Mahdi Ali will have one last look at his combinations in the final practice match today.
Mahdi Ali will have one last look at his combinations in the final practice match today.
Mahdi Ali will have one last look at his combinations in the final practice match today.
Mahdi Ali will have one last look at his combinations in the final practice match today.

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Midfielders last piece of Mahdi Ali's puzzle before Olympics

The coach seems to be mulling which two wide midfielders to play, in the July 26 Olympic opener against Uruguay in Manchester.

Paul Oberjuerge

July 18, 2012

  • English
  • Arabic

LIENZ, AUSTRIA // Mahdi Ali gets one final look at his side in action ahead of London 2012 when the UAE Olympic team meet a New Zealand side boasting five 2010 World Cup veterans in a friendly tonight in the Alpine town of Matrei.

The coach and his 23 players have been together since June 12 and the shape of the Emirati squad seems fairly clear, with one or two exceptions, which may be decided by performances tonight.

Mahdi Al seems to be mulling which two wide midfielders to play, in the July 26 Olympic opener against Uruguay in Manchester. The candidates would appear to be the veteran Ismail Al Hammadi, Khalid Essa, Omar Abdulrahman and Ahmed Ali.

Al Hamadi and Essa were in the first XI for the 2-1 loss to Honduras on Monday, with Ali coming on for Al Hammadi at half time and Abdulrahman left out.

Barring injury, the rest of the side looks set: Ali Kasheif as goalkeeper, a back four of Abdulaziz Sanquor, Hamdan Al Kamali, Mohammed Ahmed and Abdulaziz Hussain; Amer Abdulrahman and Khamis Esmail in central midfield; and Ismail Matar and Ahmed Khalil in attack.

New Zealand were the only side not to taste defeat at South Africa 2010, drawing three matches as they finished third in a group including Italy, Slovakia and Paraguay.

Two of their overage players, Ryan Nelsen, the captain and defender, and the forward Shane Smeltz, started every match in South Africa, as did the defender Tommy Smith.

The forward Chris Wood came on as a substitute in all three World Cup matches while the midfielder Michael McGlinchey was in the 2010 squad but did not play.

The UAE party will make a four-hour bus trip to Munich tomorrow, and spend the night there, before flying to Manchester on Saturday.

poberjuerge@thenational.ae

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While you're here
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

UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
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Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

What drives subscription retailing?

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The global subscription e-commerce market was valued at $13.2 billion (Dh48.5bn) in 2018. It is forecast to touch $478.2bn in 2025, and include the entertainment, fitness, food, cosmetics, baby care and fashion sectors.

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Personal care and beauty occupy the largest chunk of the worldwide subscription e-commerce market, with changing lifestyles, work schedules, customisation and convenience among the chief future drivers.

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