• A full moon rises over the Re Island Bridge in Rivedoux, France. Xavier Leoty / AFP
    A full moon rises over the Re Island Bridge in Rivedoux, France. Xavier Leoty / AFP
  • An Indonesian supporter cheers for his team during the AFF Suzuki Cup 2016 final first leg match between Indonesia and Thailand at Pakan Sari stadium in Cibinong, Indonesia. Mast Irham / EPA
    An Indonesian supporter cheers for his team during the AFF Suzuki Cup 2016 final first leg match between Indonesia and Thailand at Pakan Sari stadium in Cibinong, Indonesia. Mast Irham / EPA
  • Boston Ballet dancers perform excerpts from the Nutcracker in the atrium of International Place in Boston. Elise Amendola / AP Photo
    Boston Ballet dancers perform excerpts from the Nutcracker in the atrium of International Place in Boston. Elise Amendola / AP Photo
  • A statue on the roof of Notre-Dame cathedral is silhouetted in front of a supermoon in Paris, France. Christian Hartmann / Reuters
    A statue on the roof of Notre-Dame cathedral is silhouetted in front of a supermoon in Paris, France. Christian Hartmann / Reuters
  • Arman Kushkarov, a hunter with a golden eagle, raises a hand for landing of his tamed bird during training outside of the village of Shamalgan, in Almaty region, Kazakhstan. Shamil Zhumatov / Reuters
    Arman Kushkarov, a hunter with a golden eagle, raises a hand for landing of his tamed bird during training outside of the village of Shamalgan, in Almaty region, Kazakhstan. Shamil Zhumatov / Reuters
  • Luo Ying and Luo Ying of China in action against Misaki Matsutomo and Ayaka Takahashi of Japan in the Women’s Doubles during day two of the BWF Dubai World Superseries Finals at the Hamdan Sports Complex in Dubai. Francois Nel / Getty Images
    Luo Ying and Luo Ying of China in action against Misaki Matsutomo and Ayaka Takahashi of Japan in the Women’s Doubles during day two of the BWF Dubai World Superseries Finals at the Hamdan Sports Complex in Dubai. Francois Nel / Getty Images
  • Members of the Angel Nativity Group of Transylvania, Romania are wearing traditional costumes and masks as they perform a nativity play in Nyaregyhaza, 54km southeast of Budapest, Hungary. The amateur group performs the nativity play based on the events surrounding the birth of Jesus Christ according to Hungarian Christmas folk traditions rooting in the 17th century. Szilard Koszticsak / MTI via AP
    Members of the Angel Nativity Group of Transylvania, Romania are wearing traditional costumes and masks as they perform a nativity play in Nyaregyhaza, 54km southeast of Budapest, Hungary. The amateur group performs the nativity play based on the events surrounding the birth of Jesus Christ according to Hungarian Christmas folk traditions rooting in the 17th century. Szilard Koszticsak / MTI via AP
  • Sumatran tiger cub Achilles opens up a Christmas present in its enclosure at London Zoo. Hannah McKay / Reuters
    Sumatran tiger cub Achilles opens up a Christmas present in its enclosure at London Zoo. Hannah McKay / Reuters
  • Icicles lengthen in freezing rain as they hang from branches on a maple tree in Eugene, Oregon, US. A winter storm brought snow to Oregon’s populous Willamette Valley and other parts of the state. Brian Davies / The Register-Guard via AP
    Icicles lengthen in freezing rain as they hang from branches on a maple tree in Eugene, Oregon, US. A winter storm brought snow to Oregon’s populous Willamette Valley and other parts of the state. Brian Davies / The Register-Guard via AP
  • Ukrainian children type traces on the snow in Kiev. Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center warned about icy condition on roads and called on Ukrainians to be careful. Sergey Dolzhenko / EPA
    Ukrainian children type traces on the snow in Kiev. Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center warned about icy condition on roads and called on Ukrainians to be careful. Sergey Dolzhenko / EPA
  • A rainbow seen from the Gaza port over Gaza City, during rain in the Gaza Strip. Mohammed Saber / EPA
    A rainbow seen from the Gaza port over Gaza City, during rain in the Gaza Strip. Mohammed Saber / EPA

World in focus – best photos for December 15, 2016


  • English
  • Arabic

Take a look at some of the best photos from around the world today.

Tamkeen's offering
  • Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
  • Option 2: 50% across three years
  • Option 3: 30% across five years 
Analysis

Members of Syria's Alawite minority community face threat in their heartland after one of the deadliest days in country’s recent history. Read more

COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EQureos%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EUAE%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ELaunch%20year%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2021%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E33%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESoftware%20and%20technology%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%243%20million%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
How to help

Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200

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

The Prison Letters of Nelson Mandela
Edited by Sahm Venter
Published by Liveright

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Crops that could be introduced to the UAE

1: Quinoa 

2. Bathua 

3. Amaranth 

4. Pearl and finger millet 

5. Sorghum

The Buckingham Murders

Starring: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ash Tandon, Prabhleen Sandhu

Director: Hansal Mehta

Rating: 4 / 5

Company Profile:

Name: The Protein Bakeshop

Date of start: 2013

Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani

Based: Dubai

Size, number of employees: 12

Funding/investors:  $400,000 (2018) 

The biog

Hometown: Cairo

Age: 37

Favourite TV series: The Handmaid’s Tale, Black Mirror

Favourite anime series: Death Note, One Piece and Hellsing

Favourite book: Designing Brand Identity, Fifth Edition

Like a Fading Shadow

Antonio Muñoz Molina

Translated from the Spanish by Camilo A. Ramirez

Tuskar Rock Press (pp. 310)

MATCH INFO

Watford 1 (Deulofeu 80' p)

Chelsea 2 (Abraham 5', Pulisic 55')

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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.

INFO

What: DP World Tour Championship
When: November 21-24
Where: Jumeirah Golf Estates, Dubai
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.ae.

Founders: Abdulmajeed Alsukhan, Turki Bin Zarah and Abdulmohsen Albabtain.

Based: Riyadh

Offices: UAE, Vietnam and Germany

Founded: September, 2020

Number of employees: 70

Sector: FinTech, online payment solutions

Funding to date: $116m in two funding rounds  

Investors: Checkout.com, Impact46, Vision Ventures, Wealth Well, Seedra, Khwarizmi, Hala Ventures, Nama Ventures and family offices