• Nicola Sturgeon has resigned as Scotland's First Minister after more than eight years in the role. Here is a look back at her storied career. AP
    Nicola Sturgeon has resigned as Scotland's First Minister after more than eight years in the role. Here is a look back at her storied career. AP
  • British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak meets with Ms Sturgeon in November 2022. PA
    British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak meets with Ms Sturgeon in November 2022. PA
  • Ms Sturgeon receives applause after her keynote speech at the Scottish National Party Conference in October 2022 in Aberdeen. Getty
    Ms Sturgeon receives applause after her keynote speech at the Scottish National Party Conference in October 2022 in Aberdeen. Getty
  • King Charles III during an audience with Ms Sturgeon at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, Edinburgh, in September 2022. PA
    King Charles III during an audience with Ms Sturgeon at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, Edinburgh, in September 2022. PA
  • She receives her second dose of the Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine in Glasgow in June 2021. Getty
    She receives her second dose of the Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine in Glasgow in June 2021. Getty
  • Ms Sturgeon is seen taking a selfie on stage at the Scottish National Party conference in Aberdeen in October 2015. Getty
    Ms Sturgeon is seen taking a selfie on stage at the Scottish National Party conference in Aberdeen in October 2015. Getty
  • With former British prime minister David Cameron at the Scottish Parliament in January 2015. PA
    With former British prime minister David Cameron at the Scottish Parliament in January 2015. PA
  • Ms Sturgeon attends her first audience with Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace in December 2014. Getty
    Ms Sturgeon attends her first audience with Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace in December 2014. Getty
  • During her swearing-in as Scotland's First Minister at the Court of Session in Edinburgh in November 2014. Getty
    During her swearing-in as Scotland's First Minister at the Court of Session in Edinburgh in November 2014. Getty
  • Ms Sturgeon is congratulated by her husband Peter Murrell after being formally voted in as Scotland's First Minister in 2014. Getty
    Ms Sturgeon is congratulated by her husband Peter Murrell after being formally voted in as Scotland's First Minister in 2014. Getty
  • Former first minister of Scotland Alex Salmond with Ms Sturgeon following his last key note speech as party leader in November 2014 in Perth. Getty
    Former first minister of Scotland Alex Salmond with Ms Sturgeon following his last key note speech as party leader in November 2014 in Perth. Getty
  • Then Scottish National Party deputy leader Ms Sturgeon meets worshippers at Glasgow Central Mosque during the 'Yes' campaign for the Scottish Referendum in September 2014. Getty
    Then Scottish National Party deputy leader Ms Sturgeon meets worshippers at Glasgow Central Mosque during the 'Yes' campaign for the Scottish Referendum in September 2014. Getty
  • Mr Salmond arrives with Ms Sturgeon to deliver his victory speech in Edinburgh in May 2011, after the SNP secured an unprecedented victory in the Parliament elections. Getty
    Mr Salmond arrives with Ms Sturgeon to deliver his victory speech in Edinburgh in May 2011, after the SNP secured an unprecedented victory in the Parliament elections. Getty
  • After her key note speech at the SNP spring conference in April 2009 in Glasgow. Getty
    After her key note speech at the SNP spring conference in April 2009 in Glasgow. Getty
  • Ms Sturgeon attends the STUC Conference in Glasgow in April 2007. Getty
    Ms Sturgeon attends the STUC Conference in Glasgow in April 2007. Getty
  • Mr Salmond and Ms Sturgeon launch the party's election campaign in Edinburgh in January 2005. Getty
    Mr Salmond and Ms Sturgeon launch the party's election campaign in Edinburgh in January 2005. Getty

Nicola Sturgeon resigns as SNP leader and Scotland's First Minister


Gillian Duncan
  • English
  • Arabic

Nicola Sturgeon has announced her resignation as Scotland's First Minister after more than eight years in the role, saying she knew in "her head and in her heart" it was time to go.

At a hastily arranged press conference at her official residence, Bute House, in Edinburgh on Wednesday, Ms Sturgeon said the job had taken its toll on her as a human being.

