It is four decades since the emergence of HIV/Aids sent shockwaves through societies across the globe.
In the 1980s and 1990s, an infection with the human immunodeficiency virus, whether from a blood transfusion, sexual activity, intravenous drug use or another cause, was often seen as a death sentence.
One particularly chilling Australian television advertisement from 1987 featured the Grim Reaper and the words, "Aids: prevention is the only cure we’ve got."
Prof Sharon Lewin, director of the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity in Melbourne, told attendees that there was a "quite high" chance of finding a cure and hoped one could be delivered within the next two decades.
A cure would be welcome in the Mena region because, as Prof Lewin highlighted, it faces an "alarming" rise in cases, something that contrasts with the falls typically seen elsewhere.
Prof Sharon Lewin, director of the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity in Melbourne, addresses the Arab Health conference on the topic of HIV and Aids last month. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Some other parts of the world are still severely affected by the illness. Africa accounts for most of the global total of more than 40 million deaths so far from Aids. This is out of more than 80 million people worldwide who have been infected with HIV.
Terrible though the death toll is, since the second half of the 1990s the situation has been much improved, especially in areas with well-funded healthcare systems. This is because infection can be managed effectively with antiretroviral treatment, which is typically taken daily.
These drugs help to prevent the virus from replicating, which reduces a patient’s viral load, the number of virus particles in the blood.
Patients who begin taking medication relatively soon after becoming infected often have a life expectancy similar to those without HIV
Antiretrovirals maintain high levels of CD4 cells, a type of white blood cell that stimulates the immune system, preventing the onset of Aids. If the CD4 cell count falls, the person becomes highly vulnerable to infection.
Patients who begin taking medication relatively soon after becoming infected often have a life expectancy similar to those without HIV.
What is more, antiretroviral drugs that need be injected every two months only are now being used in some countries, meaning that patients no longer have to take tablets daily.
Chronic low-level inflammation associated with HIV infection does, however, put people living with the virus at greater risk of, for example, heart, kidney and liver problems.
As a result, eliminating the infection remains a goal.
Given the myriad strategies being looked at, progress in preventing infection, or in treating or curing those who become infected – there are about 1.5 million new infections annually across the world – seems likely.
Already, in a small number of cases, the virus has been eliminated from patients’ bodies, something known as a sterilising cure.
The first and probably the most famous example concerns the Berlin Patient, real name Timothy Brown, who had leukaemia and so received a stem-cell transplant.
The donor had a mutation in a gene called CCR5, which makes the carrier almost completely resistant to HIV.
Great interest was sparked when, in 2008, it was revealed that this transplant had enabled Mr Brown’s body to rid itself of the virus, although he went on to die in 2020 after his leukaemia returned.
A number of others have been cured after transplants, but these are risky for those living with HIV. They typically have side effects, and they are not seen as a realistic cure for large numbers of patients.
Other methods to achieving a sterilising cure are being investigated. One is known as "shock and kill", a dramatic term that refers to using one drug to activate HIV lying dormant in cells before other drugs, such as normal antiretrovirals, destroy it. Several pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies are working on their own version of this.
Another strategy, often involving therapeutic vaccines, strengthens the immune system to help it attack HIV.
One approach has already reached clinical trials and been shown to be effective at enabling patients to live at length without the need for treatment.
Several other immunotherapy strategies, such as using broadly neutralising antibodies, which can prevent HIV from entering healthy cells, are at various stages of development and have in some instances shown promising results.
Often these offer the prospect of what is sometimes referred to as a functional cure, where the virus is still present, but it has been controlled without the need for ongoing treatment.
Another exciting avenue of research concerns preventive vaccines against HIV, in particular messenger RNA shots.
Developing an effective vaccine against HIV has been described by Prof Robin Shattock, of Imperial College London, as "one of the biggest biological challenges of a generation", but it is one that is moving closer to being achieved.
The Covid-19 pandemic led to the first large-scale use of mRNA vaccines in people. Now numerous companies and other organisations are working to test shots against HIV based on the same technology.
Early clinical trials have been successful, with injections being able to stimulate the hoped-for immune response in the vast majority of participants.
Even if a cure, more sophisticated treatments or vaccines are released, ensuring access is likely to be an issue.
Although the proportion of people who have access to antiretroviral treatment has significantly improved in recent years, about a quarter of the estimated 38.4 million people living with HIV are still not using the drugs.
So, although the number of deaths each year has dropped by more than half since its 2004 peak, 650,000 people still lost their lives from Aids-related illnesses in 2021, according to UN figures.
In the years to come, equitable distribution is likely to remain as much of a challenge as the science.
Gulf Men's League final
Dubai Hurricanes 24-12 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
Abaya trends
The utilitarian robe held dear by Arab women is undergoing a change that reveals it as an elegant and graceful garment available in a range of colours and fabrics, while retaining its traditional appeal.
UK’s AI plan
AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
£10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
£100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
The Baghdad Clock
Shahad Al Rawi, Oneworld
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
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.”
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
Company Profile
Company name: Yeepeey
Started: Soft launch in November, 2020
Founders: Sagar Chandiramani, Jatin Sharma and Monish Chandiramani
Based: Dubai
Industry: E-grocery
Initial investment: $150,000
Future plan: Raise $1.5m and enter Saudi Arabia next year
Sector: Additive manufacturing, 3D printing technologies
Size: 15 full-time employees
Stage: Seed stage and seeking Series A round of financing
Investors: Oman Technology Fund from 2017 to 2019, exited through an agreement with a new investor to secure new funding that it under negotiation right now.
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha
Starring:Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar
Director: Neeraj Pandey
Rating: 2.5/5
Thank You for Banking with Us
Director: Laila Abbas
Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum
Yorkshire Vikings 144-1 in 12.5 overs
(Tom Kohler 72 not out, Harry Broook 42 not out) bt Hobart Hurricanes 140-7 in 20 overs
(Caleb Jewell 38, Sean Willis 35, Karl Carver 2-29, Josh Shaw 2-39)
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
Brief scores:
Scotland 371-5, 50 overs (C MacLeod 140 no, K Coetzer 58, G Munsey 55)
England 365 all out, 48.5 overs (J Bairstow 105, A Hales 52; M Watt 3-55)
Zakat: an Arabic word meaning ‘to cleanse’ or ‘purification’.
Nisab: the minimum amount that a Muslim must have before being obliged to pay zakat. Traditionally, the nisab threshold was 87.48 grams of gold, or 612.36 grams of silver. The monetary value of the nisab therefore varies by current prices and currencies.
Zakat Al Mal: the ‘cleansing’ of wealth, as one of the five pillars of Islam; a spiritual duty for all Muslims meeting the ‘nisab’ wealth criteria in a lunar year, to pay 2.5 per cent of their wealth in alms to the deserving and needy.
Zakat Al Fitr: a donation to charity given during Ramadan, before Eid Al Fitr, in the form of food. Every adult Muslim who possesses food in excess of the needs of themselves and their family must pay two qadahs (an old measure just over 2 kilograms) of flour, wheat, barley or rice from each person in a household, as a minimum.
