Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, right, shakes hands with Jordan's King Abdullah II inside 10 Downing Street, London. PA
Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, right, shakes hands with Jordan's King Abdullah II inside 10 Downing Street, London. PA
Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, right, shakes hands with Jordan's King Abdullah II inside 10 Downing Street, London. PA
Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, right, shakes hands with Jordan's King Abdullah II inside 10 Downing Street, London. PA

UK's Rishi Sunak meets King of Jordan to discuss Gaza violence


Neil Murphy
  • English
  • Arabic

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has met King Abdullah II of Jordan amid growing concern about the fate of Palestinians in Gaza as an Israeli invasion looms.

The king has embarked on a European tour to “rally international support to stop the war on Gaza”, his office said, with stops also expected in Italy, Germany and France.

King Abdullah met US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday.

Number 10 said that the two men discussed diplomatic efforts to prevent “further escalation in the wider Middle East”.

“The leaders also agreed on the importance of taking measures to protect civilians in Gaza, including British and Jordanian citizens caught up in the violence, as well as ensuring humanitarian aid reaches those in need,” a Downing Street representative said.

It has been more than a week since Hamas militants launched a deadly assault on Israel.

UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly earlier stressed British backing for Israel while urging Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the country’s military to show restraint and discipline.

Mr Cleverly said the UK will always raise breaches of international law, but declined to say whether Israel has crossed that line already.

“Friends speak honestly with friends and we have a very, very good working relationship with the Israeli government," he told Sky News.

"And whenever I have spoken to them I have reinforced the UK’s position about the preservation of life, the avoidance of civilian casualties.

“I’ve said that restraint, discipline, these are the hallmarks of the [Israeli military] that I want to see."

The UN, senior EU figures and aid agencies have all expressed alarm as many Palestinians struggle to flee before a “co-ordinated” offensive in the Gaza Strip involving air, ground and naval forces.

Hundreds of people gathered at a vigil in central London on Sunday to commemorate Israeli victims of the Hamas incursion into the country.

Many were draped in Israeli flags, and posters saying “bring them home” with names and faces of hostages captured by Hamas were being handed out.

On Saturday, tens of thousands of people took to the streets across the UK in a show of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

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THE BIO

Bio Box

Role Model: Sheikh Zayed, God bless his soul

Favorite book: Zayed Biography of the leader

Favorite quote: To be or not to be, that is the question, from William Shakespeare's Hamlet

Favorite food: seafood

Favorite place to travel: Lebanon

Favorite movie: Braveheart

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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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Updated: October 15, 2023, 10:15 PM