Three years ago, hundreds of people gathered on the South Lawn of the White House to watch as then-president Donald Trump, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, the UAE's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bahrain's Foreign Minister Abdullatif Al Zayani and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed a historic agreement that established formal relations between Israel and the two Arab countries.
Much has changed since the signing of the Abraham Accords. On that warm, sun-filled afternoon, nearly everyone in attendance was wearing a mask to protect against the spread of Covid-19.
While face coverings have faded from daily use and a new US administration has taken over, the accords have expanded, with Morocco and Sudan also normalising relations with Israel.
“I think their resilience would probably be the most striking aspect of the accords,” said Ghaith al-Omari, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, whose research focuses on Arab-Israeli relations.
The administration of President Joe Biden, which inherited the accords, has worked to nurture and expand them – with limited success.
Last year, Washington helped to establish the Negev Forum, a framework of regional co-operation between the UAE, Israel, Bahrain, Morocco, Egypt and the US.
But Morocco, which was supposed to host a ministerial-level meeting of the forum, has postponed the event indefinitely following a string of Israeli announcements regarding West Bank settlements, presenting one of the first significant bumps in the road.
Israel’s far-right government includes ministers who have openly called for the annexation of the West Bank, a move that would end any hopes of a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians. Such politics have strained, but not broken, the accords.
Economically, relationships have continued to grow. For instance, more than 150 flights travel between Israel and the UAE each week – something that was once unthinkable.
In Washington, the accords have broad support among both Democrats and Republicans, a rarity in the polarised halls of the US Capitol.
In June, the Biden administration appointed Daniel Shapiro as senior adviser for regional integration, with the task of helping to nurture and expand the accords.
A long-time diplomat who served as US ambassador to Israel under Barack Obama from 2011 to 2017, Mr Shapiro most recently served as the head of the N7 Initiative at the Atlantic Council, which seeks to bring government officials from across the Middle East together.
The Biden administration has called establishing relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia a priority.
High-level officials including Brett McGurk, White House co-ordinator for the Middle East and North Africa, have made several trips to the region in recent months, meeting Israelis, Saudis and Palestinians in an effort to find a path towards normalisation.
“It's a real opportunity regarding the potential for normalisation between Israel and Saudi Arabia,” Mr Shapiro said at an event celebrating the three-year anniversary of the accords.
But analysts believe a deal between Saudi Arabia and Israel remains a tall order.
“Regardless of the flurry of activity, it still seems that all of the issues involved in actually getting to a deal have not been resolved. Whether they're even resolvable or not, it remains an open question,” Gerald Feierstein, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute and a former US ambassador to Yemen, told The National.
Mr al-Omari shared a similar viewpoint.
“I'm sceptical that a quick breakthrough could happen,” he said.
Whether or not Washington can achieve what would be a landmark deal, one thing is certain: even envisioning it would have been almost impossible without the Abraham Accords.
“We could not be talking about the Saudi-Israeli opening without the Abraham Accords laying the ground for that,” Mr al-Omari added.
ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA
Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi
Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser
Rating: 4.5/5
Sam Smith
Where: du Arena, Abu Dhabi
When: Saturday November 24
Rating: 4/5
Museum of the Future in numbers
- 78 metres is the height of the museum
- 30,000 square metres is its total area
- 17,000 square metres is the length of the stainless steel facade
- 14 kilometres is the length of LED lights used on the facade
- 1,024 individual pieces make up the exterior
- 7 floors in all, with one for administrative offices
- 2,400 diagonally intersecting steel members frame the torus shape
- 100 species of trees and plants dot the gardens
- Dh145 is the price of a ticket
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
The specs: 2018 Jeep Compass
Price, base: Dh100,000 (estimate)
Engine: 2.4L four-cylinder
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Power: 184bhp at 6,400rpm
Torque: 237Nm at 3,900rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.4L / 100km
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
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
How to donate
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
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Newcastle United 0 Tottenham Hotspur 2
Tottenham (Alli 61'), Davies (70')
Red card Jonjo Shelvey (Newcastle)
Results
6.30pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (Dirt) 1,400m. Winner: Rio Angie, Pat Dobbs (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer).
7.05pm: Handicap Dh170,000 (D) 1,600m. Winner: Trenchard, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
7.40pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (D) 1,600m. Winner: Mulfit, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
8.15pm: Handicap Dh210,000 (D) 1,200m. Winner: Waady, Dane O’Neill, Doug Watson.
8.50pm: Handicap Dh210,000 (D) 2,000m. Winner: Tried And True, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
9.25pm:Handicap Dh185,000 (D) 1,400m. Winner: Midnight Sands, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
The specs: McLaren 600LT
Price, base: Dh914,000
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 600hp @ 7,500rpm
Torque: 620Nm @ 5,500rpm
Fuel economy 12.2.L / 100km
Four-day collections of TOH
Day Indian Rs (Dh)
Thursday 500.75 million (25.23m)
Friday 280.25m (14.12m)
Saturday 220.75m (11.21m)
Sunday 170.25m (8.58m)
Total 1.19bn (59.15m)
(Figures in millions, approximate)
Who's who in Yemen conflict
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
