• Mesut Ozil with other Arsenal substitutes during the Premier League match at Southampton on June 25, 2020. Getty
    Mesut Ozil with other Arsenal substitutes during the Premier League match at Southampton on June 25, 2020. Getty
  • Mesut Ozil is challenged by West Ham's Angelo Ogbonna during the Premier League match at the Emirates Stadium on March 7, 2020, his last appearance. AFP
    Mesut Ozil is challenged by West Ham's Angelo Ogbonna during the Premier League match at the Emirates Stadium on March 7, 2020, his last appearance. AFP
  • Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil being chased by Leeds United's Kalvin Phillips during the FA Cup third round match at the Emirates Stadium on January 6, 2020. AFP
    Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil being chased by Leeds United's Kalvin Phillips during the FA Cup third round match at the Emirates Stadium on January 6, 2020. AFP
  • Arsenal's Mesut Ozil after his team went 1-0 down in the Premier League match at home to Manchester City on December 15, 2019. AFP
    Arsenal's Mesut Ozil after his team went 1-0 down in the Premier League match at home to Manchester City on December 15, 2019. AFP
  • Arsenal's Mesut Ozil during the Premier League match at home to Southampton on November 23, 2019. AFP
    Arsenal's Mesut Ozil during the Premier League match at home to Southampton on November 23, 2019. AFP
  • Arsenal's Mesut Ozil skips past Southampton midfielder James Ward-Prowse. AFP
    Arsenal's Mesut Ozil skips past Southampton midfielder James Ward-Prowse. AFP
  • Arsenal's Mesut Ozil is closed down by Manchester United midfielder Nemanja Matic during the Premier League match at home to Manchester United on January 1, 2020. AFP
    Arsenal's Mesut Ozil is closed down by Manchester United midfielder Nemanja Matic during the Premier League match at home to Manchester United on January 1, 2020. AFP
  • Manchester United's Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Mesut Ozil. AFP
    Manchester United's Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Mesut Ozil. AFP
  • Manchester United striker Anthony Martial under pressure from Mesut Ozil. AFP
    Manchester United striker Anthony Martial under pressure from Mesut Ozil. AFP

Arsenal exit for Mesut Ozil could be 'best solution', says Mikel Arteta


Steve Luckings
  • English
  • Arabic

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says a January exit for midfielder Mesut Ozil could well be the "best solution for everyone".

Arsenal are desperate to offload the Germany international, who reportedly takes home a staggering £350,000 a week while exiled from Arteta's squad

Ozil, 32, has not featured since a 1-0 win over West Ham on March 7 and was left out of the Gunners' 25-man Premier League squad for this season.

The former Real Madrid playmaker has only six months left on his contract and is now free to talk to other clubs over a pre-contract agreement for next season.

However, he could bring to an end his eight-year stay in London in the coming weeks, with reports in Turkey saying Ozil is close to agreeing a deal with Fenerbahce while reports in the UK have linked him with a move to the MLS with DC United.

"We will discuss internally what the best situation for him is for the near future, obviously with the player and the agent too, and try to find the best solution for everyone," Arteta said.

"If something was sorted this month, it's because it is good for both parties, it is good for Mesut and his future, and it's good for the club. If that's the case, we will move forward. If it's not the case the player will stay here."

