As an accomplished amateur boxer, Dominic Raab might have experienced the physical fear of endless punches with little to offer in defence.
In front of the Foreign Affair Committee he certainly suffered fearsome political body blows on Wednesday as MPs lined up with their sharpest jabs for the stricken British Foreign Secretary.
Why had he remained on holiday as Kabul fell? Why had British Embassy security guards been left behind? Is Britain’s alliance with America in tatters?
The opening round did not bode well. “How many of your ministers are overseas at the moment?” asked committee chairman Tom Tugendhat, a fellow Conservative MP and military veteran of Afghanistan.
Mr Raab looked hopefully down at his notes, then responded: “I don’t have that precise detail…” The Foreign Secretary has six ministers under his command.
It was a soft jab, but it had taken Mr Raab unawares and struck home. He tried to recover by speaking softly, his elbows gently resting on the table in the committee room with MPs sat opposing him in a horseshoe formation.
When was the last time a British minister had visited Tajikistan? He didn’t know. Uzbekistan? Likewise.
Mr Tugendhat, who would certainly like Mr Raab’s job, had made the reputationally toxic suggestion that Mr Raab was not entirely in command of his brief.
The Foreign Secretary attempted a counter-punch by boldly stating he would be travelling to the region – possibly Pakistan – straight after the two-hour session. No one had the heart to suggest it was a bit after the event. However, it did not take long for an MP to point out that Mr Raab, along with the Prime Minister, had been “missing in action”, on holiday, as the crisis unfolded.
Unfortunately for Mr Raab, 47, he was still sunning himself at a boutique hotel in Crete when Kabul fell to the Taliban on August 15.
Aside from an extremist regime taking over a state, the MPs became most preoccupied with when, exactly, Mr Raab began his holiday, given that he should have been on hand in London in such an emergency.
“Many thousands of people who stood by us in a difficult time in Afghanistan were in peril of their lives and there was still not a proper crisis centre up in place,” said Chris Bryant, of Labour. “Do you not see that it’s important for the British people to understand why you thought it was right to go on holiday?”
Nine times Stewart McDonald, of the Scottish National Party, asked what date he departed for the Mediterranean when British citizens were at risk.
Each time Mr Raab refused to answer, instead offering the defence that nowadays most people work remotely, in his case attending high-level emergency meetings with his laptop while overlooking the sea.
He was then asked how many people had been left behind in Afghanistan who were entitled to get out. “I can’t give you a definitive number,” he responded. But he could give a definitive list of nine judges, 47 journalists, 42 law enforcement officials and 11 government officials who had been saved.
He then attempted a counter attack, pointing to “irresponsible” journalists and “nonsense” written in newspapers by suggesting that the Foreign Office immigration processing at Kabul’s airport was a shambles.
But he admitted it was “regrettable” that the British embassy security guards were turned away because of incorrect paperwork.
The Taliban had even seized the official embassy portrait of the Queen, one MP then exclaimed. Mr Raab looked puzzled. He had ordered it to be destroyed, he said.
He then tried to divert the punches on to others. ISIS had even attacked the Taliban. The Americans were always going to leave. And “the rapid fall [of Kabul] was beyond expectations”.
But all military leave had been cancelled on July 23. Was it a bad idea, that he still went on holiday, an MP persisted? Mr Raab let the blow land.
“All I’ve heard you say is that you wish you’d come back from a holiday earlier,” persisted Graham Stringer, of Labour. “Are there any other regrets that you have?”
The Foreign Secretary declined to answer but later admitted there were lessons to be learnt.
Closing the session, Mr Tugendhat left him with a painful reprimand by referring to Britain’s last major Middle East catastrophe, in 1956.
“I stand by the view that this is the single biggest foreign policy disaster that the UK has faced since Suez, in the sense that it has exposed a weakness in our alliances,” he said.
Mr Raab demurred otherwise as he readied to leave, perhaps wondering if he would ever face such opponents again as a heavyweight politician.
Boris Johnson appears more than content to let another minister take the flak for the Afghan debacle, even one as loyal as Mr Raab. However, that loyalty was largely pledged over Brexit, and now that project is done the Prime Minister may consider him expendable.
