• Abdul-Rahman Al Zin, 53, holds a bottle of medicinal oil at his workshop in Bab Sharqi, a district in the old city of Damascus, Syria. EPA
    Abdul-Rahman Al Zin, 53, holds a bottle of medicinal oil at his workshop in Bab Sharqi, a district in the old city of Damascus, Syria. EPA
  • Abdul-Rahman Al Zin extracts medicinal oils from plants, flowers and seeds for alternative health treatments. EPA
    Abdul-Rahman Al Zin extracts medicinal oils from plants, flowers and seeds for alternative health treatments. EPA
  • Bottles of medicinal oils inside the workshop. EPA
    Bottles of medicinal oils inside the workshop. EPA
  • Abdul-Rahman Al Zin inherited his profession of 25 years from his ancestors. EPA
    Abdul-Rahman Al Zin inherited his profession of 25 years from his ancestors. EPA
  • Abdul-Rahman Al Zin extracts medicinal oils from plants, flowers and seeds to offer them as an alternative treatment to synthetic drugs. EPA
    Abdul-Rahman Al Zin extracts medicinal oils from plants, flowers and seeds to offer them as an alternative treatment to synthetic drugs. EPA
  • Abdul-Rahman Al Zin extracts medicinal oils from plants, flowers and seeds for alternative health treatments. EPA
    Abdul-Rahman Al Zin extracts medicinal oils from plants, flowers and seeds for alternative health treatments. EPA
  • Abdul-Rahman Al Zin extracts medicinal oils from plants, flowers and seeds for alternative health treatments. EPA
    Abdul-Rahman Al Zin extracts medicinal oils from plants, flowers and seeds for alternative health treatments. EPA
  • Abdul-Rahman Al Zin extracts medicinal oils from plants, flowers and seeds for alternative health treatments. EPA
    Abdul-Rahman Al Zin extracts medicinal oils from plants, flowers and seeds for alternative health treatments. EPA
  • Abdul-Rahman Al Zin extracts medicinal oils from plants, flowers and seeds for alternative health treatments. EPA
    Abdul-Rahman Al Zin extracts medicinal oils from plants, flowers and seeds for alternative health treatments. EPA

MENA

Inside a workshop making medicinal oils in Syria - in pictures

Abdul-Rahman Al Zin extracts oils from plants, flowers and seeds at his business in Bab Sharqi, in the old city of Damascus

The National

April 01, 2021

  • English
  • Arabic

More galleries from The National:

Rescued bears released in Iraq's mountains - in pictures

The art of clay pottery in Palestine - in pictures

World's oldest brewery may have been discovered in Egypt

Ice skaters take to Europe's frozen lakes and canals as temperatures plummet – in pictures

The specs: 2018 Audi RS5

Price, base: Dh359,200

Engine: 2.9L twin-turbo V6

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic

Power: 450hp at 5,700rpm

Torque: 600Nm at 1,900rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 8.7L / 100km

Squad

Ali Kasheif, Salim Rashid, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Khalfan Mubarak, Ali Mabkhout, Omar Abdulrahman, Mohammed Al Attas, Abdullah Ramadan, Zayed Al Ameri (Al Jazira), Mohammed Al Shamsi, Hamdan Al Kamali, Mohammed Barghash, Khalil Al Hammadi (Al Wahda), Khalid Essa, Mohammed Shaker, Ahmed Barman, Bandar Al Ahbabi (Al Ain), Al Hassan Saleh, Majid Suroor (Sharjah) Walid Abbas, Ahmed Khalil (Shabab Al Ahli), Tariq Ahmed, Jasim Yaqoub (Al Nasr), Ali Saleh, Ali Salmeen (Al Wasl), Hassan Al Muharami (Baniyas) 

While you're here

Breaking News: The Remaking of Journalism and Why It Matters Now
Alan Rushbridger, Canongate

While you're here
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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

Other IPL batting records

Most sixes: 292 – Chris Gayle

Most fours: 491 – Gautam Gambhir

Highest individual score: 175 not out – Chris Gayle (for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Pune Warriors in 2013)

Highest strike-rate: 177.29 – Andre Russell

Highest strike-rate in an innings: 422.22 – Chris Morris (for Delhi Daredevils against Rising Pune Supergiant in 2017)

Highest average: 52.16 – Vijay Shankar

Most centuries: 6 – Chris Gayle

Most fifties: 36 – Gautam Gambhir

Fastest hundred (balls faced): 30 – Chris Gayle (for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Pune Warriors in 2013)

Fastest fifty (balls faced): 14 – Lokesh Rahul (for Kings XI Punjab against Delhi Daredevils in 2018)

 

The specs: 2019 Lincoln MKC

Price, base / as tested: Dh169,995 / Dh192,045

Engine: Turbocharged, 2.0-litre, in-line four-cylinder

Transmission: Six-speed automatic

Power: 253hp @ 5,500rpm

Torque: 389Nm @ 2,500rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 10.7L / 100km

Seven tips from Emirates NBD

1. Never respond to e-mails, calls or messages asking for account, card or internet banking details

2. Never store a card PIN (personal identification number) in your mobile or in your wallet

3. Ensure online shopping websites are secure and verified before providing card details

4. Change passwords periodically as a precautionary measure

5. Never share authentication data such as passwords, card PINs and OTPs  (one-time passwords) with third parties

6. Track bank notifications regarding transaction discrepancies

7. Report lost or stolen debit and credit cards immediately

The biog

Favourite car: Ferrari

Likes the colour: Black

Best movie: Avatar

Academic qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in media production from the Higher Colleges of Technology and diploma in production from the New York Film Academy

Read more
Syria