________________________________

Arsenal's highest-paid players

  • Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang - £250,000 a week. Reuters
    Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang - £250,000 a week. Reuters
  • Thomas Partey - £250,000 a week. Reuters
    Thomas Partey - £250,000 a week. Reuters
  • Willian - £192,308 a week. AFP
    Willian - £192,308 a week. AFP
  • Alexandre Lacazette - £182,063 a week. Reuters
    Alexandre Lacazette - £182,063 a week. Reuters
  • Hector Bellerin - £110,000 a week. EPA
    Hector Bellerin - £110,000 a week. EPA
  • David Luiz - £100,962 a week. EPA
    David Luiz - £100,962 a week. EPA
  • Sead Kolasinac - £100,000 a week. EPA
    Sead Kolasinac - £100,000 a week. EPA
  • Bernd Leno - £100,000 a week. Reuters
    Bernd Leno - £100,000 a week. Reuters
  • Nicolas Pepe - £100,000 a week. AP
    Nicolas Pepe - £100,000 a week. AP
  • Granit Xhaka - £100,000 a week. PA
    Granit Xhaka - £100,000 a week. PA
  • Gabriel Martinelli - £90,000 per week. Reuters
    Gabriel Martinelli - £90,000 per week. Reuters
  • Pablo Mari - £85,000 a week. Reuters
    Pablo Mari - £85,000 a week. Reuters
  • Kieran Tierney - £80,769 per week. EPA
    Kieran Tierney - £80,769 per week. EPA
  • Lucas Torreira (on loan at Atletico Madrid) - £75,000 per week. Getty
    Lucas Torreira (on loan at Atletico Madrid) - £75,000 per week. Getty
  • Cedric Soares - £75,000 a week. EPA
    Cedric Soares - £75,000 a week. EPA
  • Dani Ceballos - £51,923 per week. EPA
    Dani Ceballos - £51,923 per week. EPA
  • Calum Chambers - £50,000 a week. Getty
    Calum Chambers - £50,000 a week. Getty
  • Mohamed Elneny - £50,000 per week. EPA
    Mohamed Elneny - £50,000 per week. EPA
  • Gabriel - £50,000 per week. EPA
    Gabriel - £50,000 per week. EPA
  • Eddie Nketiah - £45,000 a week. Getty
    Eddie Nketiah - £45,000 a week. Getty
  • Runar Alex Runarsson - £40,000 a week. Reuters
    Runar Alex Runarsson - £40,000 a week. Reuters
  • William Saliba - £40,000 a week. Getty
    William Saliba - £40,000 a week. Getty
  • Mathew Ryan - £35,000 a week. Getty
    Mathew Ryan - £35,000 a week. Getty
  • Ainsley Maitland-Niles (on loan at West Brom) - £35,000 per week. Reuters
    Ainsley Maitland-Niles (on loan at West Brom) - £35,000 per week. Reuters
  • Rob Holding - £25,000 per week. EPA
    Rob Holding - £25,000 per week. EPA
  • Emile Smith Rowe - £20,000 a week. AP
    Emile Smith Rowe - £20,000 a week. AP
  • Joe Willock (on loan at Newcastle) - £20,000 per week. Reuters
    Joe Willock (on loan at Newcastle) - £20,000 per week. Reuters
  • Reiss Nelson - £15,000 per week. EPA
    Reiss Nelson - £15,000 per week. EPA
  • Bukayo Saka - £10,000 per week. PA
    Bukayo Saka - £10,000 per week. PA

________________________________

Ozil was left out of Arsenal's Premier League and Europa League squads for this season, but is free to face Newcastle in the FA Cup third round on Saturday if selected.

Clubs can make changes to those squads after the January transfer window, but Arteta hinted he is not likely to change his mind over Ozil no matter the circumstances.

"We know that we have a really important player who is one of the key players in the past few seasons for this football club," added Arteta, who played alongside Ozil for three seasons at Arsenal before retiring in 2016.

"We have to make a decision. I had to make a decision and I made it. I knew the consequences of it and now we're going to have to make another one in January.

"We will just [be] putting the balance on what is the best thing for the club and the best thing for the team, and what the intentions of the player are, and we will try to find the right solutions for that."

'The Batman'

Stars:Robert Pattinson

Director:Matt Reeves

Rating: 5/5

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GOLF’S RAHMBO

- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)

Results

4pm: Al Bastakiya Listed US$300,000 (Dirt) 1,900m; Winner: Emblem Storm, Oisin Murphy (jockey), Satish Seemar (trainer).

4.35pm: Mahab Al Shimaal Group 3 $350,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: Wafy, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar.

5.10pm: Nad Al Sheba Turf Group 3 $350,000 (Turf) 1,200m; Winner: Wildman Jack, Fernando Jara, Doug O’Neill.

5.45pm: Burj Nahaar Group 3 $350,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Salute The Soldier, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass.

6.20pm: Jebel Hatta Group 1 $400,000 (T) 1,800m; Winner: Barney Roy, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.

6.55pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-3 Group 1 $600,000 (D) 2,000m; Winner: Matterhorn, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer.

7.30pm: Dubai City Of Gold Group 2 $350,000 (T) 2,410m; Winner: Loxley, Mickael Barzalona, Charlie Appleby.

The President's Cake

Director: Hasan Hadi

Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem 

Rating: 4/5

Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home. 

