Jorge Luis Pinto waiting for clarification on UAE manager contract

Colombian Jorge Luis Pinto is said to be questioning whether he is first choice to become the UAE national team manager, as he waits to receive a final contract offer.

The former Colombia, Costa Rica and Honduras manager, 67, is understood to have agreed in principle late last week to a proposal from the Football Association to succeed Ivan Jovanovic, but the deal is yet to be finalised.

Sources close to Pinto told The National that details of the package – bonuses, housing, etc – have not yet been communicated, with Pinto now unsure if they will be forthcoming. The FA are set to meet on Monday, where they are expected to discuss the search for a new manager.

Pinto had told Colombian media during the weekend that he was “very close” to reaching an agreement to take him to the Emirates, and that he was already assessing players and UAE matches through video. He was previously considered for the UAE job, in 2017, before the FA eventually opted for Alberto Zaccheroni.

A manager with vast experience, albeit none outside South America, Pinto is best known for leading Costa Rica to the quarter-finals of the 2014 World Cup. It remains the country's best performance at a global finals.

Pinto then went close to taking Honduras to the 2018 tournament, but his side lost to Australia in the final play-off and thus missed out on a place in Russia. He stepped down soon after. Most recently, he managed in the Colombian league with Millonarios. Pinto left the club last year.

The FA is expected to finalise plans for Jovanovic's successor this week. The Serb, dismissed in April without having taken charge of a match, was initially tasked with guiding the UAE through the final four matches of this round of qualification for the 2022 World Cup.

However, the fixtures were postponed from their original dates in March and June because of the coronavirus. They have been rescheduled for October and November.

The UAE lie fourth in Group G, five points off leaders Vietnam, although they have a game in hand. The national team face Malaysia at home on October 8, before taking on Indonesia away five days later.

They round off their campaign against Thailand and Vietnam, both at home, on November 12 and 17. Only the group winners are guaranteed to progress to the third round of qualification, alongside the four best runners-up from the eight groups.

The FA had considered a number of candidates for the role, including Al Dhafra manager Vuk Rasovic, former Al Ain and Al Ahli manager Cosmin Olaroiu and Juan Antonio Pizzi, who managed Saudi Arabia at the last World Cup. Rodolfo Arruabarrena, the former Al Wasl and Shabab Al Ahli Dubai manager, was another name said to be under review. However, the Argentine was never approached.

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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Marie Byrne, a counsellor who volunteers at the UAE government's mental health crisis helpline, said the ordeal the crew had been through would take time to overcome.

“It was worse than a prison sentence, where at least someone can deal with a set amount of time incarcerated," she said.

“They were living in perpetual mystery as to how their futures would pan out, and what that would be.

“Because of coronavirus, the world is very different now to the one they left, that will also have an impact.

“It will not fully register until they are on dry land. Some have not seen their young children grow up while others will have to rebuild relationships.

“It will be a challenge mentally, and to find other work to support their families as they have been out of circulation for so long. Hopefully they will get the care they need when they get home.”

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