She said she believed the cause of gaining independence for Scotland would be better served with someone new leading her party.

She insisted the decision was "not a reaction to short-term pressures" ― which include a stalled push towards independence and controversy over transgender rights prompted by the country's gender recognition reforms.

Ms Sturgeon said she had been wrestling with the decision for weeks, but decided it was the right time for herself, her party and the country.

"Since my very first moments in the job I have believed a part of serving well would be to know almost instinctively when the time is right to make way for someone else," said the Scottish National Party leader.

"In my head and in my heart I know that time is now. That it's right for me, for my party and my country."

Members of the public outside Bute House in Edinburgh watching the press conference where First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced that she will stand down. PA
Members of the public outside Bute House in Edinburgh watching the press conference where First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced that she will stand down. PA

Ms Sturgeon, who guided the nation through the coronavirus pandemic and led the SNP to repeated election victories at UK, Scottish and local level, said she is not leaving politics.

She will remain in office until a successor is elected. Possible candidates include Deputy First Minister John Swinney and current Health and Social Care Secretary Humza Yousaf.

"If the question is can I battle on for another few months then the answer is yes, of course I can," the 52-year-old said.

"But if the question is can I give this job everything it demands and deserves for another year, let alone for the remainder of this parliamentary term, give it every ounce of energy that it needs in the way that I have strived to do every day for the last eight years, the answer honestly is different."

Women's rights protesters outside Bute House in Edinburgh, February 15, 2023. Getty Images
Women's rights protesters outside Bute House in Edinburgh, February 15, 2023. Getty Images

The SNP leader said she knew there were some people who would "feel upset by this decision".

She added: "And of course for balance there will be some who, how can I put this, will cope with the news just fine, such is the beauty of democracy.

"But to those who do feel shocked or disappointed, or perhaps even a bit angry with me, please ... be in no doubt that this is really hard for me.

"My decision comes from a place of duty and of love.

"Tough love, perhaps, but love nevertheless for my party and above all for the country."

Scotland's longest-serving and first female first minister

Ms Sturgeon will leave office as the longest-serving and first female first minister since the creation of the Scottish Parliament in 1999.

She joined the Scottish National Party at the age of 16 and rose through the ranks to take top billing after Alex Salmond stood down after the defeat in the 2014 Scottish independence referendum and was voted in as first minister days later.

Her historic leadership oversaw a challenging health crisis as she announced a string of restrictions to curb the spread of coronavirus.

But she is standing down from the top post without realising her key political ambition ― securing Scottish independence.

The First Minister said her party was "firmly on course to win the next election, while our opponents remain adrift". But there needed to be a new SNP leader to make the argument for going it alone, recognising she was a polarising figure.

She added: "The longer any leader is in office, the more opinions about them become fixed and very hard to change, and that matters.

"Individual polls come and go, but I am firmly of the view that there is now majority support for independence in Scotland.

"But that support needs to be solidified and it needs to grow further if our independent Scotland is to have the best possible foundation.

"To achieve that, we must reach across the divide in Scottish politics and my judgment now is that a new leader would be better able to do this.

"Someone about whom the mind of almost everyone in the country is not already made up, for better or worse. Someone who is not subject to quite the same polarised opinions, fair or unfair, as I now am."

Her leadership has been dented in recent weeks after a damaging battle over transgender rights, in which the UK government blocked Scottish legislation for the first time.

The country's gender recognition reforms proposed to allow transgender people to obtain a gender recognition certificate without the need for a medical diagnosis.

The bill would also allow 16 and 17-year-olds to apply for a GRC for the first time, and reduce the amount of time a person has to live in their acquired gender before they can be granted the document.

But UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the UK government would block the bill, which was the first time it had invoked the power to veto a Scottish law, because it would have a broader effect on the United Kingdom.

She had vowed to take the British government to court over the decision and argued that the government was making a “profound mistake” by vetoing the bill.

