• Sheikh Dr Fares Al Mustafa leads the prayers for rain at Al Farooq Omar bin Al Khattab Mosque in Dubai. Antonie Robertson / The National
    Sheikh Dr Fares Al Mustafa leads the prayers for rain at Al Farooq Omar bin Al Khattab Mosque in Dubai. Antonie Robertson / The National
  • The prayers, known as Salat Al Istisqa, are performed to ask God for rain and mercy. Antonie Robertson / The National
    The prayers, known as Salat Al Istisqa, are performed to ask God for rain and mercy. Antonie Robertson / The National
  • The tradition is performed across the Gulf when rainfall is delayed. Antonie Robertson/The National
    The tradition is performed across the Gulf when rainfall is delayed. Antonie Robertson/The National
  • Sheikh Dr Fares Al Mustafa leads the prayers for rain at Al Farooq Omar bin Al Khattab Mosque in Dubai. Antonie Robertson / The National
    Sheikh Dr Fares Al Mustafa leads the prayers for rain at Al Farooq Omar bin Al Khattab Mosque in Dubai. Antonie Robertson / The National
  • The rites across the UAE come after President Sheikh Mohamed called for rain prayers to be held in all mosques in the country on Saturday, December 7, at 11am. Antonie Robertson / The National
    The rites across the UAE come after President Sheikh Mohamed called for rain prayers to be held in all mosques in the country on Saturday, December 7, at 11am. Antonie Robertson / The National
  • Worshippers at Al Farooq Omar bin Al Khattab Mosque in Dubai. Antonie Robertson / The National
    Worshippers at Al Farooq Omar bin Al Khattab Mosque in Dubai. Antonie Robertson / The National
  • Sheikh Dr Fares Al Mustafa gives an address. Antonie Robertson / The National
    Sheikh Dr Fares Al Mustafa gives an address. Antonie Robertson / The National
  • The call for prayer comes as the nation celebrates Eid Al Etihad to mark the anniversary of the foundation of the UAE. Antonie Robertson / The National
    The call for prayer comes as the nation celebrates Eid Al Etihad to mark the anniversary of the foundation of the UAE. Antonie Robertson / The National
  • Sheikh Dr Fares Al Mustafa leads the prayers for rain at Al Farooq Omar bin Al Khattab Mosque in Dubai. Antonie Robertson / The National
    Sheikh Dr Fares Al Mustafa leads the prayers for rain at Al Farooq Omar bin Al Khattab Mosque in Dubai. Antonie Robertson / The National
  • Sheikh Dr Fares Al Mustafa leads the prayers for rain at Al Farooq Omar bin Al Khattab Mosque in Dubai. Antonie Robertson / The National
    Sheikh Dr Fares Al Mustafa leads the prayers for rain at Al Farooq Omar bin Al Khattab Mosque in Dubai. Antonie Robertson / The National

UAE worshippers answer President's call to pray for rain


  • English
  • Arabic

Worshippers came together at mosques across the UAE on Saturday to pray for rainfall, on the directives of President Sheikh Mohamed.

Sheikh Mohamed issued a call earlier this week for the rain prayers – also known as Salat Al Istisqa – to be observed at 11am on December 7.

The UAE leader urged the public to “pray to Allah Almighty to bless the nation with rain and mercy, in line with the sunnah [traditions] of Prophet Muhammad”, state news agency Wam reported.

The tradition is performed across the Gulf when rainfall is delayed. An order for the prayers to be performed is issued by a nation’s leader.

While bouts of rain across the UAE are not uncommon – especially in the Northern Emirates – the UAE has an arid desert climate. The country typically receives about 150mm of rainfall annually

Additional rainfall can be crucial for the agriculture sector, as farmers seek to cultivate healthy crops in challenging conditions, as well as bolstering groundwater reserves.

The UAE has taken significant steps to increase rainfall over recent years. The country launched its cloud-seeding programme in the 1990s. By the 2000s, the National Centre of Meteorology was working with global peers such as Nasa and the National Centre for Atmospheric Research in the US to further develop seeding strategies.

Seeding is a complex process, with research pouring into the field to assess its effectiveness. But it essentially involves shooting salt flares or other small materials into clouds to try to generate extra rain. Hundreds of seeding missions are conducted each year in an effort to increase rainfall in the typically dry UAE climate.

Plans to harness high humidity to produce crucial rainfall for farmers in arid conditions are taking shape under a multibillion-dollar UAE-US partnership turning brainstorming into concrete climate solutions.

A high-tech project from US company Heka Cloud is one of several being developed with financial support from the Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate (Aim for Climate) established by the Emirates and Washington to drive environmental action.

Is rain on the way?

The nation's prayers could soon be answered, according to the National Centre of Meteorology's latest five-day weather bulletin.

The weather centre said there was a chance of light rainfall on Tuesday and Wednesday over some Eastern and Northern areas of the Emirates.

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
RESULTS

Women:

55kg brown-black belt: Amal Amjahid (BEL) bt Amanda Monteiro (BRA) via choke
62kg brown-black belt: Bianca Basilio (BRA) bt Ffion Davies (GBR) via referee’s decision (0-0, 2-2 adv)
70kg brown-black belt: Ana Carolina Vieira (BRA) bt Jessica Swanson (USA), 9-0
90kg brown-black belt: Angelica Galvao (USA) bt Marta Szarecka (POL) 8-2

Men:

62kg black belt: Joao Miyao (BRA) bt Wan Ki-chae (KOR), 7-2
69kg black belt: Paulo Miyao (BRA) bt Gianni Grippo (USA), 2-2 (1-0 adv)
77kg black belt: Espen Mathiesen (NOR) bt Jake Mackenzie (CAN)
85kg black belt: Isaque Braz (BRA) bt Faisal Al Ketbi (UAE), 2-0
94kg black belt: Felipe Pena (BRA) bt Adam Wardzinski (POL), 4-0
110kg black belt final: Erberth Santos (BRA) bt Lucio Rodrigues (GBR) via rear naked choke

RESULTS

2pm: Maiden Dh 60,000 (Dirt) 1,400m. Winner: Masaali, Pat Dobbs (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer).

