Palestinian rights activists say evictions are made possible largely thanks to private US funding, with non-profit groups enjoying tax-free status. AP
Palestinian rights activists say evictions are made possible largely thanks to private US funding, with non-profit groups enjoying tax-free status. AP
Palestinian rights activists say evictions are made possible largely thanks to private US funding, with non-profit groups enjoying tax-free status. AP
Palestinian rights activists say evictions are made possible largely thanks to private US funding, with non-profit groups enjoying tax-free status. AP

How US donors fund settler activity in East Jerusalem


Willy Lowry
  • English
  • Arabic

The impending eviction of Palestinian families from their homes in East Jerusalem's Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood has prompted Palestinian rights activists to call for more scrutiny into how tax-exempt US-based charities – and the private firms that donate to them – are funding Israeli settlement activity that is widely seen to violate international law.

US-funded settler groups have long viewed Sheikh Jarrah as a future home for Jewish families and pushed for the removal of Palestinians who have lived in the area for decades.

The expected expulsions from the historic neighbourhood are at the centre of the current conflict between Israel and Hamas.

Activists say the evictions are made possible largely thanks to private US funding, with non-profit groups enjoying tax-free status that effectively amounts to a generous subsidy from the federal government.

“Without the donations, [these groups] don't exist,” said Hagit Ofran, who heads the settlement watch team at Peace Now, an Israeli non-governmental group.

The UN has repeatedly called for Israel to halt its settlement activity in the Palestinian territories, including in East Jerusalem.

The forced transfer of a “protected population under occupation is a grave breach of Article 4 of the Geneva Convention of International Law,” said Michael Lynk, the UN special rapporteur for the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967.

"It may well amount to a war crime under international law," Mr Lynk told The National.

Yousef Munayyer, a Palestinian-American political analyst and non-resident fellow at the Arab Centre think tank in Washington, believes the US government should crack down on non-profit groups funding Israeli settlers.

"If people were using charitable organisations as a way to support war crimes overseas in any other context, I think our government would probably take serious steps to prevent that from happening," Mr Munayyer told The National.

"We need an approach from the government that says American tax dollars and our charitable mechanisms should not be used" to support settlement activities, he said.

“That's really the least we should expect from a responsible administration.”

Currently, four Palestinian families in Sheikh Jarrah risk losing their homes to Jewish settler groups after a long-running legal battle.

Nahalat Shimon International, the organisation leading the legal fight for settlers, is owned by a company registered in Delaware, US.

US citizens are major contributors to what rights groups call Israel’s “illegal expansion” into territory that would go to Palestinians in a two-state solution.

According to a 2015 report in Israel's Haaretz newspaper, from 2009 to 2013, US-based charities donated more than $220 million to Israeli settlement organisations.

Peace Now said Israel has built more than 55,000 housing units in East Jerusalem since the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, when the Israeli military occupied the area.

Meanwhile, Israeli law makes it extremely tough for Palestinians, who consider East Jerusalem the capital of their future state, to build homes.

The Israeli government has only allowed the construction of 600 housing units – and those were all built in the 1970s, Peace Now said.

The Central Fund of Israel, a US-registered non-profit organisation that is exempt from federal income tax, gave more than $36m to various Jewish charities and causes in 2019, according to its financial information disclosure that year.

The organisation, which has an address in Cedarhurst, New York, is listed as the US charity for tax-deductible donations by the Israel Land Fund, a real estate company that buys up land in East Jerusalem.

CFI president Jay Marcus said it does not fund settlement activity.

It gives money to charities "all around the land of Israel without discrimination", he said.

"CFI's criterion is only that the charities are worthy and they are registered charities in Israel and CFI does not discriminate or favour based on location," Mr Marcus told The National in an email.

He did not immediately respond to a query about CFI’s connection to the Israel Land Fund.

Headed by Jerusalem's deputy mayor, Arieh King, the ILF's mission statement is to "reclaim the land of Israel for the people of Israel".

