Live updates: Follow the latest news on Israel-Gaza
A Palestinian pupil has told of his pride after his Dubai school raised Dh35,000 in only four hours to support embattled people in conflict-hit Gaza.
Al Salam Community School celebrated the culture, art and food of Palestine on Friday to help bring in crucial funds for the UAE's ongoing Gaza aid campaign.
Yara Sheiko, 14, said the initiative was an important way to raise awareness of the humanitarian crisis brought on by the Israel-Gaza war.
“As a Palestinian, I'm very proud and honoured that this was a success. We felt the need to spread awareness and to help raise money for this cause,” he told The National.
“Everyone in Gaza is my family. I felt that Friday was a great platform to share my culture as a Palestinian.
“It means a lot that this school helped raise more than Dh35,000 by setting up donation boxes and giving us the opportunity to volunteer and organise them.”
Kifaya Khan, principal of the school, said they worked closely with The Emirates Red Crescent and the Ministry of Islamic Affairs to support the Tarahum for Gaza campaign, which translates in English as Compassion for Gaza.
“We have a significant proportion of our community that has been directly affected by the events in Palestine and we wanted to support the people in Gaza,” Mr Khan told The National.
“More than 700 people from our school joined those from the wider community to attend the event.
“We ensured that it was held with dignity despite the wider sombre context.”
The occasion was ticketed, with the school organising arts and crafts workshops, stalls, activities, and food.
People could purchase individual tickets for Dh30 or family tickets for Dh100.
Mr Khan said the school’s pupils proposed the idea while parents led proceedings on the day. He added that organisers wanted to extend the work done by senior pupils in October after they were praised for leading the drive for donations.
He added that the event had raised an amount “beyond target” and the response had been “overwhelming”.
“We’ve been raising money through other channels, and it's been nowhere near the same amount,” Mr Khan added.
“This was an overwhelming response from our community and we didn't expect the event to be so successful.
“Credit goes to everyone for supporting it. There was definitely a wider feeling of wanting to help out and to be involved.”
At the event, restaurants sold food and donated profits to the Emirates Red Crescent, while workshops were also organised.
There was a stall dedicated to Tatreez, the traditional Palestinian embroidery, with a table showcasing its different forms and a workshop organised for children. There was also a session for bracelet-making.
Sarah Khawaja, a Jordanian mother of a nine-year-old and four-year-old pupil at the school, said the event highlighted Palestinian heritage and culture.
“It showcased the beauty of the country while at the same time raising funds,” she said.
“We had poetry being recited by children talking about Palestine and its beauty.”
UAE Gaza aid campaign - in pictures
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Welcome back. What was it like to return to RAK and to play for fans out here again?
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You're currently touring the globe as part of your Legends of the Feels Tour. How important is it to you to include the Middle East in the schedule?
The tour is doing really well and is extensive and intensive at the same time travelling all over the globe. My Middle Eastern fans are very dear to me, it’s good to be back.
You mix tracks that people know and love, but you also have a visually impressive set too (graphics etc). Is that the secret recipe to Dash Berlin's live gigs?
People enjoying the combination of the music and visuals are the key factor in the success of the Legends Of The Feel tour 2018.
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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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Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
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UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
