A UAE aid ship carrying 7,166 tonnes of supplies left Khalifa Port in Abu Dhabi on Monday to deliver crucial supplies for Gaza.
The Khalifa is heading to Al Arish Port in Egypt laden with 4,372 tonnes of food, 1,433 tonnes of shelter materials, 860 tonnes of medical supplies and 501 tonnes of health supplies, state news agency Wam reported.
It is the largest aid vessel to be sent by the Emirates and comes as part of Operation Gallant Knight 3. It brings the total volume of aid sent by the UAE to Gaza to 77,266 tonnes.
The ship is also carrying a fully equipped field hospital that can accommodate 400 patients and 16 ambulances, Hamoud Al Efari, the UAE Aid mission’s co-ordinator, told The National.
“The ship will arrive in the Egyptian city of Al Arish in the next two weeks,” he said. "It has a field hospital as a gift from the UAE to the medical sector in Gaza."
The vessel is carrying 20 tankers to ensure Palestinians in Gaza can access clean drinking water.
“The cargo will be stored in the UAE’s warehouses in Al Arish and later loaded on to lorries to cross the border into the strip,” Mr Al Efari added.
"It is the eighth ship and the largest to support or Palestinian brothers in Gaza," said Ahmed Sari Al Mazrouei, secretary general of the Emirates Red Crescent. "It has a variety of food and shelter aid provided by Emirates Red Crescent and other humanitarian groups."
Almost two years of support
The UAE's Operation Gallant Knight 3 project was launched in 2023 by President Sheikh Mohamed. It has been carried out in collaboration with Emirates Red Crescent, and humanitarian and charitable institutions in the UAE.
The UAE's seventh aid ship, carrying 2,500 tonnes of aid for the people of Gaza, was sent earlier this month.
That shipment, which initially docked at Ashdod in Israel before being sent on to the enclave, was laden with food packages containing essential goods such as flour, dates, milk and tea.
Tackling dehydration
Khalifa's 20 water tankers will go some way to alleviating the issue of dehydration in Gaza, with more than 80 per cent of water facilities in the enclave now destroyed.
Last week, the UAE announced the launch of a project to supply desalinated water to the southern Gaza Strip through a new pipeline.
Under the project, water will be delivered from the Egyptian border. The 6.7km pipe will link the desalination plant built by the Emirates on the Egyptian side of the frontier to displaced Palestinians between Khan Younis and Rafah.
It aims to serve 600,000 affected Gaza residents, providing 15 litres of desalinated water per person each day.
“The UAE has been and continues to be the primary supporter of Gaza across various sectors, from the construction of desalination plants to the provision of water tankers, well drilling and network maintenance, all the way to this vital project that seeks to secure drinking water for the most affected areas,” said Sharif Al Nairab, media official for Operation Gallant Knight 3.
Uncertain future
The aid shipment comes with ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas at a crossroads.
Hamas is considering giving mediators until the end of the week to reach a deal or it will withdraw from the current talks in Doha, The National reported on Sunday.
The latest round of talks mediated by the US, Qatar and Egypt began on July 6. Significant progress has since been made on some issues but Israel and Hamas remain at odds over several key questions.
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
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Emirates offer flights to Buenos Aires from Dubai, via Rio De Janeiro from around Dh6,300. emirates.com
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Tangol sell experiences across South America and generally have good access to tickets for most of the big teams in Buenos Aires: Boca Juniors, River Plate, and Independiente. Prices from Dh550 and include pick up and drop off from your hotel in the city. tangol.com
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The five pillars of Islam
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
TOURNAMENT INFO
Fixtures
Sunday January 5 - Oman v UAE
Monday January 6 - UAE v Namibia
Wednesday January 8 - Oman v Namibia
Thursday January 9 - Oman v UAE
Saturday January 11 - UAE v Namibia
Sunday January 12 – Oman v Namibia
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Mohammed Usman, CP Rizwan, Waheed Ahmed, Zawar Farid, Darius D’Silva, Karthik Meiyappan, Jonathan Figy, Vriitya Aravind, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Basil Hameed, Chirag Suri
MATCH INFO
Bangla Tigers 108-5 (10 ovs)
Ingram 37, Rossouw 26, Pretorius 2-10
Deccan Gladiators 109-4 (9.5 ovs)
Watson 41, Devcich 27, Wiese 2-15
Gladiators win by six wickets
