Ebrahim Raisi, the hardline judiciary chief, has been a fixture of Iranian politics for decades and is well-known in Iran and globally for his role in the execution of thousands of prisoners in the 1980s.
Mr Raisi was the preferred candidate of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who is said to consider Mr Raisi a close confidant and possible successor. Many believe his win was predetermined and a stepping stone to his eventual role as Supreme Leader.
He won the presidential elections with 17.8 million votes, out of 28.6 million cast, to succeed reformist Hassan Rouhani who had spent eight years in his post.
Through the election period, Mr Raisi seemed to tone down his normally extreme anti-West hardline rhetoric, suggesting he would continue negotiations with the US and Europe on a new nuclear deal as a way to relieve sanctions pressure.
He also spent much of his campaigning focused on Iran's economic issues, pledging to tackle “poverty and corruption, humiliation and discrimination.”
Mr Raisi was born in 1960 in a small village near the holy city of Mashhad. As a teenager, he went to Qom to enter a seminary, where he studied under Mr Khamenei. While in Qom he became politically active, participating in protests against the shah prior to the revolution.
During the early years of the Islamic Republic, Mr Raisi began his judicial career. He was appointed prosecutor of Karaj and subsequently deputy prosecutor in Tehran.
Following the end of the Iran-Iraq war in 1988, then-Supreme Leader Ruhollah Khomeini appointed Mr Raisi to a “death commission” that led to the mass execution of political dissidents.
Amnesty International says more than 5,000 prisoners, most of them connected to the anti-regime People's Mujahideen, were killed. Mr Raisi's role in the executions has been condemned by human rights groups around the world. The Centre for Human Rights in Iran has called on the International Criminal Court to investigate him over alleged crimes against humanity.
In 2009, Mr Raisi defended the executions of more than a dozen people who took part in the Green Revolution protests that followed former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's re-election.
In 2016, Mr Khamenei appointed him as custodian of Astan Quds Razavi, the foundation that manages the shrine of Imam Reza in Mashhad, Mr Raisi's home city.
Mr Raisi ran for president in 2017, collecting 16 million votes but losing to President Rouhani in a landslide win for the moderate candidate.
In 2019, He was named head of Iran’s judiciary by Mr Khamenei as well as deputy chief of the Assembly of Experts, the clerical group that selects the Supreme Leader. His two years as chief justice have been marked by human rights abuses and the increasing repression of any kind of dissent in Iran. He has overseen the execution of a number of Iranians who have participated in political protest, including a champion wrestler.
In November 2019, the Trump administration imposed sanctions on Mr Raisi and other members of the supreme leader’s inner circle for “advancing the regime’s domestic and foreign oppression,” which included the execution of minors.
With Mr Raisi now at the helm of the country, many believe Iran is about to face one of its most repressive presidencies. Analysts expect that many of the freedoms ushered in by the moderate Rouhani administration are likely to be reversed in favour of conservative values and hardline policies.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
2018 ICC World Twenty20 Asian Western Sub Regional Qualifier
Event info: The tournament in Kuwait is the first phase of the qualifying process for sides from Asia for the 2020 World T20 in Australia. The UAE must finish within the top three teams out of the six at the competition to advance to the Asia regional finals. Success at regional finals would mean progression to the World T20 Qualifier.
Teams: UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Maldives, Qatar
Friday fixtures: 9.30am (UAE time) - Kuwait v Maldives, Qatar v UAE; 3pm - Saudi Arabia v Bahrain
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
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
