Twenty-four people were killed on Sunday in one of Morocco's worst road accidents, officials confirmed.
The accident occurred when a minibus overturned on a bend en route to a weekly market in the central town of Demnat, authorities said.
An investigation has been launched.
The driver of the minibus is said to have lost control of the vehicle in an area "particularly known for dangerous bends", local media reported, before driving into a 60-metre-deep ravine.
At least a dozen others are said to have been injured.
Crashes are frequent on the roads of Morocco and other North African countries, on which thousands of people are killed annually.
Eleven people, mostly agricultural workers, died when their minibus slammed into a tree after the driver lost control in the rural town of Brachoua in March.
In August last year, 23 people were killed and 36 injured when their bus overturned on a bend east of Casablanca.
An average of 3,500 road deaths and 12,000 injuries are recorded each year in Morocco, according to the National Road Safety Agency, with an average of 10 deaths per day.
The figure last year was about 3,200.
Forty-two people were killed in the nation's worst bus accident in 2012.
Since then, authorities have pledged to halve the road death rate by 2026.
Other countries in the region have similar death rates.
Road accidents are common in Tunisia, where 26 people died after a bus drove off a cliff in 2019, while Libya's roads have ranked among the deadliest in the world.
More than 4,000 road accidents killed 2,500 people nationwide, the Interior Ministry said in its latest data from 2018.
In Egypt, official figures estimate at least 7,000 people were killed in road accidents in 2020.
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
Tenants also require a letter of no objection from their landlord before being allowed to list the property.
There is a cost of Dh1,590 before starting the process, with an additional licence fee of Dh300 per bedroom being rented in your home for the duration of the rental, which ranges from three months to a year.
Anyone hoping to list a property for rental must also provide a copy of their title deeds and Ejari, as well as their Emirates ID.
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
