Follow the latest news on the earthquake in Turkey and Syria
An Emirati search and rescue team, part of Operation Gallant Knight/2, has saved two young men from under the rubble in the Turkish city of Kahramanmaras.
The rescue of the two men, aged 19 and 21, came nine days after a devastating earthquake hit Turkey and neighbouring Syria, news agency Wam reported.
Col Khaled Al Hammadi, commander of the UAE Search and Rescue team in Turkey, said they are using sniffer dogs and working in shifts in the hope of finding survivors.
On February 11, an Emirati team rescued an 11-year-old child trapped under the rubble in Kahramanmaras province.
The search and rescue crew also pulled a man believed to be in his 50s or 60s to safety during the mission.
Then again on February 8, the Emirati team pulled a Syrian family of four from the rubble in the same city. A mother, her son and two daughters were saved after more than five hours of removing debris.
The search and rescue teams from the Ministry of Interior, Abu Dhabi Police and Dubai Police, as well as a field hospital, which has been set up in Turkey, are all part of the UAE's Operation Gallant Knight/2.
This initiative is part of the UAE's ongoing efforts to provide humanitarian aid and relief to those in need, highlighting the country's commitment to promoting international co-operation in times of crisis.
On Tuesday, Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed, Ruler’s Representative in Al Dhafra Region and chairman of Emirates Red Crescent, led a board meeting of the organisation and instructed it to intensify the UAE’s humanitarian relief efforts in disaster-hit areas, Abu Dhabi Media Office said.
Sheikh Hamdan said that the UAE would continue its humanitarian response and use its relief and logistics capabilities, emergency cadres and volunteers to assist disaster victims in both countries.
He has reviewed plans to intensify relief operations, including sending more assistance and fulfilling all required humanitarian needs to support affected families.
On Monday, Wam said that the UAE's 50-bed hospital that arrived last week at Gaziantep Airport in Turkey had begun receiving patients.
The hospital is fully equipped and has medical, technical and administrative teams to help treat people injured in the earthquakes.
It was set up in a 40,000-square-metre area and has 50 beds and four ICU beds.
Staff Brig Dr Abdullah Al Ghaithi, commander of the Emirates Relief Field Hospital, said that the facility has various departments, including reception, screening, emergency, surgery, intensive care, dentistry, X-ray, laboratory, pharmacy and outpatient sections.
The hospital’s medical staff includes psychologists to help people suffering from anxiety, depression and post-traumatic disorder, he added.
The field hospital is classified as a level-three unit, meaning it is multidisciplinary, fully equipped and staffed, and has the capacity to carry out all major treatments.
The 7.8-magnitude quake that struck Syria and Turkey last Monday has killed more than 37,000 people.
UAE field hospital in Turkey — in pictures
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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'Worse than a prison sentence'
Marie Byrne, a counsellor who volunteers at the UAE government's mental health crisis helpline, said the ordeal the crew had been through would take time to overcome.
“It was worse than a prison sentence, where at least someone can deal with a set amount of time incarcerated," she said.
“They were living in perpetual mystery as to how their futures would pan out, and what that would be.
“Because of coronavirus, the world is very different now to the one they left, that will also have an impact.
“It will not fully register until they are on dry land. Some have not seen their young children grow up while others will have to rebuild relationships.
“It will be a challenge mentally, and to find other work to support their families as they have been out of circulation for so long. Hopefully they will get the care they need when they get home.”
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