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
The Byblos iftar in numbers
29 or 30 days – the number of iftar services held during the holy month
50 staff members required to prepare an iftar
200 to 350 the number of people served iftar nightly
160 litres of the traditional Ramadan drink, jalab, is served in total
500 litres of soup is served during the holy month
200 kilograms of meat is used for various dishes
350 kilograms of onion is used in dishes
5 minutes – the average time that staff have to eat
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
PROFILE OF INVYGO
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Founders: Eslam Hussein and Pulkit Ganjoo
Based: Dubai
Sector: Transport
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Investors: Class 5 Global, Equitrust, Gulf Islamic Investments, Kairos K50 and William Zeqiri
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
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Water waste
In the UAE’s arid climate, small shrubs, bushes and flower beds usually require about six litres of water per square metre, daily. That increases to 12 litres per square metre a day for small trees, and 300 litres for palm trees.
Horticulturists suggest the best time for watering is before 8am or after 6pm, when water won't be dried up by the sun.
A global report published by the Water Resources Institute in August, ranked the UAE 10th out of 164 nations where water supplies are most stretched.
The Emirates is the world’s third largest per capita water consumer after the US and Canada.
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.
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Fund-raising tips for start-ups
Develop an innovative business concept
Have the ability to differentiate yourself from competitors
Put in place a business continuity plan after Covid-19
Prepare for the worst-case scenario (further lockdowns, long wait for a vaccine, etc.)
Have enough cash to stay afloat for the next 12 to 18 months
Be creative and innovative to reduce expenses
Be prepared to use Covid-19 as an opportunity for your business
* Tips from Jassim Al Marzooqi and Walid Hanna
Ways to control drones
Countries have been coming up with ways to restrict and monitor the use of non-commercial drones to keep them from trespassing on controlled areas such as airports.
"Drones vary in size and some can be as big as a small city car - so imagine the impact of one hitting an airplane. It's a huge risk, especially when commercial airliners are not designed to make or take sudden evasive manoeuvres like drones can" says Saj Ahmed, chief analyst at London-based StrategicAero Research.
New measures have now been taken to monitor drone activity, Geo-fencing technology is one.
It's a method designed to prevent drones from drifting into banned areas. The technology uses GPS location signals to stop its machines flying close to airports and other restricted zones.
The European commission has recently announced a blueprint to make drone use in low-level airspace safe, secure and environmentally friendly. This process is called “U-Space” – it covers altitudes of up to 150 metres. It is also noteworthy that that UK Civil Aviation Authority recommends drones to be flown at no higher than 400ft. “U-Space” technology will be governed by a system similar to air traffic control management, which will be automated using tools like geo-fencing.
The UAE has drawn serious measures to ensure users register their devices under strict new laws. Authorities have urged that users must obtain approval in advance before flying the drones, non registered drone use in Dubai will result in a fine of up to twenty thousand dirhams under a new resolution approved by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai.
Mr Ahmad suggest that "Hefty fines running into hundreds of thousands of dollars need to compensate for the cost of airport disruption and flight diversions to lengthy jail spells, confiscation of travel rights and use of drones for a lengthy period" must be enforced in order to reduce airport intrusion.
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
ICC T20 Team of 2021
Jos Buttler, Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam, Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, David Miller, Tabraiz Shamsi, Josh Hazlewood, Wanindu Hasaranga, Mustafizur Rahman, Shaheen Afridi
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
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Price: base / as tested: From Dh632,225
Engine: 5.2-litre V10
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 540hp @ 8,250rpm
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Fuel economy, combined: 12.4L / 100km
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Scoreline
UAE 2-1 Saudi Arabia
UAE Mabkhout 21’, Khalil 59’
Saudi Al Abed (pen) 20’
Man of the match Ahmed Khalil (UAE)
MATCH INFO
Manchester City 2 (Mahrez 04', Ake 84')
Leicester City 5 (Vardy 37' pen, 54', 58' pen, Maddison 77', Tielemans 88' pen)
Man of the match: Jamie Vardy (Leicester City)