Seventy-six per cent of voters in Scotland said they thought the Scottish government's plans to change the law on gender recognition would pose a safety risk in women-only spaces, such as changing rooms, hospital wards and prisons.

Just under a quarter, 24 per cent, disagreed.

And more than four in 10 voters said they believed she should step down immediately amid the row.

Ms Sturgeon recently came under pressure after it was revealed transgender woman Isla Bryson, who committed two rapes while living as a man, was being initially assessed in Cornton Vale, a women-only prison.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at a press conference in Edinburgh. Getty Images
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at a press conference in Edinburgh. Getty Images

Bryson was moved to a male prison days later, and Ms Sturgeon said “a rapist should not be in a woman’s prison”.

But the fallout has continued.

In a further headache for the First Minister, in November the UK's highest court ruled that the Scottish government could not force a second referendum on independence without Westminster's consent.

Ms Sturgeon had hoped to hold another poll in October on the question of whether the country should break away from the UK.

The Scottish public rejected the prospect of independence in 2014 by a margin of 55 per cent to 45 per cent.

Polls suggest Scots are about evenly split on independence — and a majority of voters do not want a new referendum any time soon.

Tributes

Alison Thewliss, the SNP MP for Glasgow Central and the party's home affairs spokeswoman, said she was gutted at the news of Ms Sturgeon's departure.

She tweeted: "Absolutely gutted about this. Nicola has been an incredible leader."

The SNP's Stewart McDonald, MP for Glasgow South, on Twitter said: "Nicola Sturgeon is the finest public servant of the devolution age," sharing a photograph of himself with Ms Sturgeon.

"Her public service, personal resilience and commitment to Scotland is unmatched, and she has served our party unlike anyone else. She will be an enormous loss as First Minister and SNP leader. Thank you!"

SNP president Michael Russell also paid tribute, thanking Ms Sturgeon for her "extraordinary and brilliant leadership" after she announced her resignation as Scottish First Minister.

"As president [of the SNP] I thank [Ms Sturgeon] for her extraordinary and brilliant leadership of her party and country," he tweeted.

"As a friend for 30 years I wish her all the best and look forward to her continuing huge contribution to our national wellbeing and success."

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak thanked Ms Sturgeon for her "long-standing service".

He tweeted: "I wish her all the best for her next steps. We will continue to work closely with the @scotgov on our joint efforts to deliver for people across Scotland."

The Labour leader, Keir Starmer said Ms Sturgeon had been at the forefront of not just Scottish but UK politics for more than two decades.

Ireland's premier Leo Varadkar hailed her as a "true European".

The Taoiseach said: "I pay tribute to Nicola Sturgeon following her decision to stand down as First Minister of Scotland.

"I had the pleasure to work with Nicola through the British Irish Council and met her on a number of occasions.

"I also welcomed her to government buildings in Ireland during my first tenure as Taoiseach.

"I always found Nicola a very warm person, articulate and thoughtful, and a very capable politician, who showed huge commitment to her country. She was also a true European."

Day 1, Dubai Test: At a glance

Moment of the day Sadeera Samarawickrama set pulses racing with his strokeplay on his introduction to Test cricket. It reached a feverish peak when he stepped down the wicket and launched Yasir Shah, who many regard as the world’s leading spinner, back over his head for six. No matter that he was out soon after: it felt as though the future had arrived.

Stat of the day - 5 The last time Sri Lanka played a Test in Dubai – they won here in 2013 – they had four players in their XI who were known as wicketkeepers. This time they have gone one better. Each of Dinesh Chandimal, Kaushal Silva, Samarawickrama, Kusal Mendis, and Niroshan Dickwella – the nominated gloveman here – can keep wicket.

The verdict Sri Lanka want to make history by becoming the first team to beat Pakistan in a full Test series in the UAE. They could not have made a better start, first by winning the toss, then by scoring freely on an easy-paced pitch. The fact Yasir Shah found some turn on Day 1, too, will have interested their own spin bowlers.

