
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