Mohamed Salah has signed a two-year contract extension with Liverpool, ending speculation that the Egyptian forward would leave the club this summer for the Saudi Pro League.
The 32-year-old's previous deal was scheduled to expire at the end of June with player and club seemingly at an impasse over agreeing fresh terms on a new contract.
He has been allowed to negotiate with foreign clubs since January 1 and could have walked away from Liverpool for free in the summer.
However, Friday's announcement has put an end to speculation as to Salah's future. The new deal commits him to Anfield until 2027, and, assuming he sees it through, will see him complete 10 years on Merseyside.
"Of course I'm very excited – we have a great team now," said Salah.
"Before also we had a great team. But I signed because I think we have a chance to win other trophies and enjoy my football.
"I have played eight years here, hopefully it's going to be 10. I'm enjoying my life here, enjoying my football. I have had the best years of my career here.
"I would like to say to [the fans], I am very, very happy to be here. I signed here because I believe we can win a lot of big trophies together. Keep supporting us and we’ll give it our best, and hopefully in the future we’re going to win more trophies."
Salah has proven himself one of the greatest signings in the club's history after joining from Italian club Roma in 2017 for €42 million.
In 393 appearances for Liverpool, Salah has scored 243 goals and provided 109 assists, marking him out as one of the best players in world football.
His form this season only highlighted why Liverpool were so keen to keep him – and why clubs in Saudi Arabia, most notably Al Ittihad – were keen to pounce should no accord be reached.
In an interview with Piers Morgan aired in late January, Saudi Arabia's Sports Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal said he would love Salah to play in his country, adding that he "ticks all the boxes".
Salah has scored 32 goals in all competitions this season, including 27 in the Premier League as the Reds chase a 20th top-flight title. Liverpool are 11 points clear of second-placed Arsenal with seven games remaining.
"He has shown at this club for so many years in a row how much of a value he is for the club and the team," said Liverpool manager Arne Slot. "As like all our fans and his teammates, we are very happy that he has extended for two more years.
"Hopefully, he can show on Sunday again [against West Ham] how important he has been for us all season."
During his time at Anfield, Salah has won the Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup, Uefa Champions League and the Fifa Club World Cup.
Salah sits third in Liverpool's all-time top scorer list with 243 goals, behind Ian Rush and Roger Hunt.
The Egyptian star has the joint-most goals scored by an international player (184) in the Premier League and also the most goal contributions in a 38-game season (44).
The announcement will come as a huge relief to Liverpool supporters fearful they might lose their best player. Salah has been unusually vocal this season, often telling media that his time at the club was running down.
The protracted drama has played out all season. As recently as January, Salah said he and Liverpool were “far away from any progress” on a new contract and that he was in his “last six months” at the club.
Salah's signing comes as a timely boost during both his and Liverpool's most difficult spell of the season.
Slot's men have lost three of their last four games in all competitions to bow out of the Champions League to Paris Saint-Germain, lose the League Cup final to Newcastle and have their 26-game unbeaten run in the Premier League come to an end at Fulham.
Salah has failed to score in six of his last seven games at club level with his only goals in that run coming against already-relegated Southampton from the penalty spot.
Salah was one of three key Liverpool players who will be out of contract this summer, along with right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold and centre-back Virgil van Dijk.
Netherlands defender Van Dijk has said there has been progress on talks over a new deal but Alexander-Arnold has been heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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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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Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
Read more from Aya Iskandarani
Guide to intelligent investing
Investing success often hinges on discipline and perspective. As markets fluctuate, remember these guiding principles:
- Stay invested: Time in the market, not timing the market, is critical to long-term gains.
- Rational thinking: Breathe and avoid emotional decision-making; let logic and planning guide your actions.
- Strategic patience: Understand why you’re investing and allow time for your strategies to unfold.
Vikram%20Vedha
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Globalization and its Discontents Revisited
Joseph E. Stiglitz
W. W. Norton & Company
ENGLAND SQUAD
Goalkeepers Henderson, Johnstone, Pickford, Ramsdale
Defenders Alexander-Arnold, Chilwell, Coady, Godfrey, James, Maguire, Mings, Shaw, Stones, Trippier, Walker, White
Midfielders Bellingham, Henderson, Lingard, Mount, Phillips, Rice, Ward-Prowse
Forwards Calvert-Lewin, Foden, Grealish, Greenwood, Kane, Rashford, Saka, Sancho, Sterling, Watkins
The National photo project
Chris Whiteoak, a photographer at The National, spent months taking some of Jacqui Allan's props around the UAE, positioning them perfectly in front of some of the country's most recognisable landmarks. He placed a pirate on Kite Beach, in front of the Burj Al Arab, the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland at the Burj Khalifa, and brought one of Allan's snails (Freddie, which represents her grandfather) to the Dubai Frame. In Abu Dhabi, a dinosaur went to Al Ain's Jebel Hafeet. And a flamingo was taken all the way to the Hatta Mountains. This special project suitably brings to life the quirky nature of Allan's prop shop (and Allan herself!).
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Friday (all kick-offs UAE time)
Hertha Berlin v Union Berlin (10.30pm)
Saturday
Freiburg v Werder Bremen (5.30pm)
Paderborn v Hoffenheim (5.30pm)
Wolfsburg v Borussia Dortmund (5.30pm)
Borussia Monchengladbach v Bayer Leverkusen (5.30pm)
Bayern Munich v Eintracht Frankfurt (5.30pm)
Sunday
Schalke v Augsburg (3.30pm)
Mainz v RB Leipzig (5.30pm)
Cologne v Fortuna Dusseldorf (8pm)
Brief scoreline:
Tottenham 1
Son 78'
Manchester City 0
Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
Surianah's top five jazz artists
Billie Holliday: for the burn and also the way she told stories.
Thelonius Monk: for his earnestness.
Duke Ellington: for his edge and spirituality.
Louis Armstrong: his legacy is undeniable. He is considered as one of the most revolutionary and influential musicians.
Terence Blanchard: very political - a lot of jazz musicians are making protest music right now.
