AL AIN // Abu Dhabi Harlequins banished their cup final hoodoo in the most emphatic terms possible as they thrashed Mana Dubai 62-10 to claim the inaugural Rugby League Cup on Friday night.
The capital club's first foray into the 13-man code has eased some of the anguish they suffered in the other version.
Their union side made all the running in the domestic campaign that preceded this debut league competition, only to fall in three major finals.
They will be able to depart for their summer holidays with a warm glow of success following a 12-try rout of the UAE's first independent rugby league club.
"I'm really chuffed for our boys because we have a lot of young players in our team and they have really stood up," said Ben Bolger, the Quins captain. "Making the transition from union to league has opened their eyes. Some of them have been thinking back to rugby union and saying, 'I don't even want to play that game anymore.' A lot of the young guys play in the back three and are making 15 or 20 carries per game, whereas in union they may only touch the ball twice. It is fast paced and the guys have really taken to it."
The fact the respective coaches of the two sides - Tony Scott for Quins and Steve Emm for Mana - spent much of the game chatting happily to each other on the sidelines belied the venom in this final.
The first set of the game concluded with a multi-player scuffle. It did not take long to work out, though, that it would be the side from the capital who would be laughing last and therefore longest.
Quins held a 30-0 lead at half time, and their only real concern by the end was the fact they had not managed to keep their opposition to nil.
The ease with which the victors dominated the field in their first season playing the game made a joke of the fact they had their first training session in this format only eight weeks ago.
"I think the difference has been that we have been able to train and work on our structure," Scott said.
Since the end of the union season, he said, "We have been training twice a week every week … and we have just worked on it, worked on it and worked on it.
"We haven't just had 13 guys. There here been a lot so we have been able to make substitutions in and out and still not lose our structure.
"We kept it simple and played to our strengths, which is the likes of Sam Bolger, our hooker who was outstanding tonight."
WASPS DEFEAT OVERHEATED AMBLERS
When the temperature gauge is pointing at 42°C, the last thing a team realistically needs before an afternoon kick-off in the UAE is a warm-up.
Al Ain Amblers’ 40-24 defeat to Dubai Wasps in the third-place play-off in the Rugby League Cup represented a valiant display considering the circumstances.
The Amblers had been running through drills to limber up ahead of their scheduled 4pm start.
They were still going great guns 45 minutes later, when the game finally started.
The long delay was a result of a minor crash suffered to the one of the cars transporting Wasps players from Dubai to Al Ain for the match. The home team would have been better off going and having a sit down in a fridge in the meantime.
It was a tribute to their fitness that they managed to score the last try of the game. Ross Combe, a UAE international in union, completed a personal hat-trick of tries late on.
“None of the guys have really played much league and we are making some basic errors which we have to improve on next season,” said Keleto Dyer, the Amblers coach.
Simon Cook, who joined up with Wasps at the start of the league campaign, was the star. His 20-point haul included two tries and six conversions.
“The heat we have been playing in has made it very difficult but the lads have put in a great effort and everyone has been loving it,” said Dan Burgin, the Wasps captain.
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Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
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GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
Company Fact Box
Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019
Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO
Based: Amman, Jordan
Sector: Education Technology
Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed
Stage: early-stage startup
Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The specs: 2018 BMW X2 and X3
Price, as tested: Dh255,150 (X2); Dh383,250 (X3)
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged inline four-cylinder (X2); 3.0-litre twin-turbo inline six-cylinder (X3)
Power 192hp @ 5,000rpm (X2); 355hp @ 5,500rpm (X3)
Torque: 280Nm @ 1,350rpm (X2); 500Nm @ 1,520rpm (X3)
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic (X2); Eight-speed automatic (X3)
Fuel consumption, combined: 5.7L / 100km (X2); 8.3L / 100km (X3)
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
UAE's role in anti-extremism recognised
General John Allen, President of the Brookings Institution research group, commended the role the UAE has played in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism.
He told a Globsec debate of the UAE’s "hugely outsized" role in the fight against Isis.
"It’s trite these days to say that any country punches above its weight, but in every possible way the Emirates did, both militarily, and very importantly, the UAE was extraordinarily helpful on getting to the issue of violent extremism," he said.
He also noted the impact that Hedayah, among others in the UAE, has played in addressing violent extremism.
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
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The bio
Favourite food: Japanese
Favourite car: Lamborghini
Favourite hobby: Football
Favourite quote: If your dreams don’t scare you, they are not big enough
Favourite country: UAE
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
Long Shot
Director: Jonathan Levine
Starring: Charlize Theron, Seth Rogan
Four stars
SPECS
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The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
