What’s the Trump doctrine? According to the White House, it’s #Winning.
And in many respects, they're not wrong. So far this summer, US President Donald Trump has put fears of a global trade war to bed with multiple deals, all in America’s favour. He's struck at the heart of America’s enemies in Tehran without putting boots on the ground or igniting the world war most in the press were predicting. But if you’re sitting in the Middle East today, you could be forgiven for being confused: what exactly is the Trump administration’s end game here?
Lately, it feels as if the whole approach is to throw a bunch of cats in a bag and shake it. And while the President is a master at owning the narrative, he seems less aware of what America's strategic purpose or long-term goals in the Middle East actually are. Between Israel, Gaza, Syria, Lebanon and the whole of North Africa, no one arm seems to know what the other is doing. And so far, the administration hasn’t seemed too concerned with defining the exact mission.
In case you're wondering why that is, let me explain it to you. Most Americans don’t really care about what’s happening in the rest of the world. While the US is a country with enormous global influence and a huge stake in the global economy, the fact is that unless you are steeped in academia, work for a Washington think tank, or live in an international American city like New York, Miami or LA, chances are you’re more concerned with your taxes, and the price of food and petrol, than what’s happening oceans away. It’s basic geography and it’s not new.
Mr Trump understands this better than anyone; he has made America First the cornerstone of two presidencies, and for him the medium is the message. He hardly bothers with legacy media anymore. The people who voted for him see “traditional media” as irrelevant at best and, at worst, just another arm of the leftist elite.
So, it’s interesting then, that on the issue of Gaza, a man-made humanitarian crisis of the utmost urgency, with horrific imagery seen by millions in retweets, TikToks, Instagrams and YouTube videos, this White House has been slow to respond. Only this week, during his visit to Britain, did Mr Trump acknowledge the staggering impact of Israel’s bombardment of Gaza: mass starvation. For a man who knows how to tap into trends better than anyone, it’s astonishing that he’s waited so long. One factor could be his frustration with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu; another, the shift in America’s youth.
Only this week did Trump acknowledge the staggering impact of Israel’s bombardment of Gaza
Travelling in the US this summer, I have repeatedly heard disillusionment from Mr Trump’s less aged supporters. They tell me they see Israel as a “freeloader" and question the amount of American tax dollars and weapons flowing to a country they believe threatens US sovereignty. They say they see through the “propaganda and lies” parroted by the talking heads of “Zionist” television networks, citing the horrific images of death, destruction and starvation in Gaza only found online as proof that traditional news outlets are trying to sanitise the truth. Decades of network news broadcasts policed by the Federal Communications Commission, the national regulator, which sets tough guidelines for how much violence can be shown on air and when, support this narrative. And while there are no such rules for cable news, advertisers have never really been interested in product placement wrapped around scenes of gore.
Trump’s boomer base, by contrast, see him as a saviour – the only elected official to follow through on promises made and call out the woke ideology that they believe has hijacked America. My father, born in 1947, tells me repeatedly that Mr Trump is the greatest thing ever to happen to US politics in his lifetime. They are a generation totally cool with America bombing Iran (where crowds chant “Death to America”), they don’t really care about the Epstein files or their fallout and they generally believe Israel is an ally that must be supported and protected at all costs.
To be clear, a huge number of Americans never learn anything about the Middle East outside of church. The region’s history – especially its recent history – isn’t taught in public schools, where the history curriculum rarely goes beyond the Second World War; nor do they learn about US involvement in the region today or America's role in shaping it. History textbooks are curated at the local level, not mandated by the federal government, and local school boards generally reflect the character of their communities, many of which are Christian and conservative. It's only with access to smart phones and the internet that more, mostly younger, Americans have heard about the plight of Palestinian Christians, for example – another point of contention for Mr Trump's base.
All of this is to say, America has a President who sets the news cycle. And while Monday's recognition of “real starvation” in Gaza is belated, any effort to save the thousands of malnourished babies in Gaza would be seen by both a large share of his base and the rest of the world as reasserting America’s role as an effective arbiter in the region.
Mr Trump has leverage with Israel that no other president has had precisely because he was willing to take action on Iran. Now is the time to use it. Apply pressure to end a disastrous war that has been allowed to go on for far too long with way too much suffering. It might even bump Jeffrey Epstein off the top of the headlines in America for a day or two.
UAE cricketers abroad
Sid Jhurani is not the first cricketer from the UAE to go to the UK to try his luck.
