• Fishermen wade in the water off Shoab beach on Yemen's Socotra Island. All photos: AFP
    Fishermen wade in the water off Shoab beach on Yemen's Socotra Island. All photos: AFP
  • A flowering bottle tree, or desert rose, at Homhil in the northeast of the Yemeni island of Socotra, part of the flora found only in the Indian Ocean archipelago.
    A flowering bottle tree, or desert rose, at Homhil in the northeast of the Yemeni island of Socotra, part of the flora found only in the Indian Ocean archipelago.
  • A lagoon is pictured outside Hadibo, the main city on Socotra island.
    A lagoon is pictured outside Hadibo, the main city on Socotra island.
  • Detwah Lagoon, on the far west of Socotra island, is listed as a wetland of global importance under the Ramsar Convention.
    Detwah Lagoon, on the far west of Socotra island, is listed as a wetland of global importance under the Ramsar Convention.
  • A man stands at the top of a peak on Di-Hamri mountain, Socotra island.
    A man stands at the top of a peak on Di-Hamri mountain, Socotra island.
  • Dragon's blood (Dracaena cinnabari) trees at the top of Dixam mountain on Socotra island.
    Dragon's blood (Dracaena cinnabari) trees at the top of Dixam mountain on Socotra island.
  • Desert rose (Adenium socotranum) plants grow on Di-Hamri mountain on Socotra Island.
    Desert rose (Adenium socotranum) plants grow on Di-Hamri mountain on Socotra Island.
  • A Dragon’s Blood Tree provides shade on the Diksam Plateau in the centre of Socotra island, a species found only on the Indian Ocean archipelago.
    A Dragon’s Blood Tree provides shade on the Diksam Plateau in the centre of Socotra island, a species found only on the Indian Ocean archipelago.
  • An endangered Egyptian Vulture perches on the dead branches of a Dragon’s Blood Tree in Socotra.
    An endangered Egyptian Vulture perches on the dead branches of a Dragon’s Blood Tree in Socotra.
  • Socotra boasts an abundance of Frankincense trees and fresh water springs.
    Socotra boasts an abundance of Frankincense trees and fresh water springs.
  • Dragon Blood Trees can be viewed as far as the eye can see on Socotra Island, Yemen.
    Dragon Blood Trees can be viewed as far as the eye can see on Socotra Island, Yemen.

UAE

Government

UAE has pledged $110 million in humanitarian aid to Socotra since 2015

Significant investment in key services has helped improve the lives of people living on the island

The National

July 31, 2021

  • English
  • Arabic

The UAE has delivered $110 million of humanitarian aid to the Yemeni island of Socotra since 2015, helping authorities to improve the lives of its residents.

The vital financial contribution over the past six years has bolstered a series of crucial public services, from the health and education sectors to construction and transport, state news agency Wam reported.

The financial aid has been delivered by organisations such as Emirates Red Crescent, the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, the Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation, the Sheikh Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan Humanitarian and Scientific Foundation and Abu Dhabi Waste Management Centre.

Key investment has restored Socotra's airport and paid for the construction of two solar power stations, the establishment of four power plants and the installation of power generators in remote villages.

The UAE's relief mission has been integral to the island's health sector by providing medical equipment and ambulances, establishing a fully equipped emergency centre and two surgery rooms, and donating 13 beds and an intensive care unit, in line with international standards.

The aid has also expanded Sheikh Khalifa Hospital, increasing its number of beds to 42 and adding four to the ICU.

The UAE has also offered university scholarships to help 80 students continue their education in Egypt, while 40 received scholarships to UAE University.

It also launched various education projects, including the restoration of schools and the creation of new classes, as well as the opening of the Socotra Institute for Consultancy and Training.

The Emirates has ensured the education sector has the tools to succeed by recruiting teachers from overseas and hiring 440 local teachers.

It has printed 227,000 text books, established the Socotra International University and opened two colleges.

In June, the UAE sent 60,000 Covid-19 vaccine doses to Socotra to help tackle the pandemic.

The Emirates Red Crescent worked with health authorities in Socotra to vaccinate people free of charge at Sheikh Khalifa Hospital.




Groom and Two Brides

Director: Elie Semaan

Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla

Rating: 3/5

Lexus LX700h specs

Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor

Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm

Transmission: 10-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh590,000

Where to buy art books in the UAE

There are a number of speciality art bookshops in the UAE.

