Last week, the president of the European Union Council, Donald Tusk, received a letter from British prime minister Theresa May invoking Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty. The formal notice officially began the United Kingdom’s two-year exit process from the EU.
Writing in London's pan-Arab daily paper Asharq Al Awsat, Lebanese columnist Rajeh El Khoury noted that European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker had warned Britain should expect a hefty bill as the price for its EU exit.
According to the writer, it is not about the material costs as much as it is about the difficult and complicated divorce that might pave the way for similar trends within the EU and within Britain itself.
“For instance, Britain’s EU exit might encourage France to follow suit in the event of the victory of far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen,” the writer noted.
Economic experts expect the Brexit negotiations to cover all aspects, from fishing to agriculture up to trade and immigration, not to mention travel and migration within Europe.
“When the British prime minister expressed her desire to negotiate a new trade agreement with the EU, German chancellor Angela Merkel quickly and firmly replied that Britain will no longer be given access to the EU market once it exits the union unless it agrees to the free movement of people,” El Khoury wrote.
However, he argued, Mrs May’s government will not gain more influence over Europe’s immigration policies with Britain’s exit.
Case in point: it cannot control security at the tunnel entrance in the French city of Calais, where thousands of immigrants gather with the hope of reaching Britain.
The writer added that Britain’s EU exit also presents other aspects that are related to a more important issue.
“Britain is parting ways with Europe just as Scotland is getting ready to leave Britain, and Northern Ireland might follow suit soon.
“It is a multifaceted divorce with non-guaranteed outcomes, at least for the future of the United Kingdom,” he concluded.
Writing in the pan-Arab daily Al Hayat, the columnist Mustafa Zein noted that Britain will end its 44-year-old EU membership to join the world market and open up to China, Japan and Canada instead of Germany, France, Spain and Italy.
“According to Brexit advocates, this move will allow London to shake off the legal restraints imposed by the undemocratically elected European Commission,” Zein said.
However, he continued, these same advocates are basking in their past glory, living with the illusion that they can control the world and impose their rules as the East India Company once did on Asia and all European colonists did at the start of the 19th century.
“They were not informed of the conditions imposed by the Indian prime minister Narendra Modi on his British counterpart during the talks they held in New Delhi last November,” the writer said.
“These conditions included an apology from Britain for the colonial period and the facilitation of the entry of tens of thousands of Indians to work and study in Britain, in addition to new domestic rules restricting investor freedom.”
According to the writer, the reason behind the non-disclosure of these conditions is Mrs May’s keenness to leave the EU. As such, she refrained from discussing them, merely announcing that her visit to India was promising and that post-Brexit London will be the leader of free trade as it will no longer be weighed down by hampering laws.
But beyond the trade rules, the writer saw the renewed age-old struggle for power between the union members.
“This is the same struggle that led to two world wars in the past century. It has resurfaced in the competition between Britain and Germany over control of the European Union which lies in the hands of Berlin, in agreement with Paris,” he wrote.
Zein argued that London’s only recourse was US president Donald Trump, who sees in the EU an agglomeration that harms his personal interests and his investment ambitions in certain countries that are restricted by regulations from EU headquarters in Brussels.
“The fear of German power is returning in full force to Europe, and Britain’s only way to weaken Berlin in its surroundings is to dismantle the European Union and resort to the United States in addition to going overseas,” the writer concluded.
Translated by Jennifer Attieh
translation@thenational.ae
Essentials
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Delhi from about Dh950 return including taxes.
The hotels
Double rooms at Tijara Fort-Palace cost from 6,670 rupees (Dh377), including breakfast.
Doubles at Fort Bishangarh cost from 29,030 rupees (Dh1,641), including breakfast. Doubles at Narendra Bhawan cost from 15,360 rupees (Dh869). Doubles at Chanoud Garh cost from 19,840 rupees (Dh1,122), full board. Doubles at Fort Begu cost from 10,000 rupees (Dh565), including breakfast.
The tours
Amar Grover travelled with Wild Frontiers. A tailor-made, nine-day itinerary via New Delhi, with one night in Tijara and two nights in each of the remaining properties, including car/driver, costs from £1,445 (Dh6,968) per person.
Skoda Superb Specs
Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
Power: 190hp
Torque: 320Nm
Price: From Dh147,000
Available: Now
Stree
Producer: Maddock Films, Jio Movies
Director: Amar Kaushik
Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi, Aparshakti Khurana, Abhishek Banerjee
Rating: 3.5
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
FIGHT%20CARD
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Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
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
MATCH INFO
Group B
Bayern Munich v Tottenham, midnight (Thursday)
Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club race card
5pm: Abu Dhabi Fillies Classic (PA) Prestige; Dh110,000; 1,400m
5.30pm: Abu Dhabi Colts Classic (PA) Prestige; Dh110,000; 1,400m
6pm: Maiden (PA); Dh80,000; 1,600m
6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Championship (PA) Listed; Dh180,000; 1,600m
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Handicap; Dh70,000; 2,200m
7.30pm: Handicap (PA); Dh100,000; 2,400m
Winners
Ballon d’Or (Men’s)
Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain / France)
Ballon d’Or Féminin (Women’s)
Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona / Spain)
Kopa Trophy (Best player under 21 – Men’s)
Lamine Yamal (Barcelona / Spain)
Best Young Women’s Player
Vicky López (Barcelona / Spain)
Yashin Trophy (Best Goalkeeper – Men’s)
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City / Italy)
Best Women’s Goalkeeper
Hannah Hampton (England / Aston Villa and Chelsea)
Men’s Coach of the Year
Luis Enrique (Paris Saint-Germain)
Women’s Coach of the Year
Sarina Wiegman (England)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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
Guardians%20of%20the%20Galaxy%20Vol%203
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJames%20Gunn%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Chris%20Pratt%2C%20Zoe%20Saldana%2C%20Dave%20Bautista%2C%20Vin%20Diesel%2C%20Bradley%20Cooper%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League last 16, first leg
Liverpool v Bayern Munich, midnight, Wednesday, BeIN Sports
PLAY-OFF%20DRAW
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