The Arab League on Sunday decided to allow Syria's conditional return after more than a decade of isolation.
The decision, which takes immediate effect, was made by Arab foreign ministers at an emergency meeting in Cairo, home to the league's headquarters.
A statement announcing the decision said it was taken to contribute towards ending the “suffering” of the Syrian people and “realise their legitimate future aspirations.”
It also called for a leading Arab role in taking steps to resolve all aspects of the Syrian crisis, including security, humanitarian and political issues.
It said there was a need to deal with the fallout from Syria's civil war on neighbouring states, the region and the world at large, citing the burden of Syrian refugees, the threat of terrorism and the smuggling of narcotics.
Lebanon and Jordan have been home to hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees for more than a decade, placing significant pressure on their resources and infrastructure. Syrians have also found refuge in countries further afield, such as Egypt, Sudan and Yemen. Many headed to western Europe to start new lives there.
Jordan has blamed the Syrian military and Iran-backed militias for the proliferation of narcotics in the region.
“We emphasise the necessity of taking effective and practical steps towards a gradual resolution of the crisis under the principle of 'one step for one step',” said the statement, suggesting that Syria's reintegration will depend on the progress it makes towards reaching a settlement.
Those steps, it added, must comply with UN Security Council Resolution 2254 of 2015, which aims to create an internationally recognised bid for peace in Syria.
New peace plan
A committee comprising the head of the Arab League and representatives from Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon will be set up to maintain direct communication with the Syrian government to reach a comprehensive settlement of the conflict.
The re-admission of Syria into the Arab fold is motivated in part by the desire of the region's Arab powerhouses to counterbalance the influence there of non-Arab players such as Iran, Turkey and Lebanon's Iranian-backed Hezbollah.
Like Iran, Russia has contributed to the defeat of anti-government forces in Syria and continues to maintain a military presence there, including facilities at a naval base on the Mediterranean.
Reconciliation with Mr Assad's regime and recent moves to normalise relations with Iran could also help defuse tensions in places like Yemen and Lebanon, where Tehran-backed militias wield significant political sway and firepower.
Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit, speaking at a news conference after Sunday's meeting, said Syrian President Bashar Al Assad was now free to attend the Arab summit due to be held in Saudi Arabia later this month.
“When invitations for the Arab summit are sent out to member states by the host nation — Saudi Arabia — then the Syrian President Bashar Al Assad can attend if he wishes to,” he said.
Syria's foreign ministry said the decision would benefit “security” in the region.
“Syria has been following the positive trends and interactions that are currently taking place in the Arab region, and believes that these benefit all Arab countries and favour the stability, security and well-being of their peoples,” it said.
Speaking earlier, Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said the decision would mark the start of a revived political process in the conflict-torn country.
At a news conference, he said: “The decision emphasises the importance that the Syrian government and other factions honour their commitments. Arab nations also have a duty to push forward a political settlement of the crisis in view of the current international stagnation, but the onus is on the Syrian government and parties.”
Sunday's resolution followed moves by various regional powers to end the isolation imposed on Damascus since 2011, when the Arab League suspended Syria's membership over the violent suppression of popular protests against President Bashar Al Assad's rule.
The protests later degenerated into a full-blown civil war that killed hundreds of thousands and forced millions of Syrians to flee to neighbouring countries.
Addressing Sunday's Arab League meeting, Mr Shoukry strongly suggested that Syria's full return to the Arab fold depended on the actions it took to peacefully end the conflict and reconcile the nation's rival factions.
“Every stage of the Syrian crisis proved that it cannot be resolved militarily and that there are no winners or losers,” he said. “We are convinced that the only way towards its settlement is a political resolution that has Syrian ownership and without foreign dictates,” he added.
He cited national reconciliation, building trust and safeguarding Syria's unity, sovereignty, Arab identity and an end to foreign meddling in its affairs.
On Friday, Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said Syria had enough votes among the league's 22 members to regain its seat, but acknowledged that the “symbolic return” would still involve a very “long and difficult” process.
The Arab League's meeting on Sunday comes a week after Jordan hosted in Amman Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad and his counterparts from Egypt, Iraq and Saudi Arabia.
The ministers said in a joint statement that their meeting was “aimed at solving the Syrian crisis” in line with a 2015 UN Security Council resolution endorsing a road map for peace, and addressing the “humanitarian, political and security crisis.”
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal Bin Farhan and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi have both visited Damascus in recent weeks, with Tehran lauding the regional push to reintegrate its Arab ally.
Syria and Saudi Arabia agreed to resume flights and consular services last month, while Tunisia has also reappointed an ambassador to Damascus.
Damascus had acknowledged that it needed to improve regional relations before a return to the league.
“The Arab League exists but then the differences within the Arab League will remain,” Mr Mekdad said last month. Syria's return may “unify” regional stances, he added.
US President Joe Biden's administration said it was “encouraged” by the Amman meeting despite Washington's opposition to bringing Mr Al Assad's regime back into the fold.
A White House National Security Council representative told The National the Biden administration was “encouraged to see the joint communique mention many priorities that we and our partners share”.
The White House said it was particularly pleased that the communique emphasised UN Security Council Resolution 2254.
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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
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Bert van Marwijk factfile
Born: May 19 1952
Place of birth: Deventer, Netherlands
Playing position: Midfielder
Teams managed:
1998-2000 Fortuna Sittard
2000-2004 Feyenoord
2004-2006 Borussia Dortmund
2007-2008 Feyenoord
2008-2012 Netherlands
2013-2014 Hamburg
2015-2017 Saudi Arabia
2018 Australia
Major honours (manager):
2001/02 Uefa Cup, Feyenoord
2007/08 KNVB Cup, Feyenoord
World Cup runner-up, Netherlands
Company%20profile
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Greatest Royal Rumble results
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Braun Strowman won the 50-man Royal Rumble by eliminating Big Cass last
Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
Company Profile
Company name: Yeepeey
Started: Soft launch in November, 2020
Founders: Sagar Chandiramani, Jatin Sharma and Monish Chandiramani
Based: Dubai
Industry: E-grocery
Initial investment: $150,000
Future plan: Raise $1.5m and enter Saudi Arabia next year
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