Its website lists land it wants to buy in Sheikh Jarrah, which it refers to by the Hebrew name of Nahalat Shimon. The company calls these “ideology properties".

Since its creation in 1948, Israel has used an absentee property law to claim land that had been owned by Palestinians who fled the newly founded state.

The Israeli government has continued to use the law to obtain properties in East Jerusalem.

On the ILF's website, it claims it is running “critically low” on funding and asks for donations “to help us fulfil the commandments; help bring Jewish land back to the Jewish people".

The US charity has significant backing from major donors, including Cherna Moskowitz, the widow of the late Irving Moskowitz, an American billionaire physician and businessman who was one of the leading funders of Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem and the West Bank.

The Cherna Moskowitz Foundation gave just over $3m to the ILF in 2018 – the fund's second-largest contribution.

In addition, the Irving Moskowitz Foundation gave $2.1m.

Ms Moskowitz also gave $50,000 to American Friends of Ateret Cohanim, a US-based charity established to fund the Israel-based non-profit Ateret Cohanim, which buys land in East Jerusalem with the purpose of installing Jewish tenants in the area.

Israelis stand on the roof of a Palestinian house controlled by settlers, during protests in Sheikh Jarrah in East Jerusalem. EPA
Israelis stand on the roof of a Palestinian house controlled by settlers, during protests in Sheikh Jarrah in East Jerusalem. EPA

The National tried to contact Friends of Ateret Cohanim for comment but did not hear back in time for publishing.

The National also called the number listed on the Cherna Moskowitz Foundation's tax forms.

The person who answered did not identify herself but said she worked for a company affiliated with the foundation and was not in a position to comment.

Ateret Cohanim’s stated goal is to “fulfil a generations-old dream of rebuilding and securing a united Jerusalem, strengthening our Jewish roots and re-establishing the once thriving Jewish communities that were destroyed by Arab pogroms".

The organisation's purchases have been focused in and around the Old City.

The US arm of the non-profit is run by Susan Hikind, the wife of Dov Hikind, a former New York state politician.

One of the largest funders of settlement activity in East Jerusalem is the Israel-based Ir David Foundation, often referred to as Elad.

According to its website, the foundation “is dedicated to the preservation and development of the Biblical City of David and its environs".

In practice that means purchasing land from Palestinian families and in the past two decades, the group has bought dozens of Jewish homes in East Jerusalem and developed archaeological sites in the Palestinian neighbourhood of Silwan.

The foundation is funded in part by the US-based non-profit Friends of Ir David. Among the charity’s top donors are the Cherna Moskowitz Foundation and the Koum Family Foundation.

According to Friends of Ir David’s most recent tax returns, which are publicly available, the Koum Family Foundation donated $3m in 2018.

The Koum Family Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Jan Koum, the Ukrainian-born American co-founder of the mobile messaging application WhatsApp.

When reached by phone, Moshe Billet, the executive director of Friends of Ir David, declined to comment.

