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Gazans have reacted angrily to a US air drop of aid over the weekend, saying the 38,000 meals supplied is a tiny fraction of the enclave’s requirements after 150 days of siege that have left 2.3 million people facing famine.
A senior diplomat from a G7 country, speaking off the record, told The National that the US has asked its allies to participate in the air drops, but that the majority are pushing for more aid to go through Rafah.
“What the Americans are doing is symbolic. Other countries might join in the air drops to help Washington politically, but there is no substitute for overland supplies,” the diplomat said.
Gazans who spoke to The National said the small amounts of aid with parachutes dropped by US planes led to a potentially dangerous scramble for the food. Images posted on social media showed heavy pallets of aid falling quickly near crowds of people, which experts on aid drops say posed a risk to life on the ground.
Some said they would not seek such aid as it was not worth the difficulty and humiliation of rushing to access supplies.
Mohammed Al Firi, who fled to Rafah from Gaza city, said he witnessed the American airdrop but was unable to receive any aid.
"Only those who can run and follow the parachutes can receive aid. Otherwise, no one else can access this aid," Mr Al Firi told The National.
"The aid is supposed to enter through the border, as this current method does not help people. On the contrary, it harms them, as some individuals get injured due to the pushing and shoving," he added.
Famine risk
Despite the air drops, the situation in Gaza is growing more desperate each day. Gazan Ministry of Health spokesman Ashraf Al Qudra announced on Sunday that the number of children who have died due to drought and malnutrition in northern Gaza has risen to 15.
Aid agencies say a leading factor in the crisis is laborious Israeli inspection of aid lorries at the main crossing point, Rafah, on the Egyptian border, which has resulted in an average of just 100 lorries making it into Gaza per day, half of what the UN says is the bare minimum needed.
The conflict, including Israeli attacks on Hamas policemen escorting aid convoys, has also curtailed the movement of supplies, especially in the north of the enclave where residents have eaten weeds, sifted through rubbish for food and eaten animal fodder.
More than 127 Palestinians were shot dead by Israeli forces on Friday as they struggled to access lorry loads of aid, in an incident now being investigated by the EU and Amnesty International.
Hussein Murtaja, 36, in the Al Jinina neighbourhood in the city of Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip, said the images of Gazans struggling to access the air dropped supplies, some of which landed in the sea, were depressing.
Mr Murtaja has been displaced twice, first from Gaza city to Khan Younis, and then from Khan Younis to Rafah. "I can’t sleep. Seeing my people running after the aid is breaking my heart. We need people who live among us, feel our pain, and experience our suffering to help decide our fate," Mr Murtaja told The National.
Mr Murtaja, an executive director for the NGO Gaza Group for Culture and Development Centre, wanted to cry but remained strong in front of his children.
"We dreamt and wished for a dignified life, but we find ourselves in strange streets, cold tents and endless nightmares.”
Ghazi Jamal, 26, from Gaza city, said the amount of air dropped was minuscule.
"This does not meet the minimum requirements of the population in Gaza ... its purpose is for display and to lift the embarrassment and blame," Mr Jamal told The National.
Mr Jamal was referring to accusations that the US shares responsibility for Gaza's suffering due to its support for Israel’s war and its failure to pressure Israel into allowing more aid into Gaza overland.
Although part of Mr Jamal's house is damaged, he remains there with eight other members of his family.
"People in the north of Gaza are suffering from hunger and fatigue, feeling as if they are drowning people clinging to a straw. When this aid was distributed, the residents followed them to get scraps of aid to meet some of their needs, but most returned with nothing, feeling broken-hearted," he added.
Ali Loai, a 29-year-old from Gaza city who is currently living in a tent in Rafah with five other family members, explained that he would not try to receive any of the aid.
"I will not chase after the aid, because we are better than that. Our situation is so difficult, and the prices are so high, and I cannot fulfil all of my family's needs. At the same time, I will not fight with others to get a small package that will not be sufficient for us," Mr Loai told The National.
"I wonder why America is utilising air drops when they could pressure Israel to allow aid trucks to enter Gaza through the Rafah border. In this way, we could receive aid in a dignified manner," he added.
In nearby Jordan, the Royal Palace quoted King Abdullah as saying his government “will keep pushing to stop the war and provide humanitarian, emergency and medical aid to Gaza by land and air”.
The palace reported that King Abdullah told Ayman Odeh, an Arab member of the Israeli Knesset, that “maximum effort has to be exerted to reach a ceasefire in Gaza and protect the civilians.”
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
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
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
The Specs
Price, base Dh379,000
Engine 2.9-litre, twin-turbo V6
Gearbox eight-speed automatic
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Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
How to keep control of your emotions
If your investment decisions are being dictated by emotions such as fear, greed, hope, frustration and boredom, it is time for a rethink, Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading platform IG, says.
