When Jordanian diplomat Monther Awad Abu-Obeid leaves Abu Dhabi in August at the end of his posting, he will take more than happy memories with him.
The consul and political officer, who assisted about 300,000 Jordanians living in the UAE, will return home with a skill in the UAE’s unofficial national sport, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, which is also popular in Jordan.
“Jordan was introduced to jiu-jitsu … because of links between Jordanian competitors who started learning in Brazil, grew their talent and opened schools back home," he said, adding that Jordan has very advanced coaching.
The UAE is established as one of the top destinations for the sport.
My first competition was in April this year during the Abu Dhabi World Masters Jiu-jitsu Championship
Monther Awad Abu-Obeid
“We can say Abu Dhabi is the world capital of jiu-jitsu,” Mr Abu-Obeid said.
The martial art is taught as part of the curriculum in more than 100 UAE schools, and there are more than 15 centres teaching the sport across the country. It is also practised by the Armed Forces.
The sport’s popularity here is the result of the advocacy of Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed, National Security Adviser, who became interested in jiu-jitsu after watching the first Ultimate Fighting Championship in 1993.
During his four years in the UAE, Mr Abu-Obeid has gone from a beginner to a blue belt competing in jiu-jitsu championships in Abu Dhabi, when he earned a silver medal at the Jiu-jitsu Pro tour in June.
"Managing my time between long office hours, diplomatic duties afterwards and training in jiu-jitsu was almost impossible, but having a passion for both diplomacy and jiu-jitsu with a belief in the pivotal role of sports diplomacy pushed me to train to climb the ladder to a silver medal, which was a dream," he said.
The 36-year-old was inspired to take up the martial art after watching his countrymen take part.
“Whenever we have a delegation coming from Jordan, even in sports, I meet them. That’s how I started my enthusiasm for jiu-jitsu.
“When the Jordanian athletes, our national team, started coming here to compete, I showed up to support them. And then I just decided it was time to start practising.”
Mr Abu-Obeid said he had tried jiu-jitsu a couple of times in Jordan.
He took it up properly in May 2018, training with other Jordanians.
He spent two years working his way up the four ranks of the white belt. Players are promoted through belts: white, blue, purple, brown, and black.
And then the coronavirus pandemic struck.
“That made it slower,” he said. “I wished I competed on the white belt because I was mature as a white belt. I was at the apogee of it. When I went to blue, I was on the junior level."
In some senses, Mr Abu-Obeid is leaving Abu Dhabi just as he is hitting his stride.
“My first competition was in April this year during the Abu Dhabi World Masters Jiu-jitsu Championship," he said.
“It was the highest international competition. People came from all over the world to compete in it,” he said.
He plans to continue practising it in Jordan. His coach there, Sammy Jamal, is the highest-ranked expert in the region.
And Mr Abu-Obeid will soon have more time to do it. His busy role in Abu Dhabi meant often he could not train as much as he liked.
That meant he had to miss out on a tournament in July.
“I didn’t have the time to train because I was working 12 to 15 hours a day at the office, and I lost a lot of weight. When I don’t train, I lose a lot of weight. So I couldn’t compete," Mr Abu-Obeid said.
“Definitely I am sad to leave but I am very excited to start what is coming next.
“I am looking forward to my new posting. I have no idea where I am going next, but I will take all the good memories and experiences from being here.”
Key Points
- Protests against President Omar Al Bashir enter their sixth day
- Reports of President Bashir's resignation and arrests of senior government officials
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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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
The studios taking part (so far)
- Punch
- Vogue Fitness
- Sweat
- Bodytree Studio
- The Hot House
- The Room
- Inspire Sports (Ladies Only)
- Cryo
Squad
Ali Kasheif, Salim Rashid, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Khalfan Mubarak, Ali Mabkhout, Omar Abdulrahman, Mohammed Al Attas, Abdullah Ramadan, Zayed Al Ameri (Al Jazira), Mohammed Al Shamsi, Hamdan Al Kamali, Mohammed Barghash, Khalil Al Hammadi (Al Wahda), Khalid Essa, Mohammed Shaker, Ahmed Barman, Bandar Al Ahbabi (Al Ain), Al Hassan Saleh, Majid Suroor (Sharjah) Walid Abbas, Ahmed Khalil (Shabab Al Ahli), Tariq Ahmed, Jasim Yaqoub (Al Nasr), Ali Saleh, Ali Salmeen (Al Wasl), Hassan Al Muharami (Baniyas)
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Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
The five pillars of Islam
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5. Zakat
The specs
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How to keep control of your emotions
If your investment decisions are being dictated by emotions such as fear, greed, hope, frustration and boredom, it is time for a rethink, Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading platform IG, says.
Greed
Greedy investors trade beyond their means, open more positions than usual or hold on to positions too long to chase an even greater gain. “All too often, they incur a heavy loss and may even wipe out the profit already made.
Tip: Ignore the short-term hype, noise and froth and invest for the long-term plan, based on sound fundamentals.
Fear
The risk of making a loss can cloud decision-making. “This can cause you to close out a position too early, or miss out on a profit by being too afraid to open a trade,” he says.
Tip: Start with a plan, and stick to it. For added security, consider placing stops to reduce any losses and limits to lock in profits.
Hope
While all traders need hope to start trading, excessive optimism can backfire. Too many traders hold on to a losing trade because they believe that it will reverse its trend and become profitable.
Tip: Set realistic goals. Be happy with what you have earned, rather than frustrated by what you could have earned.
Frustration
Traders can get annoyed when the markets have behaved in unexpected ways and generates losses or fails to deliver anticipated gains.
Tip: Accept in advance that asset price movements are completely unpredictable and you will suffer losses at some point. These can be managed, say, by attaching stops and limits to your trades.
Boredom
Too many investors buy and sell because they want something to do. They are trading as entertainment, rather than in the hope of making money. As well as making bad decisions, the extra dealing charges eat into returns.
Tip: Open an online demo account and get your thrills without risking real money.
