Live updates: Follow the latest news on Israel-Gaza
Tens of thousands of protesters in Washington held a rally ahead of a march in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza on Saturday, demanding US support for a ceasefire.
The march left from Freedom Plaza and went past the White House, where protesters called for an end to the violence.
“Now is the time to stand with the besieged people of Palestine,” organisers wrote in a post on website The People's Forum. “Gaza is being bombed by the hour. Its people are denied food, water and electricity by Israel.
“Tens of thousands more people are likely to die. We must ACT!”
Organisers said about 30,000 people were in attendance.
The demonstration was organised by the Answer Coalition, an umbrella group of anti-war and racial justice organisations, which advocates ending the siege of Gaza and for the cessation of US aid to Israel.
“Today is going to be the largest demonstration ever in the history of the United States in support of Palestinian social and civil rights, and for peace,” Brian Becker, the coalition's executive director, told USA Today.
About 350 organisations endorsed the march and thousands of people were bused in from across the country, NBC reported.
People from across the country representing an array of backgrounds, ethnicities and religious groups attended the event.
President Joe Biden's administration has demonstrated strong support for ally Israel, requesting Congress to approve $106 billion to fund plans for military aid to Ukraine and Israel, as well as US border security.
The US has rejected a series of UN Security Council resolutions calling for a ceasefire, with officials including Secretary of State Antony Blinken saying such a move would allow Hamas to “regroup and repeat what they did on October 7".
Israel's bombardment of the Gaza Strip has killed more than 9,000 people, about half of them children, according to local tallies.
The Biden administration has received increasing criticism from Arab and Muslim-American communities who have expressed growing anger over its response to the conflict.
This week, Mr Blinken and White House officials have held at least two meetings with community leaders to address their concerns.
“The administration, I think, heard loud and clear from all of us that Palestinians are being dehumanised and about us not feeling seen or heard,” a source present at one meeting told The National.
“And I think they took to heart that this may cost Biden the election.”
Mr Biden and other administration officials have been heckled and confronted at campaign rallies and even during testimony before Congress over their stance on the conflict, with cracks beginning to show in the president's Democratic Party.
Dick Durbin, the second highest-ranking Democrat in the Senate, has called for a ceasefire, while Palestinian-American Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib on Friday posted a video on X, formerly Twitter, in which she accuses Mr Biden of supporting “genocide” against Palestinians.
In a shift in tone on Friday, Mr Blinken, who is on a tour of Israel and Jordan, said: “We need do more to protect the Palestinian civilians.
“We’ve been clear that, as Israel conducts its campaign to defeat Hamas, how it does so matters.”
Despite this apparent softening, Mr Blinken and senior Middle East officials agreed on Saturday on the need to bolster humanitarian relief for Gaza but disagreed over a permanent ceasefire.
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AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
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
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
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About Okadoc
Date started: Okadoc, 2018
Founder/CEO: Fodhil Benturquia
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Healthcare
Size: (employees/revenue) 40 staff; undisclosed revenues recording “double-digit” monthly growth
Funding stage: Series B fundraising round to conclude in February
Investors: Undisclosed
