The UAE has taken a significant step in improving care for people living with multiple sclerosis by launching the MS Helpline, the nation's first dedicated support service for the chronic disease.
Launched by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society in partnership with Abu Dhabi health technology company M42 and supported by Mubadala through the Mubadala Foundation, the helpline offers expert guidance, emotional support and access to critical resources tailored to the needs of the MS community.
Accessible by dialling 800677 and available daily from 10am to 10pm, the line provides personalised assistance, including referrals to specialists, mental health assessments and active listening support.
“The UAE’s leadership prioritises advancing health care for everyone and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society is committed to improving access to necessary medical services for people living with MS,” said Ahmed Taleb Al Shamsi, chief executive of the Emirates Foundation and vice chairman of the NMSS. “We are proud that this helpline is a regional first for dedicated MS support.”
Transforming support systems
The MS Helpline is part of a broader initiative by the NMSS to improve quality of life for patients. The helpline also aligns with the National MS Coalition's objectives, announced on World MS Day in May. These include introducing a national agenda for MS care, fostering knowledge sharing and addressing gaps in services through a structured framework.
“The introduction of the MS Helpline is an important service that we are proud to support,” said Mansour Ahmed Al Ketbi, deputy chief corporate and human capital officer at Mubadala. ”Our collaboration with NMSS and Ma'an underscores our ongoing commitment to enhance social efforts that drive positive outcomes in our community. We aim to enhance the quality of life for those affected by MS and ensure they have access to the necessary support and resources.”
What is multiple sclerosis?
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurological condition that can affect the brain and spinal cord.
The disease causes the immune system to attack the protective layer that covers nerve fibres (the myelin sheath), preventing brain signals from properly reaching other parts of the body.
It is a lifelong condition with no known cure or cause, although there are treatments to manage symptoms.
According to the NMSS, about 64 in every 100,000 Emiratis in Abu Dhabi are diagnosed with MS, twice the global rate.
Empowering the community
Designed as more than a traditional call centre, the MS Helpline aims to redefine how support is delivered.
“Whether you’re newly diagnosed, seeking ongoing support, or a loved one looking to help, our helpline is here to provide guidance,” senior manager Hala Zainal said. “Our goal was to create a helpline that goes beyond a traditional call centre, combining expert healthcare advice with compassionate emotional support.
"We wanted to provide a safe and confidential environment where individuals can discuss their concerns with experienced professionals specifically trained to support people with MS, offering empathetic counsel, de-escalating distressed calls, and facilitating mental health follow-ups with healthcare teams.”
The helpline was piloted with members of the MS community to ensure it meets specific needs, using M42’s operational expertise and resources. “Together with our operational and healthcare partners, we’re creating a supportive ecosystem that puts the MS community at the heart of its operation and works to design solutions to fill gaps identified by our community,” Ms Zainal said.
Omar Al Nokhatha, an MS ambassador, said: “I believe the helpline will have a dramatic positive impact on the MS community. Having a reliable source to reduce confusion and misinformation is essential, especially during times when individuals feel lost and uncertain. Such initiatives play a crucial role in calming people and providing them with a trusted channel to connect with experts, offering much-needed clarity on MS-related concerns, which by its essence fosters healing.”
Established in 2022 under the Ministry of Community Development, the NMSS is a UAE-based NGO dedicated to improving the lives of people living with MS through education, advocacy, and advancing global efforts to find a cure.
For more information or to contribute to the MS community, visit the NMSS website or donate through the Authority of Social Contribution – Ma’an platform.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
The Prison Letters of Nelson Mandela
Edited by Sahm Venter
Published by Liveright
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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 SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Constant Variable (CVT)
Power: 141bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh64,500
On sale: Now
Countries recognising Palestine
France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Straightforward ways to reduce sugar in your family's diet
- Ban fruit juice and sodas
- Eat a hearty breakfast that contains fats and wholegrains, such as peanut butter on multigrain toast or full-fat plain yoghurt with whole fruit and nuts, to avoid the need for a 10am snack
- Give young children plain yoghurt with whole fruits mashed into it
- Reduce the number of cakes, biscuits and sweets. Reserve them for a treat
- Don’t eat dessert every day
- Make your own smoothies. Always use the whole fruit to maintain the benefit of its fibre content and don’t add any sweeteners
- Always go for natural whole foods over processed, packaged foods. Ask yourself would your grandmother have eaten it?
- Read food labels if you really do feel the need to buy processed food
- Eat everything in moderation
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
Profile of Tamatem
Date started: March 2013
Founder: Hussam Hammo
Based: Amman, Jordan
Employees: 55
Funding: $6m
Funders: Wamda Capital, Modern Electronics (part of Al Falaisah Group) and North Base Media
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
The biog
Fast facts on Neil Armstrong’s personal life:
- Armstrong was born on August 5, 1930, in Wapakoneta, Ohio
- He earned his private pilot’s license when he was 16 – he could fly before he could drive
- There was tragedy in his married life: Neil and Janet Armstrong’s daughter Karen died at the age of two in 1962 after suffering a brain tumour. She was the couple’s only daughter. Their two sons, Rick and Mark, consulted on the film
- After Armstrong departed Nasa, he bought a farm in the town of Lebanon, Ohio, in 1971 – its airstrip allowed him to tap back into his love of flying
- In 1994, Janet divorced Neil after 38 years of marriage. Two years earlier, Neil met Carol Knight, who became his second wife in 1994