The specs

Engine: 2-litre 4-cylinder and 3.6-litre 6-cylinder

Power: 220 and 280 horsepower

Torque: 350 and 360Nm

Transmission: eight-speed automatic

Price: from Dh136,521 VAT and Dh166,464 VAT 

On sale: now

PSA DUBAI WORLD SERIES FINALS LINE-UP

Men’s:
Mohamed El Shorbagy (EGY)
Ali Farag (EGY)
Simon Rosner (GER)
Tarek Momen (EGY)
Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL)
Gregory Gaultier (FRA)
Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY)
Nick Matthew (ENG)

Women's:
Nour El Sherbini (EGY)
Raneem El Welily (EGY)
Nour El Tayeb (EGY)
Laura Massaro (ENG)
Joelle King (NZE)
Camille Serme (FRA)
Nouran Gohar (EGY)
Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG)

Gully Boy

Director: Zoya Akhtar
Producer: Excel Entertainment & Tiger Baby
Cast: Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, Kalki Koechlin, Siddhant Chaturvedi​​​​​​​
Rating: 4/5 stars

THE CARD

2pm: Maiden Dh 60,000 (Dirt) 1,400m

2.30pm: Handicap Dh 76,000 (D) 1,400m

3pm: Handicap Dh 64,000 (D) 1,200m

3.30pm: Shadwell Farm Conditions Dh 100,000 (D) 1,000m

4pm: Maiden Dh 60,000 (D) 1,000m

4.30pm: Handicap 64,000 (D) 1,950m

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

Sui Dhaaga: Made in India

Director: Sharat Katariya

Starring: Varun Dhawan, Anushka Sharma, Raghubir Yadav

3.5/5

Ferrari 12Cilindri specs

Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12

Power: 819hp

Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm

Price: From Dh1,700,000

Available: 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

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Company%C2%A0profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Eamana%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2010%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Karim%20Farra%20and%20Ziad%20Aboujeb%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EUAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERegulator%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDFSA%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinancial%20services%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E85%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESelf-funded%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The language of diplomacy in 1853

Treaty of Peace in Perpetuity Agreed Upon by the Chiefs of the Arabian Coast on Behalf of Themselves, Their Heirs and Successors Under the Mediation of the Resident of the Persian Gulf, 1853
(This treaty gave the region the name “Trucial States”.)


We, whose seals are hereunto affixed, Sheikh Sultan bin Suggar, Chief of Rassool-Kheimah, Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon, Chief of Aboo Dhebbee, Sheikh Saeed bin Buyte, Chief of Debay, Sheikh Hamid bin Rashed, Chief of Ejman, Sheikh Abdoola bin Rashed, Chief of Umm-ool-Keiweyn, having experienced for a series of years the benefits and advantages resulting from a maritime truce contracted amongst ourselves under the mediation of the Resident in the Persian Gulf and renewed from time to time up to the present period, and being fully impressed, therefore, with a sense of evil consequence formerly arising, from the prosecution of our feuds at sea, whereby our subjects and dependants were prevented from carrying on the pearl fishery in security, and were exposed to interruption and molestation when passing on their lawful occasions, accordingly, we, as aforesaid have determined, for ourselves, our heirs and successors, to conclude together a lasting and inviolable peace from this time forth in perpetuity.

Taken from Britain and Saudi Arabia, 1925-1939: the Imperial Oasis, by Clive Leatherdale

Gulf rugby

Who’s won what so far in 2018/19

Western Clubs Champions League: Bahrain
Dubai Rugby Sevens: Dubai Hurricanes
West Asia Premiership: Bahrain

What’s left

UAE Conference

March 22, play-offs:
Dubai Hurricanes II v Al Ain Amblers, Jebel Ali Dragons II v Dubai Tigers

March 29, final

UAE Premiership

March 22, play-offs: 
Dubai Exiles v Jebel Ali Dragons, Abu Dhabi Harlequins v Dubai Hurricanes

March 29, final

How to apply for a drone permit
  • Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
  • Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
  • Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
  • Submit their request
What are the regulations?
  • Fly it within visual line of sight
  • Never over populated areas
  • Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
  • Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
  • Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
  • Should have a live feed of the drone flight
  • Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015

- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France

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MATCH INFO

Inter Milan 2 (Vecino 65', Barella 83')

Verona 1 (Verre 19' pen)

Avatar: Fire and Ash

Director: James Cameron

Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana

Rating: 4.5/5