• More than 1,000 people were killed and many others injured in the widespread violence between Bedouin tribes and Druze factions in the southern Syrian city of Sweida. All photos: Hasan Belal for The National
    More than 1,000 people were killed and many others injured in the widespread violence between Bedouin tribes and Druze factions in the southern Syrian city of Sweida. All photos: Hasan Belal for The National
  • This injury victim had to be treated at Sweida's National Hospital under the flashlight of a mobile phone due to a power outage in the city.
    This injury victim had to be treated at Sweida's National Hospital under the flashlight of a mobile phone due to a power outage in the city.
  • A hospital volunteer cleans up the remains of bodies that had been kept under the sun for three days due to the violence.
    A hospital volunteer cleans up the remains of bodies that had been kept under the sun for three days due to the violence.
  • Large crowds of people from Sweida gather in front of a gas station to obtain their allocations of diesel and gasoline after the siege imposed on by the Syrian government.
    Large crowds of people from Sweida gather in front of a gas station to obtain their allocations of diesel and gasoline after the siege imposed on by the Syrian government.
  • A doctor at the National Hospital is archiving photos of corpses to document the lives that were lost.
    A doctor at the National Hospital is archiving photos of corpses to document the lives that were lost.
  • A group of doctors and nurses take the bus home after a long day at work.
    A group of doctors and nurses take the bus home after a long day at work.
  • One of the mass graves in Al Raha area of Sweida, where the Druze hijab is placed as a symbol of the people.
    One of the mass graves in Al Raha area of Sweida, where the Druze hijab is placed as a symbol of the people.
  • Burnt buildings in Al Omran roundabout area.
    Burnt buildings in Al Omran roundabout area.
  • The name of one of the Bedouin tribes is written on a wall of a building in Al Omran roundabout area as evidence of their presence.
    The name of one of the Bedouin tribes is written on a wall of a building in Al Omran roundabout area as evidence of their presence.

Residents of Sweida say their city is running out of supplies


Khaled Yacoub Oweis
  • English
  • Arabic

Shortages of water, food and medicine have reached critical levels in Sweida in southern Syria after three weeks of fighting, residents told The National.

Supplies have been severely limited by the conflict between government forces seeking to deploy in the city and local powerbrokers resisting control by the newly established central authorities.

Residents fear attacks by Bedouin tribes if they leave the city. Authorities have also heavily restricted access to the area, requiring prior co-ordination for entry and exit. Journalists are banned from entering the city.

Suhail Thebian, a civil figure in Sweida, told The National that, in addition to the almost complete absence of electricity, there has been no water for days, accusing armed men of blowing up water wells in the nearby area of Thaala, on which Sweida city depends.

“Remaining wells are not functioning because there is no diesel to operate them. There is no flour either,” he said. He pointed to the destruction of a major mill north of Sweida, an area where attacks have not stopped, and the near halting of supplies from Damascus, although the Syrian Red Crescent has sent three aid convoys from Damascus.

Meanwhile, Syria's Information Minister Hamza Mustafa said that “humanitarian aid heading to Sweida has not stopped”, and pinned the blame for the shortage of supplies on “an outlaw group who wants to exploit the suffering of people for its separatist goals”. He was referring to the Druze spiritual leadership, which has coalesced in recent weeks under Sheikh Hikmat Al Hijri.

A Syrian Red Crescent official said a convoy with 1,000 food baskets as well as 200 tonnes of food was entering Sweida on Monday, the third such convoy since clashes subsided last week. On Thursday, a convoy with 30,000 litres of fuel arrived in the city.

“The priority is to keep the main hospital (Sweida National) in service,” he explained.

The official said 4,000 baskets for use by the displaced, containing household disinfectants, nylon separation barriers and other items to cope with minimal shelter, were also sent to Sweida on Monday. The aid also included a consignment of medicine.

Deadly clashes between Druze fighters, Bedouin tribes and government forces have left hundreds dead in southern Syria. Reuters
Deadly clashes between Druze fighters, Bedouin tribes and government forces have left hundreds dead in southern Syria. Reuters

The conflict in Sweida is the latest pitting the government against Syria's minorities since Hayat Tahrir Al Sham, formerly allied with Al Qaeda, ousted Bashar Al Assad in December. In March, hundreds of civilians were killed in a campaign against the coastal Alawite heartland. Tensions with Kurds in northern and eastern Syria are also high.

The clashes erupted in Sweida in early July between Bedouin and Druze factions, following the kidnapping of a Druze trader on a government-controlled road north of the city, and escalated into widespread violence, killing more than 1,000 people.

Syrian government forces were deployed to contain the unrest, but Druze militias, who deeply distrust the new Syrian authorities and viewed them as siding with the Bedouin, mobilised to push them back. Forces allied with the central authorities attempted to enter Sweida days after talks between the central authorities and Mr Al Hijri failed to secure the admission of security forces into the city.

The government has sent in tanks and troops, but Israeli strikes and US diplomatic efforts curbed the offensive on the heartland of the Druze minority, particularly Sweida city, the provincial capital, located near Jordan.

A source in Jordan said that Syrian government forces had entered more than a dozen strategically important villages in the west and north of the city. This has deprived hundreds of thousands of Sweida residents of access to Damascus, and to the nearby province of Deraa, birthplace of the 2011 Syrian revolt. East of Sweida lies the Syriac desert, leading effectively to nowhere.

At Sweida National Hospital, a doctor who gave his name as Khaldoun said that “serums, painkillers, surgical thread, antibiotics, are critically low. We need all this to operate. There is nothing left to treat bone wounds, my speciality".

Bio:

Favourite Quote: Prophet Mohammad's quotes There is reward for kindness to every living thing and A good man treats women with honour

Favourite Hobby: Serving poor people 

Favourite Book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Favourite food: Fish and vegetables

Favourite place to visit: London

SPECS
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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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UK’s AI plan
  • AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
  • £10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
  • £100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
  • £250m to train new AI models
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
 
Started: 2020
 
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
 
Based: Dubai, UAE
 
Sector: Entertainment 
 
Number of staff: 210 
 
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
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Desert Warrior

Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley

Director: Rupert Wyatt

Rating: 3/5

England squads for Test and T20 series against New Zealand

Test squad: Joe Root (capt), Jofra Archer, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Joe Denly, Jack Leach, Saqib Mahmood, Matthew Parkinson, Ollie Pope, Dominic Sibley, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes

T20 squad: Eoin Morgan (capt), Jonny Bairstow, Tom Banton, Sam Billings, Pat Brown, Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Joe Denly, Lewis Gregory, Chris Jordan, Saqib Mahmood, Dawid Malan, Matt Parkinson, Adil Rashid, James Vince

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

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Price: From Dh117,059

Updated: July 29, 2025, 4:54 AM