Amid a bout of Covid four years ago, Mohammad Qazzaz, a Palestinian American who lives in Dearborn, Michigan, got a phone call from then-presidential candidate Joe Biden, who was running against Donald Trump.
What should have been a five-minute call as part of a campaign effort to reach out to Americans during the pandemic turned into a 20-minute conversation about Palestine, Israel and US efforts to broker peace in the region.
Mr Qazzaz spoke about his family who, for the past 800 years, have been the muezzins of Jerusalem’s Al Aqsa Mosque, while Mr Biden spoke about his Irish ancestry.
Later that year, Mr Qazzaz enthusiastically checked the box with Mr Biden's name and he was pleased when he won.
But Mr Qazzaz, like many Arab and Muslim Americans in Michigan, says he will not be casting a vote for Mr Biden this year due to his handling of the war in Gaza.
“I really had hope that things towards the Israeli-Palestinian conflict were going to be different,” Mr Qazzaz, who owns a coffee company in Dearborn, tells The National.
“I'm extremely disappointed and I will not vote for him again.”
On election day, he will be writing “Free Palestine” on his ballot, he added.
Since October 7, many Arab Americans in Michigan have become increasingly furious with Mr Biden over his support for Israel and have vowed not to vote for him again.
A vote for presumed Republican candidate Donald Trump, who banned travellers from several Muslim-majority countries, is also unthinkable.
The situation could prove consequential for Mr Biden in the battleground state he narrowly won last time.
Amid concerns he could lose the must-win state, Mr Biden sent senior administration officials last week to meet elected officials and local leaders to try to win voters back.
Dearborn is a sprawling suburb on the outskirts of Detroit and is home to the Ford Motor Company.
The city and the wider Wayne County area is also home to the highest concentration of Arabs and people of Arab descent in the US, earning it the nickname “the Capital of Arab America”.
Restaurants and shops with signs in Arabic and in English line both sides of the main street, and the city is home to the only Arab-American museum in the country. Dearborn has an Arab mayor and an Arab chief of police.
More than a century ago, lured by jobs in the car industry, mainly Christian Lebanese immigrants began settling in Dearborn. Palestinians, Iraqis and Yemenis followed.
Officials say the city has not only the largest but also the most diverse Arab community in the US.
While the Israel-Gaza war’s massive civilian death toll has ignited international outrage and demands for a ceasefire, in Michigan, Mr Biden’s staunch support for Israel has incensed Arab and Muslim Americans on a personal level.
Alaa Ali, who grew up in Gaza’s Al Rimal neighbourhood, is an emergency physician in Woodhaven, a city in Wayne County.
He says he has lost more than 100 relatives in the war, including his youngest brother Mohammad, who never returned from a trip to get water.
The family suspect he was shot by an Israeli sniper after friends said they had seen him in hospital a few days later. His body was never recovered.
“At the moment I learnt about what happened, I wished I was the one who was killed,” Dr Ali tells The National from his clinic.
“I felt it not just because I lost a brother – of course, this is the worst feeling – but I felt that I killed him.
“I paid for the bullet or the bomb from my taxes.”
Dr Ali says his five siblings and their families remain in Gaza, where they have been displaced several times and are struggling to find food and water.
He is part of a group of more than 100 Palestinians from Gaza who live in Michigan – and all have lost relatives there, he says.
They all share a sense of betrayal by Mr Biden, whom they accuse of complicity in the killings of loved ones back home.
Most in that group, including Dr Ali, voted for Mr Biden last time around.
“We will never forget,” he says, alluding to recent remarks by Mr Biden that the election is still a long way away.
Like many Palestinian Americans, he points to Mr Biden’s bypassing of Congress to approve weapons sales to Israel and his playing down of the number of Palestinian civilians killed in Gaza.
He says he is gripped by fear and worry for his siblings, his nieces and nephews, aunts and uncles back in Gaza who have scattered to different locations, in constant flight amid incessant Israeli strikes on the coastal enclave.
With limited connectivity and access to power there, days often go by without news of their whereabouts, causing him to fear the worst.
“Every single night is worse than the other,” Dr Ali says.
“I'm a body without a soul. My soul has been buried in Gaza.”
100 days of Israel Gaza war – in pictures
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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Read more about the coronavirus
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
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One-off T20 International: UAE v Australia
When: Monday, October 22, 2pm start
Where: Abu Dhabi Cricket, Oval 1
Tickets: Admission is free
Australia squad: Aaron Finch (captain), Mitch Marsh, Alex Carey, Ashton Agar, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Chris Lynn, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Ben McDermott, Darcy Short, Billy Stanlake, Mitchell Starc, Andrew Tye, Adam Zampa, Peter Siddle
Andor
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In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
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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
Mina Cup winners
Under 12 – Minerva Academy
Under 14 – Unam Pumas
Under 16 – Fursan Hispania
Under 18 – Madenat
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
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What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
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RESULT
Al Hilal 4 Persepolis 0
Khribin (31', 54', 89'), Al Shahrani 40'
Red card: Otayf (Al Hilal, 49')
HAJJAN
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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Skoda Superb Specs
Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
Power: 190hp
Torque: 320Nm
Price: From Dh147,000
Available: Now
Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
The biog
Job: Fitness entrepreneur, body-builder and trainer
Favourite superhero: Batman
Favourite quote: We must become the change we want to see, by Mahatma Gandhi.
Favourite car: Lamborghini
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Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
The specs: 2018 Volkswagen Teramont
Price, base / as tested Dh137,000 / Dh189,950
Engine 3.6-litre V6
Gearbox Eight-speed automatic
Power 280hp @ 6,200rpm
Torque 360Nm @ 2,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 11.7L / 100km