Rameez Shahzad Played alongside Ben Stokes and Liam Plunkett in Durham while he was studying there. He also played club cricket as an overseas professional, but his time in the UK stunted his UAE career. The batsman went a decade without playing for the national team.
Yodhin Punja The seam bowler was named in the UAE’s extended World Cup squad in 2015 despite being just 15 at the time. He made his senior UAE debut aged 16, and subsequently took up a scholarship at Claremont High School in the south of England.
MATCH INFO
Aston Villa 1 (Konsa 63')
Sheffield United 0
Red card: Jon Egan (Sheffield United)
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 Africa Institute 101
Housed on the same site as the original Africa Hall, which first hosted an Arab-African Symposium in 1976, the newly renovated building will be home to a think tank and postgraduate studies hub (it will offer master’s and PhD programmes). The centre will focus on both the historical and contemporary links between Africa and the Gulf, and will serve as a meeting place for conferences, symposia, lectures, film screenings, plays, musical performances and more. In fact, today it is hosting a symposium – 5-plus-1: Rethinking Abstraction that will look at the six decades of Frank Bowling’s career, as well as those of his contemporaries that invested social, cultural and personal meaning into abstraction.
South and West: From a Notebook
Joan Didion
Fourth Estate
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ITU Abu Dhabi World Triathlon
Formula One top 10 drivers' standings after Japan
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes 306
2. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari 247
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes 234
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull 192
5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari 148
6. Max Verstappen, Red Bull 111
7. Sergio Perez, Force India 82
8. Esteban Ocon, Force India 65
9. Carlos Sainz Jr, Toro Rosso 48
10. Nico Hulkenberg, Renault 34
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Company Profile
Name: JustClean
Based: Kuwait with offices in other GCC countries
Launch year: 2016
Number of employees: 130
Sector: online laundry service
Funding: $12.9m from Kuwait-based Faith Capital Holding
Under-21 European Championship Final
Germany 1 Spain 0
Weiser (40')
Scores
Oman 109-3 in 18.4 overs (Aqib Ilyas 45 not out, Aamir Kaleem 27) beat UAE 108-9 in 20 overs (Usman 27, Mustafa 24, Fayyaz 3-16, Bilal 3-23)
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ENGLAND SQUAD
Goalkeepers Henderson, Pickford, Pope.
Defenders Alexander-Arnold, Chilwell, Coady, Dier, Gomez, Keane, Maguire, Maitland-Niles, Mings, Saka, Trippier, Walker.
Midfielders Henderson, Mount, Phillips, Rice, Ward-Prowse, Winks.
Forwards Abraham, Barnes, Calvert-Lewin, Grealish, Ings, Kane, Rashford, Sancho, Sterling.
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FIXTURES
Fixtures for Round 15 (all times UAE)
Friday
Inter Milan v AS Roma (11.45pm)
Saturday
Atalanta v Verona (6pm)
Udinese v Napoli (9pm)
Lazio v Juventus (11.45pm)
Sunday
Lecce v Genoa (3.30pm)
Sassuolo v Cagliari (6pm)
SPAL v Brescia (6pm)
Torino v Fiorentina (6pm)
Sampdoria v Parma (9pm)
Bologna v AC Milan (11.45pm)
World Cricket League Division 2
In Windhoek, Namibia - Top two teams qualify for the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe, which starts on March 4.
UAE fixtures
Thursday February 8, v Kenya; Friday February 9, v Canada; Sunday February 11, v Nepal; Monday February 12, v Oman; Wednesday February 14, v Namibia; Thursday February 15, final
FORSPOKEN
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Starfield
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HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX RESULT
1. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari 1:39:46.713
2. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari 00:00.908
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes-GP 00:12.462
4. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-GP 00:12.885
5. Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing 00:13.276
6. Fernando Alonso, McLaren 01:11.223
7. Carlos Sainz Jr, Toro Rosso 1 lap
8. Sergio Perez, Force India 1 lap
9. Esteban Ocon, Force India 1 lap
10. Stoffel Vandoorne, McLaren 1 lap
11. Daniil Kvyat, Toro Rosso 1 lap
12. Jolyon Palmer, Renault 1 lap
13. Kevin Magnussen, Haas 1 lap
14. Lance Stroll, Williams 1 lap
15. Pascal Wehrlein, Sauber 2 laps
16. Marcus Ericsson, Sauber 2 laps
17r. Nico Huelkenberg, Renault 3 laps
r. Paul Di Resta, Williams 10 laps
r. Romain Grosjean, Haas 50 laps
r. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull Racing 70 laps