  • Palestinians run away from Israeli border police during a demonstration in support of Palestinian families that face eviction from their homes at Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood in the Damascus gate in Jerusalem. EPA
    Palestinians run away from Israeli border police during a demonstration in support of Palestinian families that face eviction from their homes at Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood in the Damascus gate in Jerusalem. EPA
  • Israeli police arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a protest in support of Palestinian families that face eviction from their homes at Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood, near Damascus gate in Jerusalem. EPA
    Israeli police arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a protest in support of Palestinian families that face eviction from their homes at Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood, near Damascus gate in Jerusalem. EPA
  • Palestinians throw carton box to a burning barricade during clashes with Israeli police in Jerusalem. Tension continues in Jerusalem's Old City after clashes in Al Aqsa Mosque left dozens of Palestinians were seriously injured. Getty Images
    Palestinians throw carton box to a burning barricade during clashes with Israeli police in Jerusalem. Tension continues in Jerusalem's Old City after clashes in Al Aqsa Mosque left dozens of Palestinians were seriously injured. Getty Images
  • Israeli border police during a demonstration in support of Palestinian families that face eviction from their homes at Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood, near Damascus Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem. EPA
    Israeli border police during a demonstration in support of Palestinian families that face eviction from their homes at Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood, near Damascus Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem. EPA
  • Palestinians run for cover as Israeli police officers fire stun grenades during clashes at Damascus Gate outside Jerusalem's Old City. AP Photo
    Palestinians run for cover as Israeli police officers fire stun grenades during clashes at Damascus Gate outside Jerusalem's Old City. AP Photo
  • Israeli police arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a protest in support of Palestinian families that face eviction from their homes at Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood, near Damascus Gate in the old city of Jerusalem. EPA
    Israeli police arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a protest in support of Palestinian families that face eviction from their homes at Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood, near Damascus Gate in the old city of Jerusalem. EPA
  • A car belonging to Israeli settlers goes up in flames during a protest in support of Palestinian families facing eviction in Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood in East Jerusalem. EPA
    A car belonging to Israeli settlers goes up in flames during a protest in support of Palestinian families facing eviction in Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood in East Jerusalem. EPA
  • Supporters of Palestinian revolution factions rally in support of the Palestinians in Jerusalem, at Bourj Al Barajneh Palestinian camp in the southern suburb of the Lebanese capital Beirut. EPA
    Supporters of Palestinian revolution factions rally in support of the Palestinians in Jerusalem, at Bourj Al Barajneh Palestinian camp in the southern suburb of the Lebanese capital Beirut. EPA
  • Palestinians assist a wounded protester run amid clashes with Israeli security forces outside the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem's Old City. EPA
    Palestinians assist a wounded protester run amid clashes with Israeli security forces outside the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem's Old City. EPA
  • Israeli police arrest a Palestinian activist during a demonstration in support of Palestinian families that face eviction from their homes at Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood, near Damascus Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem. EPA
    Israeli police arrest a Palestinian activist during a demonstration in support of Palestinian families that face eviction from their homes at Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood, near Damascus Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem. EPA
  • Palestinians run for cover after Israeli police officers fire stun grenades during clashes at Damascus Gate in Jerusalem's Old City. Getty Images
    Palestinians run for cover after Israeli police officers fire stun grenades during clashes at Damascus Gate in Jerusalem's Old City. Getty Images
  • A Palestinian man flees as Israeli police officers watch during clashes in Jerusalem's Old City. Getty Images
    A Palestinian man flees as Israeli police officers watch during clashes in Jerusalem's Old City. Getty Images
  • Palestinians run for cover during clashes with Israeli police officers in Jerusalem. Getty Images
    Palestinians run for cover during clashes with Israeli police officers in Jerusalem. Getty Images
  • Palestinians react as Israeli police fire a stun grenade during clashes at Damascus Gate on Laylat Al Qadr during the month of Ramadan, in Jerusalem's Old City. Reuters
    Palestinians react as Israeli police fire a stun grenade during clashes at Damascus Gate on Laylat Al Qadr during the month of Ramadan, in Jerusalem's Old City. Reuters
  • Supporters of Palestinian factions demonstrate in support of the Palestinians facing eviction in a Jerusalem neighbourhood, at Bourj Al Barajneh Palestinian camp in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon. EPA
    Supporters of Palestinian factions demonstrate in support of the Palestinians facing eviction in a Jerusalem neighbourhood, at Bourj Al Barajneh Palestinian camp in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon. EPA

US Internal Revenue Service rules prohibit tax-exempt charities in the US from funding activities "that are illegal or contrary to public policy".

Mr Lynk, the UN special rapporteur, said there has been little enforcement of the rules when it comes to Israel, even though the US – alongside countries like Canada and Britain – has stated opposition to Israeli settlements.

“In Canada and the United States, charitable organisations have been allowed to maintain their status and have been able to use tax laws to be able to raise money to be able to further the Israeli settlement project,” Mr Lynk said.

“We've yet to see a decisive decision in either the courts of these countries or by changing legislation to make more definitive restrictions on these organisations.”

