Cristiano Ronaldo has ended speculation about his future by signing a two-year contract extension at Al Nassr.
Ronaldo, 40, who joined the Saudi Pro League club at the end of 2022, has signed with the Riyadh side for a further two years until the summer of 2027.
Nassr published a video across their social media channels with the caption: “The story continues.” It ends with Ronaldo saying the words: “Al Nassr forever.”
Ronaldo posted a picture of himself holding up a Nassr shirt with “2027" on the back and the message: “A new chapter begins. Same passion, same dream. Let’s make history together.”
Thursday's announcement ends months of speculation that the Portuguese superstar was set to leave the club when his contract expired on June 30, especially after a cryptic message he posted on social media last month saying “the chapter is over”.
Fifa president Gianni Infantino poured petrol on the fire when he suggested Ronaldo could join a team involved at the ongoing Fifa Club World Cup in the US.
An extra transfer window (June 1-10) was in effect to allow the 32 clubs competing at the revamped tournament to sign players.
Ronaldo doused those flames days later when he revealed he would not play at the tournament, but that he had received “plenty of invitations” to play.
Al Nassr shocked the footballing world when they announced the signing of Ronaldo on New Year's Eve 2022, weeks after the striker had his contract with Manchester United terminated.
Though his move has elevated the Saudi Pro League to unprecedented levels, Ronaldo is yet to win a major trophy with Nassr.
They finished second in his first season at the club in 2022/23 and ended runners-up again the following campaign, trailing Riyadh rivals and champions Al Hilal by 14 points.
The 2024/25 season saw Nassr finish third and be eliminated from the AFC Champions League Elite at the semi-final stage.
He will begin next season under a new head coach following the dismissal of Italian Stefano Pioli on Wednesday.
Despite Nassr missing out on a trophy, the former Real Madrid and Juventus star proved he is still a prolific finisher, scoring 34 goals in 40 appearances. In all, he has scored 99 goals in 111 appearances for the Saudi club.
He also helped Portugal win the Uefa Nations League two weeks ago, scoring a record-extending 138th international goal as Spain were defeated in the final on penalties.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner is closing in on a scarcely believable 1,000 senior career goals, needing 63 more to reach the milestone.
Emirates exiles
Will Wilson is not the first player to have attained high-class representative honours after first learning to play rugby on the playing fields of UAE.
Jonny Macdonald
Abu Dhabi-born and raised, the current Jebel Ali Dragons assistant coach was selected to play for Scotland at the Hong Kong Sevens in 2011.
Jordan Onojaife
Having started rugby by chance when the Jumeirah College team were short of players, he later won the World Under 20 Championship with England.
Devante Onojaife
Followed older brother Jordan into England age-group rugby, as well as the pro game at Northampton Saints, but recently switched allegiance to Scotland.
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
HAJJAN
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Some 400,000 shrubs and 13,000 trees in the on-site nursery
An additional 450,000 shrubs and 4,000 trees to be delivered in the months leading up to the expo
Ghaf, date palm, acacia arabica, acacia tortilis, vitex or sage, techoma and the salvadora are just some heat tolerant native plants in the nursery
Approximately 340 species of shrubs and trees selected for diverse landscape
The nursery team works exclusively with organic fertilisers and pesticides
All shrubs and trees supplied by Dubai Municipality
Most sourced from farms, nurseries across the country
Plants and trees are re-potted when they arrive at nursery to give them room to grow
Some mature trees are in open areas or planted within the expo site
Green waste is recycled as compost
Treated sewage effluent supplied by Dubai Municipality is used to meet the majority of the nursery’s irrigation needs
Construction workforce peaked at 40,000 workers
About 65,000 people have signed up to volunteer
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Expo 2020 Dubai to open in October 2020 and run for six months
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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
Tips for used car buyers
- Choose cars with GCC specifications
- Get a service history for cars less than five years old
- Don’t go cheap on the inspection
- Check for oil leaks
- Do a Google search on the standard problems for your car model
- Do your due diligence. Get a transfer of ownership done at an official RTA centre
- Check the vehicle’s condition. You don’t want to buy a car that’s a good deal but ends up costing you Dh10,000 in repairs every month
- Validate warranty and service contracts with the relevant agency and and make sure they are valid when ownership is transferred
- If you are planning to sell the car soon, buy one with a good resale value. The two most popular cars in the UAE are black or white in colour and other colours are harder to sell
Tarek Kabrit, chief executive of Seez, and Imad Hammad, chief executive and co-founder of CarSwitch.com
'Skin'
Dir: Guy Nattiv
Starring: Jamie Bell, Danielle McDonald, Bill Camp, Vera Farmiga
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
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Company%C2%A0profile
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Shergo Kurdi (am)
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Saud Al Sharee (am)
Min Woo Lee
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Dos
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- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
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- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
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