A senior UAE official has condemned anti-Islam gatherings in Sweden where copies of the holy Quran were to be burnt as a “wave of hatred and fanaticism".
Dr Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the President, Sheikh Khalifa, posted online to say that those involved had taken on an ideology that could not support religions coexisting in peace.
“The wave of hatred and fanaticism that Sweden is witnessing against our true Islamic religion is rejected and poses a danger in its adoption of an ideology that rejects the principles of coexistence,” Dr Gargash wrote on Monday.
Demonstrators gathered in a number of Swedish cities to protest against rallies organised by Danish anti-immigration and anti-Islam political party Stram Kurs — Hard Line — led by Danish-Swedish politician Rasmus Paludan.
Swedish police on Sunday fired warning shots during a protest in the eastern city of Norrkoping, over plans by Mr Paludan's group to burn copies of the Quran.
It followed earlier clashes at the weekend that resulted in police officers being injured and patrol vehicles set on fire.
Dr Gargash reaffirmed the UAE's tolerant approach where people of different backgrounds and faiths can live together without fear.
“What is happening confirms the efficacy of the tolerance approach that characterises the UAE, which has chosen it as a path and this has reflected positively on its society where many cultures and religions live in full security and stability,” he said.
Saudi Arabia also expressed condemnation of the deliberate abuse of the Quran, provocations, and incitement against Muslims by extremists in Sweden.
The country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stressed the importance of concerted efforts to spread the values of dialogue, tolerance, coexistence, and renounce hatred and extremism, while preventing abuse of all religions and holy sites.
Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, a UAE-based professor of political science, said the Quran incidents involved a small minority with extreme views.
“What an extremist politician did in Sweden by burning a copy of the noble Quran is religiously, morally and humanely rejected,” Prof Abdulla wrote on Twitter.
“He represents a small extremist group who hate Islam and Muslims, and not a Swedish society.
“This society is among the most civilised, tolerant, open, moderate and accepting of the other and [the politician] should not be responded to with violence or by burning the Swedish flag.”
On Sunday, a crowd of about 150 people threw stones at officers and police vehicles and set fire to cars in Norrkoping, about 160 kilometres south of the capital Stockholm.
Demonstrations against Mr Paludan have also taken place in other Swedish towns and cities.
Since Thursday, protests have also occurred in Linkoping, south-west of Norrkoping, as well as the capital Stockholm, Malmo, in southern Sweden, south-central city Orebro and southern town Landskrona.
Protests in Sweden — in pictures
PROFILE OF SWVL
Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
Size: 450 employees
Investment: approximately $80 million
Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani
Name: Peter Dicce
Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics
Favourite sport: soccer
Favourite team: Bayern Munich
Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer
Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates
Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
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
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
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Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
Movie: Saheb, Biwi aur Gangster 3
Producer: JAR Films
Director: Tigmanshu Dhulia
Cast: Sanjay Dutt, Jimmy Sheirgill, Mahie Gill, Chitrangda Singh, Kabir Bedi
Rating: 3 star
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The Rub of Time: Bellow, Nabokov, Hitchens, Travolta, Trump and Other Pieces 1986-2016
Martin Amis,
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The Transfiguration
Director: Michael O’Shea
Starring: Eric Ruffin, Chloe Levine
Three stars
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Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 630bhp
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Price: Dh810,000
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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