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Severing ties with Israel was not discussed by foreign ministers of Arab League countries, as they worked to reach a unified position on Gaza ahead of the Arab League summit in Bahrain, a senior official has said.
Hossam Zaki, Assistant Secretary General of the Arab League, told The National that cutting off diplomatic ties “was not discussed in the meeting” on Tuesday.
He told reporters there was consensus at this year's Arab League summit, which is expected to focus on the war in Gaza.
“There is total and complete unanimous agreement this time around regarding the Bahrain declaration among the member states. The Bahrain declaration is a continuation of what was adopted in Riyadh," he said.
Mr Zaki was referring to an emergency summit convened in Riyadh in November, a month after Israel launched a military offensive on the Palestinian enclave in response to a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel.
"The war has continued and the war has evolved so we are adopting a political position that is adequate and commensurate with the current circumstances in Gaza,” Mr Zaki told The National.
Foreign ministers of Arab League countries gathered in Manama on Tuesday to finalise the bloc's joint action plan for the year before leaders arrive for their annual summit on Thursday. Bahrain, as current holder of the Arab League presidency, has been working towards Arab unity on the summit's final communique.
“Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani has been on a tour of the Arab states meeting with leaders to get them unified behind the final text, which is expected to announce a tougher stance against Israel,” a source told The National.
Emergency plan needed
Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit arrived in Manama on Sunday and led a meeting of the group's Economic and Social Council, which was followed by talks on Arab unity regarding postwar reconstruction plans for Gaza.
“Every move, whether Arab or international, to put an end to Israeli crimes remains an utmost necessity,” he said at the opening session.
“The League of Arab States emphasised the importance of seeking to alleviate the pain of the residents of the Gaza Strip. The bridges of humanitarian aid coming from Arab countries to Gaza have not stopped, but Israel has continued to prevent the entry of aid and used the weapon of starvation against the people of the Gaza Strip,” Mr Aboul Gheit said.
He said the summit on Thursday would need to produce an “emergency plan to deal with the repercussions of the war”.
Muhannad Al Aklouk, the Palestinian representative to the Arab League, said the emergency response plan would require two stages.
“The first is programmes related to emergency response, comprehensive relief and early recovery, and the second will be worked on at a later time and is related to recovery and early reconstruction,” he told reporters in Manama.
Arab consensus
Diplomatic sources in Manama told The National that Bahraini summit organisers had been attempting to build on the resolution drafted at the Riyadh summit that failed to win majority consensus from the Arab League's 22 member states.
After concluding three days of talks on a collective response and action regarding the developments in Gaza, the Arab League and Organisation of Islamic Co-operation jointly called for an arms embargo against Israel.
“There’s a sense with the diplomats already in discussions ahead of Thursday’s high-level meeting of leaders that this summit in Bahrain is a consequential summit because of the Palestinian cause,” Tawfeeq Almansour, a former Bahraini diplomat, told reporters on Sunday.
“The fate of the Palestinian cause is the fate of the Arab world. The recent aggression on Gaza solidified that even more.”
Addressing the foreign ministers' meeting on Tuesday, Mr Aboul Gheit said international intervention for the creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel was the only way to resolve their decades-old dispute.
“We call on international efforts to organise behind the creation of a two-state solution because the two parties, the Palestinian and the Israeli, are unable to reach an agreement on their own,” he said.
“Therefore, international intervention, in all its forms, has become a necessity. Returning to the path of bilateral negotiations is no longer a possible option. How can this negotiation take place when there is a party that rejects it in the first place?”
The UN General Assembly on Friday voted overwhelmingly in support of a Palestinian bid for full membership of the world body, a symbolic move after the US earlier vetoed the measure in the Security Council.
The resolution, which states that the Palestinians should be admitted to the UN and grants them some additional rights under their current observer status, received 143 votes in favour and nine against, with 25 abstentions.
Speaking to reporters in Manama, Mr Zaki said the group was preparing for a peace conference towards achieving the two-state goal.
Calls for Gaza ceasefire
The summit is being held as Israel intensifies military operations against Hamas in northern Gaza and in the crowded southern city of Rafah.
Israeli troops entered Rafah last week despite warnings from the international community, including from its leading ally and benefactor the US, about a humanitarian catastrophe if Israel invaded.
Rafah has been hosting more than a million Gazans displaced from their homes during more than seven months of a war that has razed buildings across the besieged enclave, which has destroyed its infrastructure and health system and created acute shortages of food.
Many of the more than 35,000 people killed so far have been women and children, Gaza's Health Ministry said.
The fighting in Rafah has forced out about 500,000 people so far, according to the UN Agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, which said that “no place is safe” in Gaza.
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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
EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
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UAE's role in anti-extremism recognised
General John Allen, President of the Brookings Institution research group, commended the role the UAE has played in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism.
He told a Globsec debate of the UAE’s "hugely outsized" role in the fight against Isis.
"It’s trite these days to say that any country punches above its weight, but in every possible way the Emirates did, both militarily, and very importantly, the UAE was extraordinarily helpful on getting to the issue of violent extremism," he said.
He also noted the impact that Hedayah, among others in the UAE, has played in addressing violent extremism.
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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
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Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
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