The UAE and Egypt trace their historically strong ties to the era of the late Sheikh Zayed, former Egyptian president Anwar Sadat's son Gamal told The National.
"Fifty years ago, the late Sheikh Zayed began a path, which leaders since then have walked on. The UAE and Egypt complement one another and the security of Egypt is the security of the UAE," Mr Sadat said on the sidelines of a three-day event in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, to celebrate the golden jubilee of ties.
"When Egypt is strong, the UAE is as well. And if Egypt is in a difficult position, the UAE is there to support it."
Mr Sadat also praised the UAE's position, and that of other Arab nations, in backing Egypt during the 1973 war with Israel, which occurred when Anwar Sadat was in power.
"If I were to speak to the October war, then we need to also remember the role of all Arab nations back then and the strength they displaced as one. This strength is returning with the current leaders in power," he said.
Mr Sadat said he was "unable to recount" all the notable deeds performed and positions that the UAE had taken towards his country.
"Egypt is a force to be reckoned with and the UAE's strength is different, but important too," he said.
"Both countries are strong together. May God keep this relationship going for another 50 years."
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, tweeted a video looking back at the deep-rooted relationship.
He said: "Today in Egypt, the UAE celebrates 50 years of fraternal, stable, advanced relations. We also celebrate and mark the beginning of 50 new years, under the leadership of my brother President Abdel Fattah El Sisi and my brother Mohamed bin Zayed, President of the State, may God protect him."
"Egypt and the UAE are one heart," he wrote.
At the event, Ahmed bin Mohamed Aljarwan, president of the Global Council for Tolerance and Peace, said Sheikh Zayed's role was vital in building the infrastructure on which relations between the two countries are based.
"The late Sheikh Zayed worked with previous Egyptian leaders in work that reflects the love and loyalty among the two nations and the economic, political and cultural capabilities that were built since then benefiting future generations in Egypt and the UAE," he said.
After day-long sessions on areas of co-operation between the two nations, Egypt's minister for planning and economic development, Hala Said, talked about their shared vision.
"These historic relations between the two countries continue on with President [Sheikh] Mohamed bin Zayed and Abdel Fattah El Sisi in the congruence of the vision between these two leaderships on all the issues that matter to the region and the world," Ms Said said.
The minister spoke about the "exceptional circumstances" facing the world with the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
"When there are such external shocks, it is important for us to unite further in investment and food production so that we are able to be self-sufficient in agriculture and our various needs because that is what gives the two nations strength," she said.
"We have a common platform between the Sovereign Fund of Egypt and Abu Dhabi Developmental Holding Company on a number of investments over the coming years and we have another set of investments in renewable energy, as Egypt prepares to host Cop27 soon followed by the UAE as host in its next iteration."
On the upcoming climate conference, Cop27, Egyptian Minister of Environment Yasmine Fouad said the event will take place under "extremely complex global conditions".
Ms Fouad said Mr El Sisi had taken into account "all aspects" that matter to humanity, including "energy, water scarcity, food and biodiversity" with a focus on separate sessions throughout the conference that will focus specifically on these issues.
"Consensus among participating countries will increase the event's success as it prepares to hand the presidency over to the UAE for the next edition, which Egypt co-operates with on environmental projects including water scarcity and the development of mangrove forests," she said.