In Dubai, The Lighthouse at Dubai Design District has a wonderfully curated selection of art and design books. Alserkal Avenue runs a pop-up shop at their A4 space, and host the art-book fair Fully Booked during Art Week in March. The Third Line, also in Alserkal Avenue, has a strong book-publishing arm and sells copies at its gallery. Kinokuniya, at Dubai Mall, has some good offerings within its broad selection, and you never know what you will find at the House of Prose in Jumeirah. Finally, all of Gulf Photo Plus’s photo books are available for sale at their show. 

In Abu Dhabi, Louvre Abu Dhabi has a beautiful selection of catalogues and art books, and Magrudy’s – across the Emirates, but particularly at their NYU Abu Dhabi site – has a great selection in art, fiction and cultural theory.

In Sharjah, the Sharjah Art Museum sells catalogues and art books at its museum shop, and the Sharjah Art Foundation has a bookshop that offers reads on art, theory and cultural history.

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A Prayer Before Dawn

Director: Jean-Stephane Sauvaire

Starring: Joe Cole, Somluck Kamsing, Panya Yimmumphai

Three stars

Naga
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The biog

Name: Greg Heinricks

From: Alberta, western Canada

Record fish: 56kg sailfish

Member of: International Game Fish Association

Company: Arabian Divers and Sportfishing Charters

Kareem Shaheen on Canada
If you go

The flights

The closest international airport for those travelling from the UAE is Denver, Colorado. British Airways (www.ba.com) flies from the UAE via London from Dh3,700 return, including taxes. From there, transfers can be arranged to the ranch or it’s a seven-hour drive. Alternatively, take an internal flight to the counties of Cody, Casper, or Billings

The stay

Red Reflet offers a series of packages, with prices varying depending on season. All meals and activities are included, with prices starting from US$2,218 (Dh7,150) per person for a minimum stay of three nights, including taxes. For more information, visit red-reflet-ranch.net.

 

ABU DHABI ORDER OF PLAY

Starting at 10am:

Daria Kasatkina v Qiang Wang

Veronika Kudermetova v Annet Kontaveit (10)

Maria Sakkari (9) v Anastasia Potapova

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova v Ons Jabeur (15)

Donna Vekic (16) v Bernarda Pera 

Ekaterina Alexandrova v Zarina Diyas

Du Plessis plans his retirement

South Africa captain Faf du Plessis said on Friday the Twenty20 World Cup in Australia in two years' time will be his last.

Du Plessis, 34, who has led his country in two World T20 campaigns, in 2014 and 2016, is keen to play a third but will then step aside.

"The T20 World Cup in 2020 is something I'm really looking forward to. I think right now that will probably be the last tournament for me," he said in Brisbane ahead of a one-off T20 against Australia on Saturday. 

The Buckingham Murders

Starring: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ash Tandon, Prabhleen Sandhu

Director: Hansal Mehta

Rating: 4 / 5

Plastic tipping points
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis

Nancy 9 (Hassa Beek)

Nancy Ajram

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More from Neighbourhood Watch
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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  • Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
  • Financial well-being incentives 
Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

INDIA SQUAD

Virat Kohli (capt), Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Vijay Shankar, MS Dhoni (wk), Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami

Polarised public

31% in UK say BBC is biased to left-wing views

19% in UK say BBC is biased to right-wing views

19% in UK say BBC is not biased at all

Source: YouGov

Volunteers offer workers a lifeline

Community volunteers have swung into action delivering food packages and toiletries to the men.

When provisions are distributed, the men line up in long queues for packets of rice, flour, sugar, salt, pulses, milk, biscuits, shaving kits, soap and telecom cards.

Volunteers from St Mary’s Catholic Church said some workers came to the church to pray for their families and ask for assistance.

Boxes packed with essential food items were distributed to workers in the Dubai Investments Park and Ras Al Khaimah camps last week. Workers at the Sonapur camp asked for Dh1,600 towards their gas bill.

“Especially in this year of tolerance we consider ourselves privileged to be able to lend a helping hand to our needy brothers in the Actco camp," Father Lennie Connully, parish priest of St Mary’s.

Workers spoke of their helplessness, seeing children’s marriages cancelled because of lack of money going home. Others told of their misery of being unable to return home when a parent died.

“More than daily food, they are worried about not sending money home for their family,” said Kusum Dutta, a volunteer who works with the Indian consulate.

SPECS

Engine: Two-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 235hp
Torque: 350Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Price: From Dh167,500 ($45,000)
On sale: Now

The specs

Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)

 


 

Sui Dhaaga: Made in India

Director: Sharat Katariya

Starring: Varun Dhawan, Anushka Sharma, Raghubir Yadav

3.5/5

Updated: August 01, 2021, 5:45 AM