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In the early hours of December 17, Mohammed Awwad stealthily set off for a journey that would typically have taken him a few minutes by car to reach his family’s home in Khan Younis, from the city’s perimeter where he’s now displaced because of the war in Gaza.
Several hours later, and many bullets, bombs and horrors on the way, he returned to his family in Al-Mawasi, in Gaza’s west, with wounds he’d sustained, and the body of his older brother, Saeed, who had joined him on his trip, but did not survive the Israeli fire.
“We just wanted to check on our home,” the 32-year-old and father of three told The National.
Longing to be back, some Palestinians are attempting the dangerous return to Khan Younis.
“We were struck by a missile. My brother was killed, and so were others. I was injured and I saw the bodies of two other people,” Mr Awwad said.
Since October 7, more than 20,000 Palestinians have been killed – mostly women and children, and more than 50,000 injured, according to the ministry of health in Gaza.
Israeli bombing of the strip has been relentless for more than 10 weeks, and no area in the small enclave is spared from devastation.
Residents in Gaza told The National on Thursday that Israel has been heavily bombing the area around the Kuwaiti Hospital in Rafah, in southern Gaza, reportedly targeting a school near by being used as a shelter.
"Only in Gaza and only Israeli crimes have no limits," a resident said.
"Losing a loved one is very difficult" the Gazan man continued, in reference to his friends who were killed in an Israeli strike on a home on Wednesday, which killed more than 100 people.
About 1.9 million Gazans have been internally displaced, nearly 85 per cent of the population.
On Wednesday, the United Nations said that Israel had issued evacuation orders for large areas of Khan Younis, where more than 140,000 displaced people were sheltering.
The Awwads were forced to leave their home in Khan Younis in early December after Israel directed its arms at the city it once ordered Gazans to flee to.
“I left with Saeed and others in the early morning and snuck into the occupied area in central Khan Younis,” Mohamed said.
As they made the five-kilometre trip by foot, the brothers walked for hours, avoiding the main roads, and passing through fields between side roads.
When they reached their destination, Mohamed could barely recognise the area he grew up in. Roads had been bulldozed and buildings were flattened as shelling continued, tanks occupied the streets and snipers were positioned on rooftops, he said.
“When we reached the area, others like us were also there to check on their homes. The Israeli army started shooting at us and we hid behind trees and among the rubble.
“Never again will I go there,” the young man said.
Saeed's father is grieving the loss of his son. "Why did they kill my son?" he said. "Is checking on our home a reason to kill him? How is it possible to pay with our lives the price of our longing for our homes?” he said.
The dream of going home
The killing, mass displacement of Palestinians and the large-scale destruction of their homes drew comparisons with the Nakba tolls of 1948, when Israel was established as a state, and thousands of Palestinians were killed and many more were forced out of their homes, and have not returned since.
Rachid Abdel-Qader, 65, lost his son, 20, and his nephew, 18, a week ago when the two young men also braved the journey back to northern Khan Younis to check on their homes. They were shot and killed by the Israeli army on their way to Al-Sater Al-Sharqi region.
“They died trying to get there after the Israeli army shot and killed them instantly,” Mr Abdel-Qader said.
“I was against them taking this trip. But other members of the family said that it was necessary to check on our homes because we were told that they were damaged by the shelling,” he said.
Displaced Palestinians are living in extremely harsh conditions, with overcrowding creating a deteriorating humanitarian crisis.
For us the displaced, going back home is a dream
Rachid Abdel-Qader,
displaced Gazan
Human Rights Watch has accused the Israeli government of “deliberately blocking the delivery of water, food and fuel,” and “wilfully impeding humanitarian assistance”.
“We are suffering each moment we are displaced. There is no place to sleep, shower, or go to the toilet. We do not have the most basic needs for human life. Everyone is in a state of deep and unprecedented longing to spend even one hour in their home,” Mr Abdel-Qader said.
“For us the displaced, going back home is a dream.”
While some of the internally displaced Gazans from Khan Younis have braved the journeys back, those who were displaced from the north have lost all hope of returning or even checking on their homes. The area continues to be under heavy Israeli strikes from air, land and sea.
Ahmed Ibrahim, 34, has been displaced twice since he left his home in Gaza city two months ago and is now staying in a makeshift tent in western Khan Younis.
“Some relatives who are still there told me our home was heavily damaged,” the father of three said.
"The only wish for each displaced Palestinian is to return to their home, no matter what. My children draw their rooms on paper and build a replica of our home using bricks. The most difficult part is appeasing their longing,” he said.
This article was published in collaboration with Egab.
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
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
INFO
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
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Itcan profile
Founders: Mansour Althani and Abdullah Althani
Based: Business Bay, with offices in Saudi Arabia, Egypt and India
Sector: Technology, digital marketing and e-commerce
Size: 70 employees
Revenue: On track to make Dh100 million in revenue this year since its 2015 launch
Funding: Self-funded to date
Name: Peter Dicce
Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics
Favourite sport: soccer
Favourite team: Bayern Munich
Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer
Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates
Company: Instabug
Founded: 2013
Based: Egypt, Cairo
Sector: IT
Employees: 100
Stage: Series A
Investors: Flat6Labs, Accel, Y Combinator and angel investors
Frankenstein in Baghdad
Ahmed Saadawi
Penguin Press
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Lamsa
Founder: Badr Ward
Launched: 2014
Employees: 60
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: EdTech
Funding to date: $15 million
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
- Pension support
- Mental well-being assistance
- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
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The Bio
Favourite holiday destination: Either Kazakhstan or Montenegro. I’ve been involved in events in both countries and they are just stunning.
Favourite book: I am a huge of Robin Cook’s medical thrillers, which I suppose is quite apt right now. My mother introduced me to them back home in New Zealand.
Favourite film or television programme: Forrest Gump is my favourite film, that’s never been up for debate. I love watching repeats of Mash as well.
Inspiration: My late father moulded me into the man I am today. I would also say disappointment and sadness are great motivators. There are times when events have brought me to my knees but it has also made me determined not to let them get the better of me.
At a glance
Fixtures All matches start at 9.30am, at ICC Academy, Dubai. Admission is free
Thursday UAE v Ireland; Saturday UAE v Ireland; Jan 21 UAE v Scotland; Jan 23 UAE v Scotland
UAE squad Rohan Mustafa (c), Ashfaq Ahmed, Ghulam Shabber, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Boota, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Shaiman Anwar, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Qadeer Ahmed, Mohammed Naveed, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan
Meatless Days
Sara Suleri, with an introduction by Kamila Shamsie
Penguin
DRIVERS' CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
1. Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari) 171 points
2. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-GP) 151
3. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes-GP) 136
4. Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull Racing) 107
5. Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari) 83
6. Sergio Perez (Force India) 50
7. Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing) 45
8. Esteban Ocon (Force India) 39
9. Carlos Sainz (Torro Rosso) 29
10. Felipe Massa (Williams) 22
Cricket World Cup League Two
Oman, UAE, Namibia
Al Amerat, Muscat
Results
Oman beat UAE by five wickets
UAE beat Namibia by eight runs
Fixtures
Wednesday January 8 –Oman v Namibia
Thursday January 9 – Oman v UAE
Saturday January 11 – UAE v Namibia
Sunday January 12 – Oman v Namibia
