Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said there is “nothing to buy” in the Gaza Strip and that the US will “take it”, reiterating his claim that Arab countries are on board with his plan to displace the Palestinian enclave's population and move them to parcels of land in Jordan, Egypt and “someplace else”.
Speaking alongside Jordan's King Abdullah II at the White House, Mr Trump also said he did not think Hamas would honour a Saturday deadline to release the hostages it still has, implying the conflict would reignite.
“They either have them out by Saturday at 12 o'clock or all bets are off,” Mr Trump said, shortly after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was amassing troops inside and outside the Gaza Strip.
In freewheeling remarks from the Oval Office as he welcomed King Abdullah, Mr Trump repeated his claim that “nobody” wants to stay in Gaza and that he believes his plan is going to “bring peace in the Middle East”.
“There is nothing to buy, it's Gaza, it's a war-torn area,” he said. “We're gonna take it, we're gonna hold it, we're going to cherish it.” He added that he envisions the coastal enclave becoming a “great economic development job”.
Journalists repeatedly asked King Abdullah what he thought of Mr Trump's plans. He said conversations are continuing with the US and with other Arab countries, and that he was waiting to hear Egypt's proposals.
"Obviously, we have to look at the best interests of the United States, of the people in the region, especially to my people of Jordan," he said.
“We have to keep in mind that there is a plan from Egypt and the Arab countries. We're being invited by [Saudi Crown Prince] Mohammed bin Salman to discussions in Riyadh. I think the point is, how to make this work in a way that is good for everybody,” he added.
King Abdullah did not respond directly to Mr Trump's comment that he believes, “we'll have a parcel of land in Jordan … a parcel of land in Egypt”.
“We may have someplace else, but I think when we finish our talks, [the Palestinians from Gaza will] have a place where they're going to live very happily and very safely,” Mr Trump said.
But after the meeting, King Abdullah reiterated what he said was Jordan's and the Arab world's, "steadfast position against the displacement of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank".
"Rebuilding Gaza without displacing the Palestinians and addressing the dire humanitarian situation should be the priority for all," he said in a post on X.
King Abdullah announced that 2,000 Palestinian children suffering from cancer and other illnesses would be taken from Gaza to Jordan, something Mr Trump called a “beautiful gesture”.
The Jordanian monarch, who arrived in Washington on Sunday, has previously firmly rejected Mr Trump's proposal to remove Palestinians and take over the enclave. Other Arab nations and the UN objected, as have Palestinians, saying the forced displacement would be tantamount to ethnic cleansing.
Jordan is one of Washington's strongest allies in the Middle East. The two countries have long worked closely on regional security issues, including the fight against Al Qaeda and ISIS, and Amman receives hundreds of millions of dollars in annual military financing.
King Abdullah's visit comes amid a fragile ceasefire and hostage release agreement between Israel and Hamas. More than 48,500 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli bombardment and thousands more are feared dead under the rubble. Israeli strikes on Gaza have destroyed much of the enclave's infrastructure and reduced most homes to rubble.
The war began on October 7, 2023, after Hamas attacked Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking about 240 people hostage.
Jordan is already home to more than two million Palestinian refugees who fled or were expelled by the war surrounding Israel's founding in 1948 and the Arab-Israeli war of 1967.
Millions of Palestinians still live in refugee camps in Jordan, southern Lebanon and elsewhere. There are concerns that expelling the population of Gaza would jeopardise the long-held and internationally supported goal of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian crisis.
While there has been rejection of the idea throughout the Middle East, some observers have noted Mr Trump might use US aid to Jordan and Egypt to force the two nations to comply with his plans for Gaza.
Ahead of the King's visit on Monday, Mr Trump said he could halt aid to Egypt and Jordan if they do not take in displaced Palestinians from Gaza.
On Tuesday, he seemed to walk back that threat.
“I don't have to threaten with money,” Mr Trump said. “We contribute a lot of money to Jordan and to Egypt, by the way – a lot to both, but I don't have to threaten that. I think we're above that.”
Jordan is heavily reliant on aid from the US and such a freeze in support to either country could jeopardise their peace agreements with Israel.
Mr Trump made the announcement last week during a press conference with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He said that after 15 months of war, Gaza has become unlivable and the US would take ownership of the enclave and turn it into the “Riviera of the Middle East”. The plan would be a break with long-standing US policy on the Middle East
King Abdullah met US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth on Sunday, the Royal Hashemite Court said in a statement, and during his visit he is also scheduled to meet Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, as well as members of Congress.
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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Vaccine Progress in the Middle East
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Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
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
The specs: Aston Martin DB11 V8 vs Ferrari GTC4Lusso T
Price, base: Dh840,000; Dh120,000
Engine: 4.0L V8 twin-turbo; 3.9L V8 turbo
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic; seven-speed automatic
Power: 509hp @ 6,000rpm; 601hp @ 7,500rpm
Torque: 695Nm @ 2,000rpm; 760Nm @ 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.9L / 100km; 11.6L / 100km
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What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
The Kingfisher Secret
Anonymous, Penguin Books
Leading all-time NBA scorers
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 38,387
Karl Malone 36,928
Kobe Bryant 33,643
Michael Jordan 32,292
LeBron James 31,425
Wilt Chamberlain 31,419
RESULTS
Argentina 4 Haiti 0
Peru 2 Scotland 0
Panama 0 Northern Ireland 0
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
