A fourth victory from four, the final of the quartet right when needed most, and the UAE strode forth.
The national team bound into the third stage of World Cup qualification, defeating Group G frontrunners Vietnam in the decider in Dubai and vaulting through as the top side in the standings. A September date on the road to Qatar 2022 awaits.
From five points adrift, way back when and through four must-win matches in 13 days, to one point out in front. In the end, when the results were totted up and the pandemic-postponed second round finally put to bed, that is all that mattered. With a 3-2 triumph at the Zabeel Stadium, Dubai, on Tuesday, the UAE’s World Cup dream had been salvaged.
The two Alis, Salmeen and Mabkhout, and a diving header from left-back Mahmoud Khamis settled it, ably supplied by the burgeoning Abdullah Ramadan and Bert van Marwijk’s shrewd move to bring in Majed Hassan to thicken his midfield.
Until this encounter, Vietnam had conceded only two goals in seven matches in this round. Yet, the group’s meanest defence sprung a leak when staring down its most prolific attack; the UAE’s treble took their tally for the campaign to 23. All the while, their backline provided the platform for progression, too.
Credit must go to Van Marwijk and his men, who survived the delays and the December 2019 dismissal to get the job done. Victory secure, a new hope emerged with the newish generation on a suffocating evening in the emirate. Breath belatedly caught, the UAE can go again.
The UAE’s World Cup hopes had come down to this, a win necessary to advance as group winners. In the end, the three points confirmed the UAE’s position as one of Asia’s leading 12 teams heading into a final phase, the carrot a second global Finals in the country’s history. Vietnam, for their part, had never before made those latter stages.
But the UAE dashed all aspirations of automatic qualification. After Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia, were seen off in two weeks by an aggregate score of 12-1, they displayed their mettle and booming imagination to prevail.
The UAE dominated possession throughout the opening exchanges, seemingly safe in the knowledge they could inflict Vietnam’s first loss in eight competitive fixtures, and then broke their resolve.
Ramadan again rose to the occasion, scooping a delicious ball over the static opposition defence on 32 minutes to set free Salmeen. Typically stationed at the base of midfield, the Al Wasl man controlled the ball beautifully and finished just as well past Bui Tan Truong in the Vietnam net. The hosts, and the home support that crammed inside the allotted 30 per cent capacity, had lift off.
Within six minutes, they were full-throttle towards Round 3. Again, Ramadan was the instigator, the Al Jazira midfielder’s pass forcing Truong to trip Khalil Ibrahim right on the byline. Penalty awarded, Mabkhout strutted forward and stroked home from the spot. The country’s all-time record scorer, already out in front in the qualifier goal charts, climbed to 11.
Like Mabkhout, his side were well worth the lead. They increased it five minutes into the second half. The scorer felt as unlikely as the execution, Khamis pouncing on Fabio De Lima’s parried header to throw himself at the ball and nod into the empty goal.
The UAE had three, Vietnam’s night was run. That corresponding clash, a lifetime ago in November 2019 and before the pandemic pinched the football calendar, had gone to the South-East Asians.
Then, out of nowhere, they pulled two back. With five minutes remaining, forward Nguyen Tien Linh surged free to finish past Ali Khaseif; ditto substitute Tran Minh Vuong in injury time. But Vietnam had leapt to life way too late.
A penny, then, for the thoughts of Park Hang-seo, the team's manager made to sweat through the game from the stands following his one-match touchline ban.
Park’s troubles should be tempered, though, by Vietnam’s progression as one of the round's five best runners-up. In contrast, the UAE required no such calculation or counting upon results in other groups. Pool winners, they rendered redundant the myriad pre-match permutations.
For now and across maybe the next nine months, at least, the quest to Qatar 2022 gets renewed force.
Company profile
Name: Thndr
Started: October 2020
Founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: pre-seed of $800,000
Funding stage: series A; $20 million
Investors: Tiger Global, Beco Capital, Prosus Ventures, Y Combinator, Global Ventures, Abdul Latif Jameel, Endure Capital, 4DX Ventures, Plus VC, Rabacap and MSA Capital
The biog
Marital status: Separated with two young daughters
Education: Master's degree from American Univeristy of Cairo
Favourite book: That Is How They Defeat Despair by Salwa Aladian
Favourite Motto: Their happiness is your happiness
Goal: For Nefsy to become his legacy long after he is gon
Anghami
Started: December 2011
Co-founders: Elie Habib, Eddy Maroun
Based: Beirut and Dubai
Sector: Entertainment
Size: 85 employees
Stage: Series C
Investors: MEVP, du, Mobily, MBC, Samena Capital
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Fines for littering
In Dubai:
Dh200 for littering or spitting in the Dubai Metro
Dh500 for throwing cigarette butts or chewing gum on the floor, or littering from a vehicle.
Dh1,000 for littering on a beach, spitting in public places, throwing a cigarette butt from a vehicle
In Sharjah and other emirates
Dh500 for littering - including cigarette butts and chewing gum - in public places and beaches in Sharjah
Dh2,000 for littering in Sharjah deserts
Dh500 for littering from a vehicle in Ras Al Khaimah
Dh1,000 for littering from a car in Abu Dhabi
Dh1,000 to Dh100,000 for dumping waste in residential or public areas in Al Ain
Dh10,000 for littering at Ajman's beaches
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now
Results
2.30pm: Dubai Creek Tower – Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (Dirt) 1,200m; Winner: Marmara Xm, Gary Sanchez (jockey), Abdelkhir Adam (trainer)
3pm: Al Yasmeen – Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,700m; Winner: AS Hajez, Jesus Rosales, Khalifa Al Neyadi
3.30pm: Al Ferdous – Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,700m; Winner: Soukainah, Sebastien Martino, Jean-Claude Pecout
4pm: The Crown Prince Of Sharjah – Prestige (PA) Dh200,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: AF Thayer, Ray Dawson, Ernst Oertel
4.30pm: Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Cup – Handicap (TB) Dh200,000 (D) 2,000m; Winner: George Villiers, Antonio Fresu, Bhupat Seemar
5pm: Palma Spring – Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 2,000m; Winner: Es Abu Mousa, Antonio Fresu, Abubakar Daud
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
Slow loris biog
From: Lonely Loris is a Sunda slow loris, one of nine species of the animal native to Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore
Status: Critically endangered, and listed as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature red list due to growing demand in the global exotic pet trade. It is one of the most popular primate species found at Indonesian pet markets
Likes: Sleeping, which they do for up to 18 hours a day. When they are awake, they like to eat fruit, insects, small birds and reptiles and some types of vegetation
Dislikes: Sunlight. Being a nocturnal animal, the slow loris wakes around sunset and is active throughout the night
Superpowers: His dangerous elbows. The slow loris’s doe eyes may make it look cute, but it is also deadly. The only known venomous primate, it hisses and clasps its paws and can produce a venom from its elbow that can cause anaphylactic shock and even death in humans
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 247hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm from 1,500-3,500rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 7.8L/100km
Price: from Dh94,900
On sale: now
