If Rory McIlroy was keen to put behind him all the off-the-course issues that dominated still his stellar 2022 on it, then a glance at the leaderboard in Dubai probably prompted a reflex eye roll.
The world No 1 had already “tee-gate” to contend with this week at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, the build-up to the season’s second Rolex Series event quickly consumed by an apparent, and easily understandable, beef with Patrick Reed.
The word around the golfing world is that those who defected last year to LIV Golf, of which Reed is one, feel McIlroy has been a little too outspoken when it comes to what many refer to as golf’s “civil war”.
The four-time major winner has pinned his colours to a popular mast, serving not only as the game’s prominent player, but also the lead voice for the traditional tours.
Asked on Wednesday how much the feeling of being mentally drained at the end of last year was down to the “extra-curricular stuff with LIV”, McIlroy replied: “All of it. All of it.”
It’s conceivable, then, by the close of a second successive weather-delayed day at Emirates Golf Club on Friday, McIlroy would have let out an audible sigh.
Not, though, for his score and thus chances of a record-equalling third Classic triumph. McIlroy returned on Friday morning to complete his suspended opening round and played the sort of golf only a world No 1 really can, going birdie-eagle-birdie to sign for a 6-under-par 66. It hoisted the 2009 and 2015 champion to the top of the leaderboard.
Yet it’s the company he keeps. Reed was finishing his first round around the exact same time, and on the exact same score. By the time Friday had finished, McIlroy sat in a tie for fourth alongside Reed and South Africa’s Lucas De Jager, while Ian Poulter and Richard Bland, two fully fledged LIV representatives, shared the summit, on 8-under.
To be fair, unlike McIlroy, the English duo had time to begin their second rounds: Poulter had only just posted 7-under for his first round before squeezing in another three holes before darkness descended on the Majlis Course. Bland, meanwhile, racked up three more birdies through four holes of his second round to augment an opening 67.
Sandwiched in between the pair and McIlroy was young Spaniard Angel Hidalgo, who opened with a 66 and then went another 1-under through three holes of his second.
Maybe in contrast to McIlroy, Hidalgo took great pleasure in surveying the leaderboard.
“Yeah, it was weird,” said the world No 315, whose most notable professional win to date came on the Challenge Tour, at the Big Green Egg German Challenge powered by VcG. “See my surname and [McIlroy's] surname together in the leaderboard was pretty cool.”
Hidalgo, 24, added with a laugh: “That's why I made bogey [on his closing hole of the first round], to be close to him.
"It was something, a good dream when you see him winning majors. We played good today, and maybe why not play with him?”
Playing like McIlroy is a pretty fail-safe way to success. Just take his "wild" 45-minute effort on Friday morning, when he sunk the short birdie putt from overnight, bounced his ball into the hole a 116-yard wedge from the fairway sand on the par-4 8th – his penultimate hole – and landed his approach on the next to four foot for another birdie.
“I wouldn't say I'm the best fairway bunker player in the world,” said McIlroy, with typical understatement. “The desert is a little nicer, it's a little more packed down, so you get some better lies.
“All I was thinking about was catching it clean. My tendency out of those lies is to hit it a little bit heavy. As soon as I struck it, I knew it came out really nicely and it was right down the pin. Again, anything inside of 20 feet, I would have been happy with, so that was certainly a bonus.”
Ditto his 66, even if McIlroy wasn't too gushing about how he got there.
"Honestly not very good - I struggled out there most of yesterday," McIlroy said. "I thought did I well to be under par by the end of the day. I fought back after some very sloppy rusty golf over the first 14 holes.
“And then I came out and I don't really know if anything clicked because I don't think I hit enough shots to know. But it was definitely needed.
"I would have been happy with anything around 70 the way I played, and then to come in and shoot 66 is quite the bonus.”
Reed, the 2018 Masters champion, chose to focus on his debut performance at the Classic rather than the earlier McIlroy plotline.
“I'm obviously really happy with the way I played,” the American said after concluding his first round with an eagle on 18. “I felt like last week [missed cut in Abu Dhabi] wasn't really a reflection of all the hard work I've been doing in the off-season. It was more getting rusty on playing tournament golf.
“So to come out this week and feel like I was able to put everything together and to have my mind right on game-planning and course management was definitely a plus. I feel like I had full control of the golf ball and made a couple putts.”
The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index
The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index
Mazen Abukhater, principal and actuary at global consultancy Mercer, Middle East, says the company’s Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index - which benchmarks 34 pension schemes across the globe to assess their adequacy, sustainability and integrity - included Saudi Arabia for the first time this year to offer a glimpse into the region.
The index highlighted fundamental issues for all 34 countries, such as a rapid ageing population and a low growth / low interest environment putting pressure on expected returns. It also highlighted the increasing popularity around the world of defined contribution schemes.
“Average life expectancy has been increasing by about three years every 10 years. Someone born in 1947 is expected to live until 85 whereas someone born in 2007 is expected to live to 103,” Mr Abukhater told the Mena Pensions Conference.
“Are our systems equipped to handle these kind of life expectancies in the future? If so many people retire at 60, they are going to be in retirement for 43 years – so we need to adapt our retirement age to our changing life expectancy.”
Saudi Arabia came in the middle of Mercer’s ranking with a score of 58.9. The report said the country's index could be raised by improving the minimum level of support for the poorest aged individuals and increasing the labour force participation rate at older ages as life expectancies rise.
Mr Abukhater said the challenges of an ageing population, increased life expectancy and some individuals relying solely on their government for financial support in their retirement years will put the system under strain.
“To relieve that pressure, governments need to consider whether it is time to switch to a defined contribution scheme so that individuals can supplement their own future with the help of government support,” he said.
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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