Prince Charles and Camilla greeted by Jordan's King Abdullah and Queen Rania in Amman

Day 2: Read the latest from Prince Charles and Camilla's visit to Jordan here

Prince Charles and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, met Jordan's king and queen on Tuesday at the Jordanian Royal Family's Al Husseiniya Palace, the first overseas tour by a British royal since the Covid-19 pandemic began.

Jordan is a former British protectorate with close ties to the United States and the West. The country is struggling to cope with the effects of environmental degradation, an issue of concern to Prince Charles, who sponsors at least one charity in the kingdom.

Photos released by the Royal Court in Amman showed the couple in front of a row of Jordanian and British flags at the Al Husseiniya Palace, where King Abdullah conducts most of his official business, on the outskirts of the Jordanian capital.

"How hugely we all admire Jordan and your Majesty’s efforts on looking after so many refugees coming from all around the area," the Prince of Wales said.

"Jordan is so unbelievably hospitable."

Jordan has 650,000 registered Syrian refugees and more than two million Palestinians. Most of the Palestinian refugees have Jordanian citizenship.

The two men were in suits while Queen Rania wore a solid cream dress and Camilla was in dressed in mosaic blue.

“It is always very special indeed to come back to Jordan – I’m sorry this time it is 19 months late,” the prince said, referring to the coronavirus.

“The fact that we can come back is hugely encouraging."

Speaking about Jordan’s water shortage, the king said there had only been “a little bit of rain” in the country.

He said the situation could be worse next year “unless things change”.

“We are tremendously delighted to welcome you back,” King Abdullah said, pointing out his own father’s good relationship with Prince Charles.

Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad, King Abdullah's cousin and adviser, received the couple at Queen Alia International Airport.

Prince Charles and Camilla descended from the plane and walked past a guard of honour by Jordanian soldiers carrying rifle bayonets and wearing olive Bedouin military uniform.

They will have dinner with the king and queen on Tuesday. Prince Charles will give a speech on Wednesday at the Jordan Museum in Amman on the occasion of the country's centenary.

Jordan was established as the British Protectorate of Transjordan 100 years ago, with Emir Abdullah, the king's great grandfather, as its first Hashemite monarch.

They will visit the purported site of Jesus's baptism on the Jordan River. Jordanian authorities hope to turn the site into a major tourist attraction by building hotels in the area.

The couple will also visit the Roman city of Ghadara in northern Jordan and meet officials from charities linked to Prince Charles.

The royal couple will spend two days in Jordan before travelling to Egypt on Thursday morning.

The tour went ahead even as the royal family deals with Queen Elizabeth II's health concerns.

Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and Jordan's Queen Rania pose at the Al Husseiniya Palace, in Amman. Reuters

Last week, Prince Charles took part in the UN's climate change conference, Cop26. Climate change is expected to be one of the main themes of the current visit.

Illegal digging of ground wells is depleting aquifers in Jordan, which is among the driest countries in the world. The country's main Azraq oasis west of Amman dried up decades ago because its water was diverted, mainly for agriculture.

Other issues expected to be discussed include interfaith dialogue, female empowerment and efforts to preserve cultural heritage.

The prince oversees Turquoise Mountain, a charity active in Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Myanmar. It is helping to preserve carpentry and other crafts in the region, such as fine stonework, relying significantly on refugees from Syria to pass on their knowledge.

Prince Charles's connections helped secure a spacious white stone villa in Amman as the organisation's headquarters in Jordan. It belonged to Sheikh Nasser Al Sabah, a late senior member of the Kuwaiti royal family, who was a patron of the arts and a friend of Prince Charles.

Before he died last year, Sheikh Al Sabah lent the villa to Turquoise Mountain to use as a training centre.

Chris Fitzgerald, deputy private secretary of the Prince of Wales, said before the visit that the tour comes "at a significant moment in the UK's relationship" with Jordan and Egypt.

Royal visits to the Middle East - in pictures

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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

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Cricket World Cup League 2

UAE results
Lost to Oman by eight runs
Beat Namibia by three wickets
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Beat Namibia by 43 runs

UAE fixtures
Free admission. All fixtures broadcast live on icc.tv

Tuesday March 15, v PNG at Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Friday March 18, v Nepal at Dubai International Stadium
Saturday March 19, v PNG at Dubai International Stadium
Monday March 21, v Nepal at Dubai International Stadium

Marathon results

Men:

1. Titus Ekiru(KEN) 2:06:13

2. Alphonce Simbu(TAN) 2:07:50

3. Reuben Kipyego(KEN) 2:08:25

4. Abel Kirui(KEN) 2:08:46

5. Felix Kemutai(KEN) 2:10:48

Women:

1. Judith Korir(KEN) 2:22:30

2. Eunice Chumba(BHR) 2:26:01

3. Immaculate Chemutai(UGA) 2:28:30

4. Abebech Bekele(ETH) 2:29:43

5. Aleksandra Morozova(RUS) 2:33:01

Indoor cricket in a nutshell

Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai

16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side

8 There are eight players per team

9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.

5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls

4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership

Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.

Zones

A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs

B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run

C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs

D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full