Defending champions Al Ittihad will aim to extend their perfect start to the Saudi Pro League season when they travel to Al Wehda on Monday as rumours linking the club with a move for Liverpool star Mohamed Salah continue to intensify.
Ittihad have started the campaign with three straight wins as marquee summer signing Karim Benzema scored his first league goal last time out in the 4-0 win over Al Riyadh.
As the Jeddah giants prepare for their trip to the King Abdul Aziz Stadium, the big news surrounding the club focuses on their reported interest in Egyptian star Salah.
Ittihad had been keen to sign the 31-year-old forward earlier in the summer, prompting Salah's agent, Ramy Abbas Issa, to take to social media to deny the rumours. However, the Saudi side revived their interest in Salah this week and are reportedly prepared to break the Saudi transfer record to land their man.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp responded on Friday by insisting there was "nothing" to the speculation and that he expects his star player to remain at Anfield. In the days since then, though, various media outlets have reported that Salah has expressed a desire to leave for Ittihad and that Sunday's match against Newcastle could be his last for Liverpool.
Should Salah make the move to Ittihad, it would significantly bolster the club's trophy ambitions and continue to enhance the profile of the Saudi Pro League, which has seen several big stars arrive this summer.
He could also be the fourth player to leave Liverpool for Saudi clubs this summer, following Roberto Firmino's move to Al Ahli, Jordan Henderson to Al Ettifaq, and Fabinho, with whom he would immediately reunite at Ittihad.
Former teammate Sadio Mane, who left Liverpool for Bayern Munich last summer, is also in Saudi having joined Cristiano Ronaldo at Al Nassr last month.
Al Hilal are also in action on Monday evening aiming to maintain their unbeaten start, and the Riyadh giants are another club to have experienced a transformative summer of player recruitment, headlined by the record arrival of Brazilian forward Neymar from Paris Saint-Germain.
If Hilal want to keep pace with Ittihad and Al Ahli – second only on goal difference – they will need to beat Steven Gerrard's Ettifaq, although the record 18-time champions will still be without Neymar, who is working his way back to fitness from a long-term ankle injury.
Fortunately for Hilal, manager Jorge Jesus he can still call on new striker Aleksandar Mitrovic, who scored on his debut in the 4-0 win over Al Raed on Thursday, as well as Brazilian winger Malcom – the team's hat-trick hero on the opening weekend.
Ahli, meanwhile, will be favourites to claim a fourth straight win when they host Al Taee on Tuesday. The Jeddah side, who gained promotion last season and are spearheaded by Firmino, Riyad Mahrez, and Allan Saint-Maximin, further strengthened their squad this week with the signing of Gabri Veiga from Celta Vigo.
Should Nassr's title rivals all win, they will be under pressure to beat Al Shabab on Tuesday to avoid falling further off the pace. Nassr lost their opening two games but bounced back with a 5-0 win against Al Fateh, with Ronaldo helping himself to a hat trick.
How it works
Booklava works on a subscription model. On signing up you receive a free book as part of a 30-day-trial period, after which you pay US$9.99 (Dh36.70) per month to gain access to a library of books and discounts of up to 30 per cent on selected titles. You can cancel your subscription at any time. For more details go to www.booklava.com
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Sri Lanka-India Test series schedule
- 1st Test India won by 304 runs at Galle
- 2nd Test Thursday-Monday at Colombo
- 3rd Test August 12-16 at Pallekele
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Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
Padmaavat
Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Starring: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor, Jim Sarbh
3.5/5
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
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
A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
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
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
The specs
Engine: 2.9-litre, V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: seven-speed PDK dual clutch automatic
Power: 375bhp
Torque: 520Nm
Price: Dh332,800
On sale: now
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Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
Roll of honour 2019-2020
Dubai Rugby Sevens
Winners: Dubai Hurricanes
Runners up: Bahrain
West Asia Premiership
Winners: Bahrain
Runners up: UAE Premiership
UAE Premiership
Winners: Dubai Exiles
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes
UAE Division One
Winners: Abu Dhabi Saracens
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes II
UAE Division Two
Winners: Barrelhouse
Runners up: RAK Rugby
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
Brief scores:
Southampton 2
Armstrong 13', Soares 20'
Manchester United 2
Lukaku 33', Herrera 39'
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Itcan profile
Founders: Mansour Althani and Abdullah Althani
Based: Business Bay, with offices in Saudi Arabia, Egypt and India
Sector: Technology, digital marketing and e-commerce
Size: 70 employees
Revenue: On track to make Dh100 million in revenue this year since its 2015 launch
Funding: Self-funded to date