On Thursday, Francesco Molinari will rock up to the first tee of the last event of the season and look across at the only man standing between him and the Race to Dubai crown.
The stakes are high, the permutations crystal clear. Should Molinari’s playing partner win this week’s DP World Tour Championship, and he finishes outside the top five, then he will not become the first Italian to clinch the year-long gong.
In most instances, that would make for a terse, maybe even tetchy, battle around the Earth Course. No chance this time, though: Molinari's Race rival is best pal Tommy Fleetwood.
“I can't really be mad at him, even if he wins,” the Race to Dubai front-runner joked on Wednesday. “We're too friendly. And it's Thursday, anyway, so it's too early to really think too far ahead.
“I'm sure we're going to have fun, and like any time we're paired together, all I can do is focus on my game and try to do as good as I can. I don't know honestly if that's going to be winning the tournament or finishing top 20 or top 10 or top 5.
"Whatever it is I need to do my best – and then have some deserved time off.”
Molinari has certainly earned the rest. This has been a marquee season for the British Open champion, what with a first major success, victory in the European Tour's flagship event and another win, on the PGA Tour.
Then, there is the star showing at the Ryder Cup, when he became the first European to take five points from all five matches. Four came via the equally starry partnership with Fleetwood, a pairing dubbed "Moliwood" and producer of one of the best videos on any golf social media account this year.
Going up against his chum, the European No 1, it could make claiming the Race to Dubai even more daunting. Molinari disagrees.
“I know we said this and we're going to sound really cheesy, but if I don't win, I'd rather see him win than anyone else," he said. "We really are good friends and he's had an amazing season.
"To think that he won last year, and to come here, still with a chance to win two in a row, it's incredible, really.
“What I can say for me is that it's been a great season, and however it goes this week, I'm still going to have lots of great memories from all of what I've done this year. And probably the best memory is what we've done together with him in France.”
Besides, having Fleetwood alongside him on Thursday, at least, means Molinari can easily keep tabs on his closest challenger.
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Read more:
DP World Tour Championship: Take a look at the pairings and tee times for the first round
Jon Rahm remains the man to beat in Dubai after a steady – but not spectacular – season
Organisers 'respect' Rory McIlroy's decision to miss 2019 Omega Dubai Desert Classic
McIlroy determined to revive 'B-minus' season at the DP World Tour Championship
John McAuley: All you need to know about 2018 DP World Tour Championship
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“Well, yeah, I've got eyes, and there are leaderboards out there,” he said. “If there were four or five guys in the race, it would be hard to do the math, but basically, even with my poor math, it's really easy to do the calculations.
“I usually don't get too far ahead of myself. So in that way, on Thursday morning, nothing is going to be different. I need to go out and play my best and, hopefully on Sunday, I'll be leading or I'll be in with a chance.
"And if Tommy wins, fair play to him. He's had a great season so far, and to win here, it would make him the deserving winner of the Race to Dubai.”
Deserving is right, no matter who ends up with the honour.
“It would mean a lot because it's a year-race, which makes it a lot harder to win,” Molinari said. “You can have the best week of your life and win one tournament, but to win a competition that lasts throughout the season, with the amount of talent right now on the European Tour, is something really hard to do, but also still hard to figure out for me how I'm here in this position.
“It feels obviously incredible. I've never been here in the past. Really, it's a dream season for me. Hopefully I'll be able to close it out.”
Company profile
Company: Rent Your Wardrobe
Date started: May 2021
Founder: Mamta Arora
Based: Dubai
Sector: Clothes rental subscription
Stage: Bootstrapped, self-funded
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Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
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
Notable cricketers and political careers
- India: Kirti Azad, Navjot Sidhu and Gautam Gambhir (rumoured)
- Pakistan: Imran Khan and Shahid Afridi (rumoured)
- Sri Lanka: Arjuna Ranatunga, Sanath Jayasuriya, Tillakaratne Dilshan (rumoured)
- Bangladesh (Mashrafe Mortaza)
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End of free parking
- paid-for parking will be rolled across Abu Dhabi island on August 18
- drivers will have three working weeks leeway before fines are issued
- areas that are currently free to park - around Sheikh Zayed Bridge, Maqta Bridge, Mussaffah Bridge and the Corniche - will now require a ticket
- villa residents will need a permit to park outside their home. One vehicle is Dh800 and a second is Dh1,200.
- The penalty for failing to pay for a ticket after 10 minutes will be Dh200
- Parking on a patch of sand will incur a fine of Dh300
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Fund-raising tips for start-ups
Develop an innovative business concept
Have the ability to differentiate yourself from competitors
Put in place a business continuity plan after Covid-19
Prepare for the worst-case scenario (further lockdowns, long wait for a vaccine, etc.)
Have enough cash to stay afloat for the next 12 to 18 months
Be creative and innovative to reduce expenses
Be prepared to use Covid-19 as an opportunity for your business
* Tips from Jassim Al Marzooqi and Walid Hanna
ADCC AFC Women’s Champions League Group A fixtures
October 3: v Wuhan Jiangda Women’s FC
October 6: v Hyundai Steel Red Angels Women’s FC
October 9: v Sabah FA
