Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, has pledged vital support to Sudan and Nigeria’s efforts to overcome the Covid-19 pandemic. Courtesy: Wam
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, has pledged vital support to Sudan and Nigeria’s efforts to overcome the Covid-19 pandemic. Courtesy: Wam
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, has pledged vital support to Sudan and Nigeria’s efforts to overcome the Covid-19 pandemic. Courtesy: Wam
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, has pledged vital support to Sudan and Nigeria’s efforts to overcome the Covid-19 pandemic. Courtesy: Wam

Government

Coronavirus: Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid pledges humanitarian aid to Sudan and Nigeria

Food and medical supplies have been flown from the Emirates to support the fight against Covid-19

The National

August 16, 2020

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Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid has ordered that humanitarian aid be delivered to Sudan urgently to support the country’s fight against Covid-19.

The Vice President and Ruler of Dubai also issued a directive for crucial supplies to be sent to Nigeria to bolster its battle with the pandemic.

  • The Corniche is slowly getting more visitors as Covid-19 restrictions ease in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Victor Besa /The National
    The Corniche is slowly getting more visitors as Covid-19 restrictions ease in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Victor Besa /The National
  • An elderly man walks on the Galata Bridge amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, in Istanbul, Turkey. EPA
    An elderly man walks on the Galata Bridge amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, in Istanbul, Turkey. EPA
  • Iraqi high school students during their final exam after five months of school closures due to the coronavirus pandemic, at a school in Baghdad, Iraq. EPA
    Iraqi high school students during their final exam after five months of school closures due to the coronavirus pandemic, at a school in Baghdad, Iraq. EPA
  • More people are using bicycles as mode of transportation in downtown Abu Dhabi, UAE. Victor Besa /The National
    More people are using bicycles as mode of transportation in downtown Abu Dhabi, UAE. Victor Besa /The National
  • A Syrian refugee carries her baby amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, in Istanbul, Turkey. EPA
    A Syrian refugee carries her baby amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, in Istanbul, Turkey. EPA
  • Iraqi high school students during their final exam after five months of school closures due to the coronavirus pandemic, at a school in Baghdad, Iraq. EPA
    Iraqi high school students during their final exam after five months of school closures due to the coronavirus pandemic, at a school in Baghdad, Iraq. EPA
  • Members of the Christian community attend Mass during a procession of the Madonna of Trapani at the Saint-Augustin church in La Goulette in Tunis, Tunisia. EPA
    Members of the Christian community attend Mass during a procession of the Madonna of Trapani at the Saint-Augustin church in La Goulette in Tunis, Tunisia. EPA
  • Algerian volunteers desinfect the prayer hall ahead of the noon prayer at the El Fateh mosque in the El Afia de Kouba neighbourhood of the capital Algiers, as the country eases Covid-19 restrictions. AFP
    Algerian volunteers desinfect the prayer hall ahead of the noon prayer at the El Fateh mosque in the El Afia de Kouba neighbourhood of the capital Algiers, as the country eases Covid-19 restrictions. AFP
  • Members of the Christian community light candles at Mass during a procession of the Madonna of Trapani at the Saint-Augustin church in La Goulette in Tunis EPA
    Members of the Christian community light candles at Mass during a procession of the Madonna of Trapani at the Saint-Augustin church in La Goulette in Tunis EPA
  • An Algerian volunteer checks the temperature of men arriving to perform the noon prayer at the El Fateh mosque in the El Afia de Kouba neighbourhood of the capital Algiers. AFP
    An Algerian volunteer checks the temperature of men arriving to perform the noon prayer at the El Fateh mosque in the El Afia de Kouba neighbourhood of the capital Algiers. AFP
  • A Yemen student wears face mask to help curb the spread of coronavirus before taking a final-term school exam at a public school in Sanaa, Yemen. AP Photo
    A Yemen student wears face mask to help curb the spread of coronavirus before taking a final-term school exam at a public school in Sanaa, Yemen. AP Photo
  • A patron sits at a cafe in the centre of Algeria's capital Algiers, as the country eases Covid-19 restrictions. AFP
    A patron sits at a cafe in the centre of Algeria's capital Algiers, as the country eases Covid-19 restrictions. AFP
  • Algerian men perform the noon prayer at the El Fateh mosque in the El Afia de Kouba neighbourhood of the capital Algiers, as the country eases Covid-19 restrictions. AFP
    Algerian men perform the noon prayer at the El Fateh mosque in the El Afia de Kouba neighbourhood of the capital Algiers, as the country eases Covid-19 restrictions. AFP
  • A Yemeni student wearing a protective face mask takes final school exams, after five months of closure due to the coronavirus pandemic, at a public school in Sanaa, Yemen. EPA
    A Yemeni student wearing a protective face mask takes final school exams, after five months of closure due to the coronavirus pandemic, at a public school in Sanaa, Yemen. EPA

Relief shipments to the two African nations, including 14 tonnes of medical supplies and a further 20 tonnes of food, were sent from International Humanitarian City in Dubai.

The UAE has played a leading role in international efforts to tackle the spread of the coronavirus.

Aid has been delivered from the Emirates to all corners of the globe in recent months, with a keen focus placed on supporting countries hit hardest by the public health crisis.

UAE v Zimbabwe A

Results
Match 1 – UAE won by 4 wickets
Match 2 – UAE won by 5 wickets
Match 3 – UAE won by 25 runs
Match 4 – UAE won by 77 runs

Fixture
Match 5, Saturday, 9.30am start, ICC Academy, Dubai

Duterte Harry: Fire and Fury in the Philippines
Jonathan Miller, Scribe Publications

Various Artists 
Habibi Funk: An Eclectic Selection Of Music From The Arab World (Habibi Funk)
​​​​​​​

Timeline

2012-2015

The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East

May 2017

The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts

September 2021

Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act

October 2021

Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence 

December 2024

Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group

May 2025

The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan

July 2025

The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan

August 2025

Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision

October 2025

Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange

November 2025

180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE

While you're here
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

UAECoronavirus