Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces attends an iftar reception hosted by King Mohamed VI of Morocco in Rabat. Hamad Al Kaabi / Ministry of Presidential Affairs
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces attends an iftar reception hosted by King Mohamed VI of Morocco in Rabat. Hamad Al Kaabi / Ministry of Presidential Affairs
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces attends an iftar reception hosted by King Mohamed VI of Morocco in Rabat. Hamad Al Kaabi / Ministry of Presidential Affairs
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces attends an iftar reception hosted by King Mohamed VI of Morocco in Rabat. Hamad Al Kaabi / Ministry

UAE

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed attends iftar hosted by king of Morocco

Sheikh Mohamed and the king exchange Ramadan greetings and wish for progress and prosperity in the nations

The National

April 10, 2022

  • English
  • Arabic

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, has attended an iftar hosted by King Mohammed VI of Morocco.

They exchanged Ramadan greetings and discussed the warm ties between the UAE and Morocco, state news agency Wam reported on Saturday.

Sheikh Mohamed and the Moroccan king also wished for the continued progress, development and prosperity of their two countries.

Ramadan 2022 in the region — in pictures

  • Omanis gather as goats are sold ahead of the Eid Al Fitr holiday, in the Surur area of Samail province, 80 kilometres south-west of the capital Muscat. AFP
    Omanis gather as goats are sold ahead of the Eid Al Fitr holiday, in the Surur area of Samail province, 80 kilometres south-west of the capital Muscat. AFP
  • Iraqi Sunni Muslims gather for the Laylat Al Qadr – Night of Power – in the shrine of cleric Sheikh Abdel Kader Al Gilani, in central Baghdad. EPA
    Iraqi Sunni Muslims gather for the Laylat Al Qadr – Night of Power – in the shrine of cleric Sheikh Abdel Kader Al Gilani, in central Baghdad. EPA
  • Palestinians pray on Laylat Al Qadr beside the Dome of the Rock shrine, at the Al Aqsa Mosque compound, in Jerusalem's Old City. Reuters
    Palestinians pray on Laylat Al Qadr beside the Dome of the Rock shrine, at the Al Aqsa Mosque compound, in Jerusalem's Old City. Reuters
  • A man stares at the dome of a mosque, in Syria's northern city of Raqa. AFP
    A man stares at the dome of a mosque, in Syria's northern city of Raqa. AFP
  • A volunteer from the charity Violet Org hands out food packages for the suhour meal eaten in Syria's rebel-held northwestern city of Idlib. AFP
    A volunteer from the charity Violet Org hands out food packages for the suhour meal eaten in Syria's rebel-held northwestern city of Idlib. AFP
  • Residents of Ezbet Hamada gather to eat during iftar in Mataria, Cairo. Reuters
    Residents of Ezbet Hamada gather to eat during iftar in Mataria, Cairo. Reuters
  • Ramadan decorations at Global Village, Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    Ramadan decorations at Global Village, Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • Syrians break their fast during a gathering organised by various groups in Tadef, near the city of Al Bab, in Aleppo province. AFP
    Syrians break their fast during a gathering organised by various groups in Tadef, near the city of Al Bab, in Aleppo province. AFP
  • Street traders cut up dessert pastries for sale at a market in Libya's eastern city of Benghazi. AFP
    Street traders cut up dessert pastries for sale at a market in Libya's eastern city of Benghazi. AFP
  • People breaking their fast at Quba Mosque, Madinah, Saudi Arabia. SPA
    People breaking their fast at Quba Mosque, Madinah, Saudi Arabia. SPA
  • Fasting Muslim worshippers queue to receive iftar meals, donated by a charity, in Mahboula, south of Kuwait City. AFP
    Fasting Muslim worshippers queue to receive iftar meals, donated by a charity, in Mahboula, south of Kuwait City. AFP
  • Yemenis read the Quran during Ramadan at a mosque in the old city of Sanaa, Yemen. EPA
    Yemenis read the Quran during Ramadan at a mosque in the old city of Sanaa, Yemen. EPA
  • People queue outside Al Farooq Mosque in Dubai before sunset, waiting to break their fast. EPA
    People queue outside Al Farooq Mosque in Dubai before sunset, waiting to break their fast. EPA
  • Shoppers at a market after their iftar meal, in the New Aleppo district of the northern Syrian city of Aleppo. AFP
    Shoppers at a market after their iftar meal, in the New Aleppo district of the northern Syrian city of Aleppo. AFP
  • An Egyptian dancer performs the traditional tanoura dance at a restaurant in the Omani capital Muscat. AFP
    An Egyptian dancer performs the traditional tanoura dance at a restaurant in the Omani capital Muscat. AFP
  • A famous Ramadan lantern inscribed with holy month greetings at Al Hamidiya market in Syria's capital Damascus. AFP
    A famous Ramadan lantern inscribed with holy month greetings at Al Hamidiya market in Syria's capital Damascus. AFP
  • Volunteers stir a pot of rice for a charity iftar at the eighth century Umayyad Mosque in Syria's capital Damascus. AFP
