Pilgrims have begun their last rites, including the final circling of the Kaaba in Makkah, known as the Farewell Tawaf, as their Hajj comes to a close.
After performing the stoning ritual on Sunday, the pilgrims sacrificed animals to mark Eid Al Adha, the festival of the feast that takes place at the end of Hajj.
Pilgrims also exited from their state of ihram, which requires them to follow the modest Hajj dress code, with men shaving or cutting their hair, while women trim the length of a fingertip from one strand of hair.
They then changed back into their normal clothing and proceeded to Makkah to perform the Tawaf Al Ifadah (Farewell Tawaf) and sai’ (ritual of running between Safa and Marwah).
Those pilgrims who performed sai’, along with an arrival Tawaf before the Day of Arafah, were not required to do the final rites on Sunday.
On Monday, the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance branch in Madinah said it was "ready to receive the first batches of pilgrims who have fulfilled the Hajj rituals and are departing from Madinah," and that 900,000 copies of the Quran had been prepared "for distribution at Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport and Prince Abdul Mohsin bin Abdulaziz Regional Airport," the official Saudi Press Agency reported.
The official number of pilgrims this year was about 1.83 million, Saudi Arabian authorities announced.
About 22 per cent of the pilgrims came from Arab countries, according to the official statistics.
The Saudi General Authority for Statistics put the total number of pilgrims at 1,833,164.
Last year, more than 1.8 million pilgrims performed Hajj, which was lower than pre-pandemic levels.
In 2019, more than 2.4 million people made the pilgrimage. Saudi authorities control the flow of pilgrims through quotas, allowing each country one pilgrim for every 1,000 Muslim citizens.
These included 221,854 domestic pilgrims, including citizens and residents of Saudi Arabia, and 1,611,310 pilgrims from outside the kingdom.
Pilgrims left Mount Arafat on Saturday evening to spend their night in a nearby site known as Muzdalifah, where they collected pebbles to use in the symbolic stoning of pillars representing the devil.
The pillars are in another sacred place in Makkah, called Mina, where Muslims believe Ibrahim’s faith was tested when God commanded him to sacrifice his only son Ismail. Ibrahim was prepared to submit to the command, but then God spared his son.
On Sunday morning, crowds headed on foot to the stoning areas. Some were seen pushing disabled pilgrims on wheelchairs on a multi-lane road leading to the complex housing the large pillars.
"I am so happy that I can't describe my feelings," Amal Mahrouss, a 55-year-old woman from Egypt, told AFP. "This place shows us that we are all equal, that there are no differences between Muslims around the world."
Before leaving Makkah, pilgrims, now referred to as Hajjis, shed their white or black robes and wear their finest clothes. Makkah becomes a kaleidoscope of colour as pilgrims perform the Farwell Tawaf, where they circumambulate the Kaaba a final time. This step is mandatory but pilgrims have until the end of the Islamic month of Dhu Al Hijjah to perform it.
Dr Mohammed Al Abdulali, spokesman for the Ministry of Health, said more than 112,000 pilgrims received health care from clinics, emergency departments, hospitals and intensive care units during this year's Hajj season.
SERIE A FIXTURES
Saturday
AC Milan v Sampdoria (2.30pm kick-off UAE)
Atalanta v Udinese (5pm)
Benevento v Parma (5pm)
Cagliari v Hellas Verona (5pm)
Genoa v Fiorentina (5pm)
Lazio v Spezia (5pm)
Napoli v Crotone (5pm)
Sassuolo v Roma (5pm)
Torino v Juventus (8pm)
Bologna v Inter Milan (10.45pm)
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 Old Slave and the Mastiff
Patrick Chamoiseau
Translated from the French and Creole by Linda Coverdale
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
Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
Ticket prices
General admission Dh295 (under-three free)
Buy a four-person Family & Friends ticket and pay for only three tickets, so the fourth family member is free
Buy tickets at: wbworldabudhabi.com/en/tickets
ABU%20DHABI%20CARD
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E5pm%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EWathba%20Stallions%20Cup%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(PA)%20Dh70%2C000%20(Turf)%202%2C200m%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E5.30pm%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20Rub%20Al%20Khali%20%E2%80%93%20Maiden%20(PA)%20Dh80%2C000%20(T)%201%2C400m%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E6pm%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAl%20Marmoom%20Desert%20%E2%80%93%20Maiden%20(PA)%20Dh80%2C000%20(T)%201%2C600m%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E6.30pm%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ELiwa%20Oasis%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(PA)%20Dh80%2C000%20(T)%201%2C400m%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E7pm%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAl%20Khatim%20Desert%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(PA)%20Dh80%2C000%20(T)%201%2C600m%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E7.30pm%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Al%20Quadra%20Desert%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(TB)%20Dh80%2C000%20(T)%201%2C600m%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Trailblazer
Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000
Engine 3.6L V6
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power 275hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 350Nm @ 3,700rpm
Fuel economy combined 12.2L / 100km