Roll of honour 2019-2020

Dubai Rugby Sevens

Winners: Dubai Hurricanes

Runners up: Bahrain

 

West Asia Premiership

Winners: Bahrain

Runners up: UAE Premiership

 

UAE Premiership

Winners: Dubai Exiles

Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes

 

UAE Division One

Winners: Abu Dhabi Saracens

Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes II

 

UAE Division Two

Winners: Barrelhouse

Runners up: RAK Rugby

Info

What: 11th edition of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship

When: December 27-29, 2018

Confirmed: men: Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Kevin Anderson, Dominic Thiem, Hyeon Chung, Karen Khachanov; women: Venus Williams

Tickets: www.ticketmaster.ae, Virgin megastores or call 800 86 823

MATCH INFO

Quarter-finals

Saturday (all times UAE)

England v Australia, 11.15am 
New Zealand v Ireland, 2.15pm

Sunday

Wales v France, 11.15am
Japan v South Africa, 2.15pm

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Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government

Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council

Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south

Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory

MATCH INFO

Austria 2
Hinteregger (53'), Schopf (69')

Germany 1
Ozil (11')

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Started: November 2017

Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga

Based: Cairo, Egypt

Sector: transport and logistics

Size: 150 employees

Investment: approximately $8 million

Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar

500 People from Gaza enter France

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BMW M5 specs

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Euro 2020 qualifier

Ukraine 2 (Yaremchuk 06', Yarmolenko 27')

Portugal 1 (Ronaldo 72' pen)

Tamkeen's offering
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The Land between Two Rivers: Writing in an Age of Refugees
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Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport - the specs:

Engine: 8.0-litre quad-turbo W16 

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Business Insights
  • As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses. 
  • SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income. 
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size

1.

United States

2.

China

3.

UAE

4.

Japan

5

Norway

6.

Canada

7.

Singapore

8.

Australia

9.

Saudi Arabia

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South Korea

'Morbius'

Director: Daniel Espinosa 

Stars: Jared Leto, Matt Smith, Adria Arjona

Rating: 2/5

Libya's Gold

UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves. 

The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.

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A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.

Your rights as an employee

The government has taken an increasingly tough line against companies that fail to pay employees on time. Three years ago, the Cabinet passed a decree allowing the government to halt the granting of work permits to companies with wage backlogs.

The new measures passed by the Cabinet in 2016 were an update to the Wage Protection System, which is in place to track whether a company pays its employees on time or not.

If wages are 10 days late, the new measures kick in and the company is alerted it is in breach of labour rules. If wages remain unpaid for a total of 16 days, the authorities can cancel work permits, effectively shutting off operations. Fines of up to Dh5,000 per unpaid employee follow after 60 days.

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The authorities have urged employees to report their companies at the labour ministry or Tawafuq service centres — there are 15 in Abu Dhabi.

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Age: 34

Emirate: Dubai

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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. 

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6. Further transfer pricing enforcement

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7. Limited time periods for audits

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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

Company Profile:

Name: The Protein Bakeshop

Date of start: 2013

Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani

Based: Dubai

Size, number of employees: 12

Funding/investors:  $400,000 (2018) 

COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Timeline

2012-2015

The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East

May 2017

The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts

September 2021

Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act

October 2021

Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence 

December 2024

Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group

May 2025

The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan

July 2025

The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan

August 2025

Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision

October 2025

Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange

November 2025

180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE

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Company Profile

Company name: Yeepeey

Started: Soft launch in November, 2020

Founders: Sagar Chandiramani, Jatin Sharma and Monish Chandiramani

Based: Dubai

Industry: E-grocery

Initial investment: $150,000

Future plan: Raise $1.5m and enter Saudi Arabia next year

Anghami
Started: December 2011
Co-founders: Elie Habib, Eddy Maroun
Based: Beirut and Dubai
Sector: Entertainment
Size: 85 employees
Stage: Series C
Investors: MEVP, du, Mobily, MBC, Samena Capital

Farage on Muslim Brotherhood

Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.

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Updated: February 15, 2023, 4:10 PM