However, some of the pro-Israel non-profits have claimed they have been discriminated against by the IRS.

In 2010, the Z Street non-profit that claims to “educate Americans about the Middle East” sued the IRS for delaying the approval of its tax-exempt status. The organisation in 2018 won its case, along with an apology from the IRS for taking so long to grant the approval.

Lori Lowenthal Marcus, Z Street's founder, wrote in an opinion piece in The Wall Street Journal which stated that under the Obama administration, the IRS was unfairly scrutinising charities with links to Israel.

The US State Department and the IRS did not respond to requests for comment from The National.

Company profile

Name: Back to Games and Boardgame Space

Started: Back to Games (2015); Boardgame Space (Mark Azzam became co-founder in 2017)

Founder: Back to Games (Mr Azzam); Boardgame Space (Mr Azzam and Feras Al Bastaki)

Based: Dubai and Abu Dhabi 

Industry: Back to Games (retail); Boardgame Space (wholesale and distribution) 

Funding: Back to Games: self-funded by Mr Azzam with Dh1.3 million; Mr Azzam invested Dh250,000 in Boardgame Space  

Growth: Back to Games: from 300 products in 2015 to 7,000 in 2019; Boardgame Space: from 34 games in 2017 to 3,500 in 2019

UAE - India ties

The UAE is India’s third-largest trade partner after the US and China

Annual bilateral trade between India and the UAE has crossed US$ 60 billion

The UAE is the fourth-largest exporter of crude oil for India

Indians comprise the largest community with 3.3 million residents in the UAE

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi first visited the UAE in August 2015

His visit on August 23-24 will be the third in four years

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, visited India in February 2016

Sheikh Mohamed was the chief guest at India’s Republic Day celebrations in January 2017

Modi will visit Bahrain on August 24-25

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

MEYDAN CARD

6.30pm Maiden Dh165,000 (Dirt) 1,600m

7.05pm Conditions Dh240,000 (D) 1,600m

7.40pm Handicap Dh190,000 (D) 2,000m

8.15pm Handicap Dh170,000 (D) 2,200m

8.50pm The Entisar Listed Dh265,000 (D) 2,000m

9.25pm The Garhoud Sprint Listed Dh265,000 (D) 1,200m

10pm Handicap Dh185,000 (D) 1,400m

 

The National selections

6.30pm Majestic Thunder

7.05pm Commanding

7.40pm Mark Of Approval

8.15pm Mulfit

8.50pm Gronkowski

9.25pm Walking Thunder

10pm Midnight Sands

The biog

Job: Fitness entrepreneur, body-builder and trainer

Favourite superhero: Batman

Favourite quote: We must become the change we want to see, by Mahatma Gandhi.

Favourite car: Lamborghini

Switching%20sides
%3Cp%3EMahika%20Gaur%20is%20the%20latest%20Dubai-raised%20athlete%20to%20attain%20top%20honours%20with%20another%20country.%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EVelimir%20Stjepanovic%20(Serbia%2C%20swimming)%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EBorn%20in%20Abu%20Dhabi%20and%20raised%20in%20Dubai%2C%20he%20finished%20sixth%20in%20the%20final%20of%20the%202012%20Olympic%20Games%20in%20London%20in%20the%20200m%20butterfly%20final.%20%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EJonny%20Macdonald%20(Scotland%2C%20rugby%20union)%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EBrought%20up%20in%20Abu%20Dhabi%20and%20represented%20the%20region%20in%20international%20rugby.%20When%20the%20Arabian%20Gulf%20team%20was%20broken%20up%20into%20its%20constituent%20nations%2C%20he%20opted%20to%20play%20for%20Scotland%20instead%2C%20and%20went%20to%20the%20Hong%20Kong%20Sevens.%20%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ESophie%20Shams%20(England%2C%20rugby%20union)%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EThe%20daughter%20of%20an%20English%20mother%20and%20Emirati%20father%2C%20Shams%20excelled%20at%20rugby%20in%20Dubai%2C%20then%20after%20attending%20university%20in%20the%20UK%20played%20for%20England%20at%20sevens.%20%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
How%20to%20avoid%20getting%20scammed
%3Cul%3E%0A%3Cli%3ENever%20click%20on%20links%20provided%20via%20app%20or%20SMS%2C%20even%20if%20they%20seem%20to%20come%20from%20authorised%20senders%20at%20first%20glance%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EAlways%20double-check%20the%20authenticity%20of%20websites%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EEnable%20Two-Factor%20Authentication%20(2FA)%20for%20all%20your%20working%20and%20personal%20services%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EOnly%20use%20official%20links%20published%20by%20the%20respective%20entity%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EDouble-check%20the%20web%20addresses%20to%20reduce%20exposure%20to%20fake%20sites%20created%20with%20domain%20names%20containing%20spelling%20errors%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0A
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo