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh12 million
Engine 8.0-litre quad-turbo, W16
Gearbox seven-speed dual clutch auto
Power 1479 @ 6,700rpm
Torque 1600Nm @ 2,000rpm 0-100kph: 2.6 seconds 0-200kph: 6.1 seconds
Top speed 420 kph (governed)
Fuel economy, combined 35.2L / 100km (est)
The years Ramadan fell in May
Ad Astra
Director: James Gray
Stars: Brad Pitt, Tommy Lee Jones
Five out of five stars
EA Sports FC 24
Teams
Punjabi Legends Owners: Inzamam-ul-Haq and Intizar-ul-Haq; Key player: Misbah-ul-Haq
Pakhtoons Owners: Habib Khan and Tajuddin Khan; Key player: Shahid Afridi
Maratha Arabians Owners: Sohail Khan, Ali Tumbi, Parvez Khan; Key player: Virender Sehwag
Bangla Tigers Owners: Shirajuddin Alam, Yasin Choudhary, Neelesh Bhatnager, Anis and Rizwan Sajan; Key player: TBC
Colombo Lions Owners: Sri Lanka Cricket; Key player: TBC
Kerala Kings Owners: Hussain Adam Ali and Shafi Ul Mulk; Key player: Eoin Morgan
Venue Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Format 10 overs per side, matches last for 90 minutes
Timeline October 25: Around 120 players to be entered into a draft, to be held in Dubai; December 21: Matches start; December 24: Finals
The Two Popes
Director: Fernando Meirelles
Stars: Anthony Hopkins, Jonathan Pryce
Four out of five stars
U19 WORLD CUP, WEST INDIES
UAE group fixtures (all in St Kitts)
Saturday 15 January: v Canada
Thursday 20 January: v England
Saturday 22 January: v Bangladesh
UAE squad
Alishan Sharafu (captain), Shival Bawa, Jash Giyanani, Sailles Jaishankar, Nilansh Keswani, Aayan Khan, Punya Mehra, Ali Naseer, Ronak Panoly, Dhruv Parashar, Vinayak Raghavan, Soorya Sathish, Aryansh Sharma, Adithya Shetty, Kai Smith
Punchy appearance
Roars of support buoyed Mr Johnson in an extremely confident and combative appearance
Company%20profile
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World Cup final
Who: France v Croatia
When: Sunday, July 15, 7pm (UAE)
TV: Game will be shown live on BeIN Sports for viewers in the Mena region
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ETerra%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202021%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Hussam%20Zammar%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Mobility%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Pre-seed%20funding%20of%20%241%20million%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
BeIN Sports currently has the rights to show
- Champions League
- English Premier League
- Spanish Primera Liga
- Italian, French and Scottish leagues
- Wimbledon and other tennis majors
- Formula One
- Rugby Union - Six Nations and European Cups
SERIE A FIXTURES
Friday Sassuolo v Benevento (Kick-off 11.45pm)
Saturday Crotone v Spezia (6pm), Torino v Udinese (9pm), Lazio v Verona (11.45pm)
Sunday Cagliari v Inter Milan (3.30pm), Atalanta v Fiorentina (6pm), Napoli v Sampdoria (6pm), Bologna v Roma (6pm), Genoa v Juventus (9pm), AC Milan v Parma (11.45pm)
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
Russia's Muslim Heartlands
Dominic Rubin, Oxford
Explainer: Tanween Design Programme
Non-profit arts studio Tashkeel launched this annual initiative with the intention of supporting budding designers in the UAE. This year, three talents were chosen from hundreds of applicants to be a part of the sixth creative development programme. These are architect Abdulla Al Mulla, interior designer Lana El Samman and graphic designer Yara Habib.
The trio have been guided by experts from the industry over the course of nine months, as they developed their own products that merge their unique styles with traditional elements of Emirati design. This includes laboratory sessions, experimental and collaborative practice, investigation of new business models and evaluation.
It is led by British contemporary design project specialist Helen Voce and mentor Kevin Badni, and offers participants access to experts from across the world, including the likes of UK designer Gareth Neal and multidisciplinary designer and entrepreneur, Sheikh Salem Al Qassimi.
The final pieces are being revealed in a worldwide limited-edition release on the first day of Downtown Designs at Dubai Design Week 2019. Tashkeel will be at stand E31 at the exhibition.
Lisa Ball-Lechgar, deputy director of Tashkeel, said: “The diversity and calibre of the applicants this year … is reflective of the dynamic change that the UAE art and design industry is witnessing, with young creators resolute in making their bold design ideas a reality.”
