Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed (top left), UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, co-chaired the UAE-Kuwait Joint Committee’s virtual meeting on Thursday. Courtesy: Wam
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed (top left), UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, co-chaired the UAE-Kuwait Joint Committee’s virtual meeting on Thursday. Courtesy: Wam
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed (top left), UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, co-chaired the UAE-Kuwait Joint Committee’s virtual meeting on Thursday. Courtesy: Wam
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed (top left), UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, co-chaired the UAE-Kuwait Joint Committee’s virtual meeting on Thursday. Courtesy: Wam

Government

UAE and Kuwait to collaborate on education and culture programmes

The co-operation agreement was signed during the UAE-Kuwait Joint Committee’s virtual meeting on Thursday

The National

November 06, 2020

  • English
  • Arabic

The UAE and Kuwait have agreed to collaborate in the education, culture and arts field.

The countries signed two executive programmes for co-operation in these areas during the fourth round of UAE-Kuwait Joint Committee’s virtual meeting on Thursday.

Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, the UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, co-chaired the committee, alongside Kuwait’s foreign minister Sheikh Dr Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Sabah.

Sheikh Abdullah started the committee by offering prayers for the late Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmed, Emir of Kuwait, who passed away on September 29 at age 91.

He also expressed his confidence in Kuwait’s new ruler Emir Sheikh Nawaf Al Sabah.

“We look forward to continuing our joint action to deepen and our fraternal relations and grow them further,” said Sheikh Abdullah.

“We are always keen to exchange views with our brothers in the State of Kuwait on the regional and international challenges, developments and issues, in order to build unified stances to push for further progress and prosperity for the peoples of the region.”

The two countries also signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the recognising the eligibility certificates for sea workers and for co-operation in the Islamic affairs field.

The UAE is the ninth largest market for Kuwaiti exports worldwide.

Non-oil trade between the two countries increased from $7 billion in 2016 to $10.5 billion in 2019, enabling Kuwait to become UAE’s fifth largest market for non-oil exports.

Kuwait's ruler Emir Sheikh Nawaf Al Sabah - in pictures

  • The new Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Nawaf Al Sabah performs the constitutional oath at the Kuwaiti National Assembly in Kuwait. AP Photo
    The new Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Nawaf Al Sabah performs the constitutional oath at the Kuwaiti National Assembly in Kuwait. AP Photo
  • Sheikh Nawaf Al Sabah salutes MPs after being sworn in as Kuwait's new Emir at the National Assembly in Kuwait City. AFP
    Sheikh Nawaf Al Sabah salutes MPs after being sworn in as Kuwait's new Emir at the National Assembly in Kuwait City. AFP
  • Kuwait's new Emir, Sheikh Nawaf Al Sabah, poses for a group photo after taking the oath of office at the parliament in Kuwait City. Kuwait TV/Handout via REUTERS
    Kuwait's new Emir, Sheikh Nawaf Al Sabah, poses for a group photo after taking the oath of office at the parliament in Kuwait City. Kuwait TV/Handout via REUTERS
  • Sheikh Nawaf Al Sabah salutes the crowd after being sworn in as Kuwait's new Emir at the National Assembly in Kuwait City. AFP
    Sheikh Nawaf Al Sabah salutes the crowd after being sworn in as Kuwait's new Emir at the National Assembly in Kuwait City. AFP
  • Sheikh Nawaf Al Sabah, left, salutes the crowd after being sworn in as Kuwait's new Emir at the National Assembly in Kuwait City. AFP
    Sheikh Nawaf Al Sabah, left, salutes the crowd after being sworn in as Kuwait's new Emir at the National Assembly in Kuwait City. AFP
  • Sheikh Nawaf Al Sabah, second from right, reads a statement after being sworn in as Kuwait's new Emir. AFP
    Sheikh Nawaf Al Sabah, second from right, reads a statement after being sworn in as Kuwait's new Emir. AFP
  • Sheikh Nawaf Al Sabah salutes the crowd after being sworn in as Kuwait's new Emir at the National Assembly in Kuwait City. AFP
    Sheikh Nawaf Al Sabah salutes the crowd after being sworn in as Kuwait's new Emir at the National Assembly in Kuwait City. AFP
  • The new Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Nawaf Al Sabah, centre on the podium, performs the constitutional oath at the Kuwaiti National Assembly in Kuwait. AP Photo
    The new Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Nawaf Al Sabah, centre on the podium, performs the constitutional oath at the Kuwaiti National Assembly in Kuwait. AP Photo
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RESULTS