    Volunteers stir a pot of rice for a charity iftar at the eighth century Umayyad Mosque in Syria's capital Damascus. AFP
  • Omanis gather to break their fast on the beach in Muscat. AFP
    Omanis gather to break their fast on the beach in Muscat. AFP
  • Cooks employed by the Islamic Charitable Society prepare iftar meals for Palestinian orphans and families in need, in the West Bank city of Hebron. AFP
    Cooks employed by the Islamic Charitable Society prepare iftar meals for Palestinian orphans and families in need, in the West Bank city of Hebron. AFP
  • Iftar is served outside a mosque on the Jazeera State highway in the village of Al Nuba, about 50 kilometres south of Sudan's capital Khartoum. AFP
    Iftar is served outside a mosque on the Jazeera State highway in the village of Al Nuba, about 50 kilometres south of Sudan's capital Khartoum. AFP
  • A worshipper reads the Quran inside a mosque in Syria's northern city of Raqqa. AFP
    A worshipper reads the Quran inside a mosque in Syria's northern city of Raqqa. AFP
  • The first Friday prayers of Ramadan at the shrine of Sheikh Abdul Qadir Al Kilani, the former Sunni Muslim preacher, in central Baghdad. AFP
    The first Friday prayers of Ramadan at the shrine of Sheikh Abdul Qadir Al Kilani, the former Sunni Muslim preacher, in central Baghdad. AFP
  • Worshippers attend the first Friday prayer of Ramadan at Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey. Reuters
    Worshippers attend the first Friday prayer of Ramadan at Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey. Reuters
  • Palestinians cross the Qalandia checkpoint in the occupied West Bank on their way to the first Friday prayers of Ramadan at Jerusalem's Al Aqsa Mosque. Reuters
    Palestinians cross the Qalandia checkpoint in the occupied West Bank on their way to the first Friday prayers of Ramadan at Jerusalem's Al Aqsa Mosque. Reuters
  • An Egyptian baker prepares kunafa, a Ramadan dessert favourite, at a market in Cairo. EPA
    An Egyptian baker prepares kunafa, a Ramadan dessert favourite, at a market in Cairo. EPA
  • Dawn awakeners known as musaharatis beat drums to wake Muslims for the suhour meal before the day's Ramadan fast in Damascus, Syria. AFP
    Dawn awakeners known as musaharatis beat drums to wake Muslims for the suhour meal before the day's Ramadan fast in Damascus, Syria. AFP
  • Moroccan King Mohammed VI, centre, and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, second left, share an iftar meal in Sale, Morocco. AP
    Moroccan King Mohammed VI, centre, and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, second left, share an iftar meal in Sale, Morocco. AP
  • Iranian women read the Quran at the shrine of Shah Abdol-Azim in Tehran. Reuters
    Iranian women read the Quran at the shrine of Shah Abdol-Azim in Tehran. Reuters
  • A Ramadan catch-up at a cafe in Mosul, Iraq. Reuters
    A Ramadan catch-up at a cafe in Mosul, Iraq. Reuters
  • Prayer beads are in great demand during Ramadan in Sanaa, Yemen. EPA
    Prayer beads are in great demand during Ramadan in Sanaa, Yemen. EPA
  • A musaharati drummer wakes people for suhour in Manama, Bahrain. Reuters
    A musaharati drummer wakes people for suhour in Manama, Bahrain. Reuters
  • The old city in Tripoli in Libya is decked with Ramadan decorations. Reuters
    The old city in Tripoli in Libya is decked with Ramadan decorations. Reuters
  • Food packets arranged for distribution in Al Najieh, in Syria's rebel-held Idlib province. AFP
    Food packets arranged for distribution in Al Najieh, in Syria's rebel-held Idlib province. AFP
  • Worshippers gather at Al Sahlah Mosque in Kufa, near the city of Najaf, Iraq. Reuters
    Worshippers gather at Al Sahlah Mosque in Kufa, near the city of Najaf, Iraq. Reuters
  • Iftar at the Prince Mansour Assaf Mosque in central Beirut, Lebanon. EPA
    Iftar at the Prince Mansour Assaf Mosque in central Beirut, Lebanon. EPA
  • An elderly Palestinian reads the Quran at his shop in the old city of Hebron in the occupied West Bank. AFP
    An elderly Palestinian reads the Quran at his shop in the old city of Hebron in the occupied West Bank. AFP
  • Displaced Syrian children return to their camps with boxes of food on the outskirts of the rebel-held town of Dana, in Idlib province. AFP
    Displaced Syrian children return to their camps with boxes of food on the outskirts of the rebel-held town of Dana, in Idlib province. AFP
  • Ramadan lanterns at a shop in Beirut. AP
    Ramadan lanterns at a shop in Beirut. AP
  • A Palestinian man carries a tray of qatayef, traditional Arabic dumplings, in Rafah, southern Gaza. AFP
    A Palestinian man carries a tray of qatayef, traditional Arabic dumplings, in Rafah, southern Gaza. AFP
  • A cannon is fired at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi to mark the end of fasting on the first day of Ramadan. Victor Besa / The National
    A cannon is fired at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi to mark the end of fasting on the first day of Ramadan. Victor Besa / The National
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

Updated: April 10, 2022, 5:54 AM