ABU DHABI // A US State Department report on the UAE’s human rights record needs to be “recalibrated”, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said.
The ministry expressed surprise and regret at the report last month about UAE national Hassan Al Diqqi and his 2012 initiative to launch a political party called Al Ummah.
“This is both surprising and regrettable given that a senior representative to the Ummah Organisation, and founder and current president of the Al Karama organisation, Abdul Rahman bin ‘Umayr Al Nu’aymi, was designated in December 2013 by the US Department of the Treasury as an Al Qaeda terror financier.
“Moreover, Hassan Al Diqqi’s extremist credentials are long established, as noticed by The Washington Post, with his support for jihad publicly recorded as far back as 2002, and most recently in 2013 as evidenced readily by social media,” said the ministry in a statement distributed by the state news agency Wam.
The Washington Post article from September described Al Diqqi as appearing in a video alongside a Saudi branch leader for the Ummah group at a military training camp it had set up in Syria.
The US report had said “there were no updates” on Al Diqqi or the Ummah organisation at the end of the year, under a section about political parties.
“The Ummah oversight would seem to suggest that a recalibration of the report findings is necessary and that it therefore provides an unbalanced picture of the human rights situation in the UAE,” the ministry said.
It said the UAE had written to the state department to suggest that it revise its report “based on readily available public source information including US media outlets and social media services as well as information recently published by the United States Department of the Treasury”.
The ministry suggested that Al Karama group’s lobbying on behalf of Al Diqqi could explain why he was featured in the State Department’s 2012 and 2013 reports as a human rights activist, but did not explain “why there is no update on the extensive violent jihadist activities and support for such activities in Syria and other territories of both Hassan Al Diqqi and the Ummah Conference”.
“Consistent with recent US steps to deny Al Karama special consultative status at the United Nations, the UAE would suggest it is prudent for the State Department to review its Middle East human rights reporting, and identify causes that originated with the Al Qaeda-linked Al Karama Foundation either directly or through its working relationships with prominent international human rights organisations,” the ministry said.
The US report cited citizens’ inability to change their government, limitations on citizens’ civil liberties and arbitrary arrests, incommunicado detentions and lengthy pre-trial detentions as three of the “most significant human rights problems” in the UAE, and also mentioned issues such as police brutality, privacy rights and restriction of workers’ rights.
“The facts are that the UAE is committed to the promotion and protection of human rights and has demonstrated its openness to engaging in constructive dialogue on human rights issues, both in the multilateral fora and bilaterally with partners such as the European Union,” the ministry said.
It said the country underwent its second Universal Periodic Review by the UN’s Human Rights Council last year, and that the Government was following up on “more than 100 recommendations that we accepted”.
The ministry also referenced efforts to curb human trafficking and promotion of gender equality and workers rights, all issues mentioned in the US report. It said the UAE had ratified nine major International Labour Organisation conventions on the rights of workers and “is continuously working to strengthen the enforcement of labour protections”.
“We take pride in our achievements but we are never satisfied with the status quo. The UAE will continue to strive to improve respect for human rights regardless of the criticism because human rights are part of the values that motivate us,” the ministry said.
newsdesk@thenational.ae
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
First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus
In numbers
1,000 tonnes of waste collected daily:
800 tonnes converted into alternative fuel
150 tonnes to landfill
50 tonnes sold as scrap metal
800 tonnes of RDF replaces 500 tonnes of coal
Two conveyor lines treat more than 350,000 tonnes of waste per year
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
Who is playing New England Patriots v Los Angeles Rams
Where Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, United States
When Sunday (start time is 3.30am on Monday UAE time)
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
Five expert hiking tips
Always check the weather forecast before setting off
Make sure you have plenty of water
Set off early to avoid sudden weather changes in the afternoon
Wear appropriate clothing and footwear
Take your litter home with you
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
One showed 28 per cent of female students at a Dubai university reported symptoms linked to depression. Another in Al Ain found 22.2 per cent of students had depressive symptoms - five times the global average.
It said the country has made strides to address mental health problems but said: “Our review highlights the overall prevalence of depressive symptoms and depression, which may long have been overlooked."
Prof Samir Al Adawi, of the department of behavioural medicine at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman, who was not involved in the study but is a recognised expert in the Gulf, said how mental health is discussed varies significantly between cultures and nationalities.
“The problem we have in the Gulf is the cross-cultural differences and how people articulate emotional distress," said Prof Al Adawi.
“Someone will say that I have physical complaints rather than emotional complaints. This is the major problem with any discussion around depression."
We weren’t supposed to survive but we did.
We weren’t supposed to remember but we did.
We weren’t supposed to write but we did.
We weren’t supposed to fight but we did.
We weren’t supposed to organise but we did.
We weren’t supposed to rap but we did.
We weren’t supposed to find allies but we did.
We weren’t supposed to grow communities but we did.
We weren’t supposed to return but WE ARE.
Amira Sakalla
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