2.30pm: Handicap Dh 76,000 (D) 1,400m. Winner: Almoreb, Dane O’Neill, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.

3pm: Handicap Dh 64,000 (D) 1,200m. Winner: Imprison, Fabrice Veron, Rashed Bouresly.

3.30pm: Shadwell Farm Conditions Dh 100,000 (D) 1,000m. Winner: Raahy, Adrie de Vries, Jaber Ramadhan.

4pm: Maiden Dh 60,000 (D) 1,000m. Winner: Cross The Ocean, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.

4.30pm: Handicap 64,000 (D) 1,950m. Winner: Sa’Ada, Fernando Jara, Ahmad bin Harmash.

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
 
Started: 2021
 
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
 
Based: Tunisia 
 
Sector: Water technology 
 
Number of staff: 22 
 
Investment raised: $4 million 
UAE SQUAD

Khalid Essa, Ali Khaseif, Fahad Al Dhanhani, Adel Al Hosani, Bandar Al Ahbabi, Mohammad Barghash, Salem Rashid, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Shaheen Abdulrahman, Hassan Al Mahrami, Walid Abbas, Mahmoud Khamis, Yousef Jaber, Majed Sorour, Majed Hassan, Ali Salmeen, Abdullah Ramadan, Abdullah Al Naqbi, Khalil Al Hammadi, Fabio De Lima, Khalfan Mubarak, Tahnoon Al Zaabi, Ali Saleh, Caio Canedo, Ali Mabkhout, Sebastian Tagliabue, Zayed Al Ameri

Starring: Jamie Foxx, Angela Bassett, Tina Fey

Directed by: Pete Doctor

Rating: 4 stars

SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20IPAD%20(2022)
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg

Barcelona v Liverpool, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE).

Second leg

Liverpool v Barcelona, Tuesday, May 7, 11pm

Games on BeIN Sports

Tamkeen's offering
  • Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
  • Option 2: 50% across three years
  • Option 3: 30% across five years 

The Kites

Romain Gary

Penguin Modern Classics

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

Our legal consultants

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

 

 

AS%20WE%20EXIST
%3Cp%3EAuthor%3A%20Kaoutar%20Harchi%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPublisher%3A%20Other%20Press%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPages%3A%20176%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAvailable%3A%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
US tops drug cost charts

The study of 13 essential drugs showed costs in the United States were about 300 per cent higher than the global average, followed by Germany at 126 per cent and 122 per cent in the UAE.

Thailand, Kenya and Malaysia were rated as nations with the lowest costs, about 90 per cent cheaper.

In the case of insulin, diabetic patients in the US paid five and a half times the global average, while in the UAE the costs are about 50 per cent higher than the median price of branded and generic drugs.

Some of the costliest drugs worldwide include Lipitor for high cholesterol. 

The study’s price index placed the US at an exorbitant 2,170 per cent higher for Lipitor than the average global price and the UAE at the eighth spot globally with costs 252 per cent higher.

High blood pressure medication Zestril was also more than 2,680 per cent higher in the US and the UAE price was 187 per cent higher than the global price.

MATCH INFO

Crawley Town 3 (Tsaroulla 50', Nadesan 53', Tunnicliffe 70')

Leeds United 0 

All the Money in the World

Director: Ridley Scott

Starring: Charlie Plummer, Mark Wahlberg, Michelle Williams, Christopher Plummer

Four stars

What drives subscription retailing?

Once the domain of newspaper home deliveries, subscription model retailing has combined with e-commerce to permeate myriad products and services.

The concept has grown tremendously around the world and is forecast to thrive further, according to UnivDatos Market Insights’ report on recent and predicted trends in the sector.

The global subscription e-commerce market was valued at $13.2 billion (Dh48.5bn) in 2018. It is forecast to touch $478.2bn in 2025, and include the entertainment, fitness, food, cosmetics, baby care and fashion sectors.

The report says subscription-based services currently constitute “a small trend within e-commerce”. The US hosts almost 70 per cent of recurring plan firms, including leaders Dollar Shave Club, Hello Fresh and Netflix. Walmart and Sephora are among longer established retailers entering the space.

UnivDatos cites younger and affluent urbanites as prime subscription targets, with women currently the largest share of end-users.

That’s expected to remain unchanged until 2025, when women will represent a $246.6bn market share, owing to increasing numbers of start-ups targeting women.

Personal care and beauty occupy the largest chunk of the worldwide subscription e-commerce market, with changing lifestyles, work schedules, customisation and convenience among the chief future drivers.

The specs

BMW M8 Competition Coupe

Engine 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8

Power 625hp at 6,000rpm

Torque 750Nm from 1,800-5,800rpm

Gearbox Eight-speed paddleshift auto

Acceleration 0-100kph in 3.2 sec

Top speed 305kph

Fuel economy, combined 10.6L / 100km

Price from Dh700,000 (estimate)

On sale Jan/Feb 2020
 

Company%20profile
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EQureos%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EUAE%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ELaunch%20year%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2021%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E33%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESoftware%20and%20technology%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%243%20million%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl, 48V hybrid

Transmission: eight-speed automatic

Power: 325bhp

Torque: 450Nm

Price: Dh359,000

On sale: now 

Updated: December 07, 2024, 9:01 AM