Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza
The UAE has provided almost 50,000 tonnes of urgent supplies to Gaza since November, when the country launched its aid mission to help those affected by the war in the enclave.
The figures, from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, show that 32,000 tonnes of aid was delivered by 260 flights and 1,243 lorries up until May 13.
Three aid ships also set off with 13,190 tonnes of aid to Egypt’s Al Arish Port, to be distributed to Gaza as part of an operation called Gallant Knight 3.
Two hospitals have also been established as part of the UAE's programme to help those in need in Gaza, including one with a centre for amputees to provide prosthetic limbs to Palestinians wounded during the war.
UAE aid in Gaza – in pictures
These include a field hospital in the southern Gaza Strip with more than 100 doctors, nurses, pharmacists and lab technicians. Since December 2, 20,503 cases have been treated.
The field hospital facility is used for general surgery and orthopaedics, while also offering anaesthetic services and intensive care for children and adults. It also offers internal medicine, dentistry, family medicine and psychiatric treatment.
The UAE has also provided a 100-bed floating hospital in Al Arish Port. The repurposed vessel – which has 100 medical and administrative staff on board – will remain docked off the coast of Al Arish to support relief efforts for Gaza.
It has operating rooms, intensive care facilities, a laboratory, a pharmacy and medical warehouses. The vast ship, which sailed from Khalifa Port, also has an evacuation plane and boat, as well as fully equipped ambulances.
About 671 people from Gaza have also been brought to the UAE for medical treatment, accompanied by 735 family members.
Six desalination plants were provided by the UAE, capable of generating up to 1.2 million gallons of clean drinking water a day to 600,000 people.
The UAE also supplied five automated bakeries in Gaza which produces bread for up to 72,000 people, and enough flour for eight existing bakeries, which is helping to feed 17,140 people each day.
It comes after the UAE delivered a fully equipped ambulance and an X-ray machine to serve Al Marwani Field Hospital in the Gaza Strip.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health expressed its gratitude to the Emirates for its assistance, as hospitals and clinics struggle to remain operational amid a barrage of Israeli attacks.
Sultan Al Kabi, the director of the hospital, told The National on Saturday that despite the continuing shelling and Israeli operations in Rafah presenting challenges, the hospital is determined to deliver services.
“The UAE field hospital continues to receive injured people and provide treatment to patients despite the current situation in Rafah city,” Mr Al Kabi said.
Watch: Palestinians start fleeing Rafah as Israeli assault begins
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
Tales of Yusuf Tadros
Adel Esmat (translated by Mandy McClure)
Hoopoe
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Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
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Traits of Chinese zodiac animals
Tiger:independent, successful, volatile
Rat:witty, creative, charming
Ox:diligent, perseverent, conservative
Rabbit:gracious, considerate, sensitive
Dragon:prosperous, brave, rash
Snake:calm, thoughtful, stubborn
Horse:faithful, energetic, carefree
Sheep:easy-going, peacemaker, curious
Monkey:family-orientated, clever, playful
Rooster:honest, confident, pompous
Dog:loyal, kind, perfectionist
Boar:loving, tolerant, indulgent
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F1 The Movie
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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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ULTRA PROCESSED FOODS
- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns
- margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars;
- energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces
- infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes,
- many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts.
