Prince William at the Sorted Food counter in central London, handing out boxed meals made through three Earthshot Prize winners on July 30. Kensington Palace / Sorted Food / PA
Prince William at the Sorted Food counter in central London, handing out boxed meals made through three Earthshot Prize winners on July 30. Kensington Palace / Sorted Food / PA
Prince William at the Sorted Food counter in central London, handing out boxed meals made through three Earthshot Prize winners on July 30. Kensington Palace / Sorted Food / PA
The Prince of Wales unexpectedly dished up veggie burgers made with Earthshot Prize-winning products, leaving diners opened-mouthed.
Supporters of popular YouTube channel Sorted Food were invited by Prince William to try three winning entries from his environmental prize.
The heir to the throne is seen in the video in a food van in central London with the Sorted Food chefs, and one diner puts her hand to her mouth in shock as she recognises the prince.
After putting some “Earthshot burgers” on a counter, he said: “Morning everyone, nicely cooked – ready to go.”
“So, for those of you who don’t know, the Earthshot prize is there to repair and regenerate the planet," Prince William went on to say.
“Everything you see here comes from the winners from last year. So the box you’re about to eat in is built (by) a company called Notpla and there’s no plastic involved. They’ve come up with a seaweed coating.
“The ingredients inside the burger are grown from a greenhouse in India from a company called Kheyti.
"And last but not least, the way we cook them has been on a thing called Mukuru Clean Stoves, and that is designed by a lady in Kenya who came up with the concept to reduce air pollution.”
One of the diners said about seeing the future king: “My brain took three seconds to buffer. Am I dreaming? Have I had enough sleep?” while another said “I was lost for words”.
The chefs created a potato-based spicy burger flavoured with garlic, ginger and chilli – with pickled vegetables served in a bun.
The video begins with Prince William arriving at the Sorted Food studio to drop off the items produced by some of the 2022 Earthshot Prize winners – Notpla’s biodegradable cartons, Kenyan entrepreneur Charlot Magayi’s stove and Indian start-up Kheyti’s Greenhouse-in-a-box produce.
2022 Earthshot awards ceremony - in pictures
Prince William and wife Kate attend the second annual Earthshot Prize awards at MGM Music Hall at Fenway, in Boston, Massachusetts. Reuters
Oscar-winning Egyptian-American actor Rami Malek stops on the green carpet for photographers. Getty Images / AFP
Onlookers try to catch a glimpse of Prince William and Kate as they make their way into the MGM Music Hall. AP
Prince William waves to the throngs of American fans in Boston. AP
Onlookers arrive for the 2022 Earthshot Prize ceremony. AFP
Kate makes 'going green' look effortless. Reuters
The Prince and Princess of Wales arrive for the ceremony. AP
The Prince and Princess of Wales on the green carpet. Getty Images / AFP
The Boston visit was the couple's first to the US since 2014. Reuters
The royal couple greets US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry. Reuters
Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker and his wife Lauren make their way into the ceremony. Reuters
The Prince and Princess of Wales stand with Hannah Jones, chief executive of the Earthshot Prize. AP
The couple make their way into MGM Music Hall for the awards ceremony. Reuters
Actress Shailene Woodley is a presenter at the awards ceremony. Reuters
Prince William shows a bit of affection for wife Kate. Reuters
Retired footballer David Beckham arrives at the second annual Earthshot Prize awards. Reuters
Singer Ellie Goulding attends the second annual Earthshot Prize awards. Reuters
Woodley arrives for the awards ceremony. Getty Images / AFP
Mitt Romney, a US senator from Utah, and wife Ann attend the second annual Earthshot Prize awards ceremony. EPA
R&B duo Chloe and Halle Bailey attend the second annual Earthshot Prize awards. Reuters
Malek at the ceremony. EPA
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and husband Conor Pewarski arrive for the ceremony. Reuters
Actor Daniel Dae Kim and wife Mia pose for photos. Reuters
Presenter and broadcaster Clara Amfo strikes a pose on the green carpet. Reuters
Prince William and Kate's visit to the US concludes after the ceremony. AFP
Beckham speaks to Ms Jones. AP
Chloe and Halle Bailey are from Mableton, Georgia. PA
After telling the chefs his Earthshot project was four years in the making, he quips, “I had hair when it started,” before leaving them to make the burgers.
“Being joined at our studio and in the food truck by Prince William was a real ‘pinch me’ moment," said Jamie Spafford, co-founder of Sorted Food.
"Hearing him explain how passionate he is about helping the planet and what the Earthshot Prize is doing was incredibly inspiring, and has already given us a lot of ideas for future projects to work on with our community."
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
Tenants also require a letter of no objection from their landlord before being allowed to list the property.
There is a cost of Dh1,590 before starting the process, with an additional licence fee of Dh300 per bedroom being rented in your home for the duration of the rental, which ranges from three months to a year.
Anyone hoping to list a property for rental must also provide a copy of their title deeds and Ejari, as well as their Emirates ID.