Greed
Greedy investors trade beyond their means, open more positions than usual or hold on to positions too long to chase an even greater gain. “All too often, they incur a heavy loss and may even wipe out the profit already made.
Tip: Ignore the short-term hype, noise and froth and invest for the long-term plan, based on sound fundamentals.
Fear
The risk of making a loss can cloud decision-making. “This can cause you to close out a position too early, or miss out on a profit by being too afraid to open a trade,” he says.
Tip: Start with a plan, and stick to it. For added security, consider placing stops to reduce any losses and limits to lock in profits.
Hope
While all traders need hope to start trading, excessive optimism can backfire. Too many traders hold on to a losing trade because they believe that it will reverse its trend and become profitable.
Tip: Set realistic goals. Be happy with what you have earned, rather than frustrated by what you could have earned.
Frustration
Traders can get annoyed when the markets have behaved in unexpected ways and generates losses or fails to deliver anticipated gains.
Tip: Accept in advance that asset price movements are completely unpredictable and you will suffer losses at some point. These can be managed, say, by attaching stops and limits to your trades.
Boredom
Too many investors buy and sell because they want something to do. They are trading as entertainment, rather than in the hope of making money. As well as making bad decisions, the extra dealing charges eat into returns.
Tip: Open an online demo account and get your thrills without risking real money.
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Plan to boost public schools
A major shake-up of government-run schools was rolled out across the country in 2017. Known as the Emirati School Model, it placed more emphasis on maths and science while also adding practical skills to the curriculum.
It was accompanied by the promise of a Dh5 billion investment, over six years, to pay for state-of-the-art infrastructure improvements.
Aspects of the school model will be extended to international private schools, the education minister has previously suggested.
Recent developments have also included the introduction of moral education - which public and private schools both must teach - along with reform of the exams system and tougher teacher licensing requirements.
More coverage from the Future Forum
Retirement funds heavily invested in equities at a risky time
Pension funds in growing economies in Asia, Latin America and the Middle East have a sharply higher percentage of assets parked in stocks, just at a time when trade tensions threaten to derail markets.
Retirement money managers in 14 geographies now allocate 40 per cent of their assets to equities, an 8 percentage-point climb over the past five years, according to a Mercer survey released last week that canvassed government, corporate and mandatory pension funds with almost $5 trillion in assets under management. That compares with about 25 per cent for pension funds in Europe.
The escalating trade spat between the US and China has heightened fears that stocks are ripe for a downturn. With tensions mounting and outcomes driven more by politics than economics, the S&P 500 Index will be on course for a “full-scale bear market” without Federal Reserve interest-rate cuts, Citigroup’s global macro strategy team said earlier this week.
The increased allocation to equities by growth-market pension funds has come at the expense of fixed-income investments, which declined 11 percentage points over the five years, according to the survey.
Hong Kong funds have the highest exposure to equities at 66 per cent, although that’s been relatively stable over the period. Japan’s equity allocation jumped 13 percentage points while South Korea’s increased 8 percentage points.
The money managers are also directing a higher portion of their funds to assets outside of their home countries. On average, foreign stocks now account for 49 per cent of respondents’ equity investments, 4 percentage points higher than five years ago, while foreign fixed-income exposure climbed 7 percentage points to 23 per cent. Funds in Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and Taiwan are among those seeking greater diversification in stocks and fixed income.
• Bloomberg
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AUSTRALIA SQUAD
Steve Smith (capt), David Warner, Cameron Bancroft, Jackson Bird, Pat Cummins, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Shaun Marsh, Tim Paine, Chadd Sayers, Mitchell Starc.
Specs
Engine: 2-litre
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 255hp
Torque: 273Nm
Price: Dh240,000
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Nick's journey in numbers
Countries so far: 85
Flights: 149
Steps: 3.78 million
Calories: 220,000
Floors climbed: 2,000
Donations: GPB37,300
Prostate checks: 5
Blisters: 15
Bumps on the head: 2
Dog bites: 1
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The%20specs
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Scoreline
Australia 2-1 Thailand
Australia: Juric 69', Leckie 86'
Thailand: Pokklaw 82'
INFO
Everton 0
Arsenal 0
Man of the Match: Djibril Sidibe (Everton)
The Ashes
Results
First Test, Brisbane: Australia won by 10 wickets
Second Test, Adelaide: Australia won by 120 runs
Third Test, Perth: Australia won by an innings and 41 runs
Fourth Test: Melbourne: Drawn
Fifth Test: Australia won by an innings and 123 runs
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
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