The UN has increased efforts to fight a desert locust infestation that has devastated parts of Africa and crossed the Red Sea into coastal areas of Yemen and Saudi Arabia.
Dominique Burgeon, director of emergencies and resilience at the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation, described work with Yemeni authorities in rebel-held Sanaa and the port city of Aden to fight the locust scourge.
“We had extensive discussions with them and agreed on processes and on the equipment they needed to physically beef up significantly surveillance efforts,” Mr Burgeon said on Tuesday.
“Since then, with also the deployment of additional capacities, with expertise being deployed, we have indeed seen a significant increase in the areas that have been surveyed.”
Keith Cressman, the FAO’s senior locust forecasting officer, said officials in neighbouring Saudi Arabia had locust populations under control.
“In Saudi Arabia, they have a very strong national locust programme so they are able to manage those locust infestations that are present along the Red Sea coast of their country,” Mr Cressman said.
“We’re not looking to see any difficulties in that situation.”
In recent weeks, locust swarms have been seen in highlands to the west of Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, and along the war-torn country’s Red Sea coast.
Locusts are also breeding along much of Saudi’s Red Sea coastline.
Locust swarms first soared in number in late 2019 as a result of unusual weather patterns amplified by climate change.
The crop-destroying insects have ravaged farms in Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia, threatening food supplies for millions of people.
The desert locust is native to Africa, the Middle East and western Asia and is the world’s most destructive insect.
It weighs only two grams but eats its own weight in food every day.
Favourable breeding conditions can lead to overcrowding and food shortages for locusts, which then gather into a swarm.
Swarms of as many as 80 million locusts can cover several hundred square kilometres and travel 130 kilometres or more in a day.
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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
Russia's Muslim Heartlands
Dominic Rubin, Oxford
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