Catchweight 82kg
Piotr Kuberski (POL) beat Ahmed Saeb (IRQ) by decision.

Women’s bantamweight
Corinne Laframboise (CAN) beat Cornelia Holm (SWE) by unanimous decision.

Welterweight
Omar Hussein (PAL) beat Vitalii Stoian (UKR) by unanimous decision.

Welterweight
Josh Togo (LEB) beat Ali Dyusenov (UZB) by unanimous decision.

Flyweight
Isaac Pimentel (BRA) beat Delfin Nawen (PHI) TKO round-3.

Catchweight 80kg​​​​​​​
Seb Eubank (GBR) beat Emad Hanbali (SYR) KO round 1.

Lightweight
Mohammad Yahya (UAE) beat Ramadan Noaman (EGY) TKO round 2.

Lightweight
Alan Omer (GER) beat Reydon Romero (PHI) submission 1.

Welterweight
Juho Valamaa (FIN) beat Ahmed Labban (LEB) by unanimous decision.

Featherweight
Elias Boudegzdame (ALG) beat Austin Arnett (USA) by unanimous decision.

Super heavyweight
Maciej Sosnowski (POL) beat Ibrahim El Sawi (EGY) by submission round 1.

Western Region Asia Cup T20 Qualifier

Sun Feb 23 – Thu Feb 27, Al Amerat, Oman

The two finalists advance to the Asia qualifier in Malaysia in August

 

Group A

Bahrain, Maldives, Oman, Qatar

Group B

UAE, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia

 

UAE group fixtures

Sunday Feb 23, 9.30am, v Iran

Monday Feb 25, 1pm, v Kuwait

Tuesday Feb 26, 9.30am, v Saudi

 

UAE squad

Ahmed Raza, Rohan Mustafa, Alishan Sharafu, Ansh Tandon, Vriitya Aravind, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmed, Karthik Meiyappan, Basil Hameed, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Ayaz, Zahoor Khan, Chirag Suri, Sultan Ahmed

Contracted list

Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Aaron Finch, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Tim Paine, Matt Renshaw, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, Billy Stanlake, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Andrew Tye.

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MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League quarter-final (first-leg score):

Juventus (1) v Ajax (1), Tuesday, 11pm UAE

Match will be shown on BeIN Sports

Also on December 7 to 9, the third edition of the Gulf Car Festival (www.gulfcarfestival.com) will take over Dubai Festival City Mall, a new venue for the event. Last year's festival brought together about 900 cars worth more than Dh300 million from across the Emirates and wider Gulf region – and that first figure is set to swell by several hundred this time around, with between 1,000 and 1,200 cars expected. The first day is themed around American muscle; the second centres on supercars, exotics, European cars and classics; and the final day will major in JDM (Japanese domestic market) cars, tuned vehicles and trucks. Individuals and car clubs can register their vehicles, although the festival isn’t all static displays, with stunt drifting, a rev battle, car pulls and a burnout competition.

As it stands in Pool A

1. Japan - Played 3, Won 3, Points 14

2. Ireland - Played 3, Won 2, Lost 1, Points 11

3. Scotland - Played 2, Won 1, Lost 1, Points 5

Remaining fixtures

Scotland v Russia – Wednesday, 11.15am

Ireland v Samoa – Saturday, 2.45pm

Japan v Scotland – Sunday, 2.45pm

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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