The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
​​​​​​​Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km

Vidaamuyarchi

Director: Magizh Thirumeni

Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra

Rating: 4/5

 

Electric scooters: some rules to remember
  • Riders must be 14-years-old or over
  • Wear a protective helmet
  • Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
  • Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
  • Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
  • Do not drive outside designated lanes
How green is the expo nursery?

Some 400,000 shrubs and 13,000 trees in the on-site nursery

An additional 450,000 shrubs and 4,000 trees to be delivered in the months leading up to the expo

Ghaf, date palm, acacia arabica, acacia tortilis, vitex or sage, techoma and the salvadora are just some heat tolerant native plants in the nursery

Approximately 340 species of shrubs and trees selected for diverse landscape

The nursery team works exclusively with organic fertilisers and pesticides

All shrubs and trees supplied by Dubai Municipality

Most sourced from farms, nurseries across the country

Plants and trees are re-potted when they arrive at nursery to give them room to grow

Some mature trees are in open areas or planted within the expo site

Green waste is recycled as compost

Treated sewage effluent supplied by Dubai Municipality is used to meet the majority of the nursery’s irrigation needs

Construction workforce peaked at 40,000 workers

About 65,000 people have signed up to volunteer

Main themes of expo is  ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ and three subthemes of opportunity, mobility and sustainability.

Expo 2020 Dubai to open in October 2020 and run for six months

Roll%20of%20Honour%2C%20men%E2%80%99s%20domestic%20rugby%20season
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EWest%20Asia%20Premiership%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EChampions%3A%20Dubai%20Tigers%0D%3Cbr%3ERunners%20up%3A%20Bahrain%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EUAE%20Premiership%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EChampions%3A%20Jebel%20Ali%20Dragons%0D%3Cbr%3ERunners%20up%3A%20Dubai%20Hurricanes%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EUAE%20Division%201%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EChampions%3A%20Dubai%20Sharks%0D%3Cbr%3ERunners%20up%3A%20Abu%20Dhabi%20Harlequins%20II%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EUAE%20Division%202%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EChampions%3A%20Dubai%20Tigers%20III%0D%3Cbr%3ERunners%20up%3A%20Dubai%20Sharks%20II%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDubai%20Sevens%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EChampions%3A%20Dubai%20Tigers%0D%3Cbr%3ERunners%20up%3A%20Dubai%20Hurricanes%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE

Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.

The Sand Castle

Director: Matty Brown

Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea

Rating: 2.5/5

Why it pays to compare

A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.

Route 1: bank transfer

The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.

Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount

Total received: €4,670.30 

Route 2: online platform

The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.

Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction

Total received: €4,756

The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.

Jetour T1 specs

Engine: 2-litre turbocharged

Power: 254hp

Torque: 390Nm

Price: From Dh126,000

Available: Now

Where to buy

Limited-edition art prints of The Sofa Series: Sultani can be acquired from Reem El Mutwalli at www.reemelmutwalli.com

THE BIO

Favourite author - Paulo Coelho 

Favourite holiday destination - Cuba 

New York Times or Jordan Times? NYT is a school and JT was my practice field

Role model - My Grandfather 

Dream interviewee - Che Guevara