US President Joe Biden was quick to thank the Syrian Democratic Forces on Thursday for their help in the commando raid that ended in the death of ISIS leader Abu Ibrahim Al Hashimi Al Qurayshi.
Founded in 2015, a few years into Syria's civil war, the SDF are a mostly Kurdish fighting force that has played an instrumental role in combating ISIS.
With considerable US support, the SDF formed as the military wing of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, often referred to as Rojava. The forces initially consisted of People’s Defence Units (YPG) soldiers and elements of the Free Syrian Army.
While predominantly Kurdish, the group has many Arabs, Assyrians and Armenians in its ranks, and it is known for including women in its fighting components.
For years, the SDF waged a brutal war against ISIS and the Pentagon relied heavily on the group as a key ally in the fight, with US trainers instructing SDF members on how to call in air strikes.
With support from the US-led coalition, the group in 2017 retook Raqqa, ISIS's main stronghold in Syria.
In 2019, again with coalition support, the SDF mounted a months-long siege on Baghouz, the last main holdout for ISIS in Syria.
After six weeks of intense fighting and shelling, the SDF defeated ISIS, officially ending the group's claims to a caliphate, which at its peak covered one third of Syria and Iraq.
“They really are important,” said Nathan Sales, an ambassador-at-large who served as co-ordinator for counterterrorism under former president Donald Trump.
“They've shed a lot of blood and borne a lot of the costs of the coalition's efforts against ISIS.”
Mr Sales said without the efforts of the SDF, it is unlikely the US would have been as successful in destroying the so-called caliphate.
While ISIS has been territorially defeated, the SDF remains at the forefront of a counter-terrorism battle against the group's remaining cells.
Last week, the SDF suppressed a prison break led by ISIS sleeper cells in Hassakeh.
After several days of intense fighting during which more than 120 SDF fighters and prison staff were killed, the SDF, with the help of US forces, regained control of the prison.
Former president Donald Trump in 2019 announced he would withdraw US forces from north-eastern Syria, a move the group saw as a betrayal after years of US support.
The decision outraged former Pentagon chief Jim Mattis, who resigned, and the US left hundreds of troops in Syria.
Recent events show the SDF continues to be a crucial ally in the international effort to defeat ISIS.
“We'll continue working with our close allies and partners, the Syrian Democratic Forces, the Iraqi Security Forces, including the Kurdish Peshmerga, and more than 80 members of the Global Coalition to keep pressure on ISIS to protect our homeland,” Mr Biden said on Thursday.
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Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill
Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
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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