The United Nations marks November 16 the International Day of Tolerance. Given its mandate, the message of this day is critical to the UN commitment to “strengthen tolerance by fostering mutual understanding among cultures and peoples”.
In the UAE the word tolerance, perhaps unfamiliar to some in the past, is now commonplace. Its implications are increasingly weaved into the social fabric of the country. With a steady stream of major initiatives and laws enacted since 2015, the UAE has proved that in order to have a strong and cohesive society, a thriving economy and constructive diplomatic ties practising tolerance must be an essential part of our daily lives.
At a panel discussion on the role of culture supporting coexistence, an audience member once asked me whether curriculums in the Arab world promote tolerance and understanding. I answered that from my own experience the UAE’s educational sector was updating and integrating new material into its curriculum considerably and that tolerance was taught as a fundamental value in any upstanding citizen or resident of the country.
I elaborated on various measures the government had taken such as the creation of the National Tolerance Programme, the establishment of a Ministry of Tolerance and the President’s introduction of an anti-discrimination law.
Interestingly, a fellow panelist rebutted that such efforts were unnecessary as a child’s natural disposition is to be tolerant, meaning in their estimation that tolerance did not need to be taught in schools or encouraged by government mandates.
This comment intrigued me. Its basic premise is that qualities such as compassion, love and understanding are our natural state of being and therefore we do not have to learn how to feel or practise them. This perspective is present in Nelson Mandela’s famous lines that “no one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin. People must learn to hate and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love”.
It is important to draw attention to the latter part of this quote. Mandela wisely warns us that people do learn to hate. We know this has resulted in terrible conflicts and tragedies globally ranging from small-scale community tensions to full-blown war. Mandela provides us hope and a simple solution to counter learned hate: we must instead persist in teaching love for the better of humanity.
It is clearly naive to assume innate qualities we are born with are not subject to change as we progress through life. Studies prove that as we grow older we change as a result of the social influences around us and our changing environments. I know we all like to believe we do not have biases and are tolerant, kind and respectful of others. The truth is we are vulnerable to explicit and implicit bias that can alter our attitudes towards others. This can lead us into forming stereotypes, generalisations and, in the most severe instances, hate. Being aware of this is imperative if we intend to practise tolerance as adults. More importantly it is how we ensure the value of tolerance is instilled in our children.
Tolerance can and should be taught as a bare minimum given how vital a foundation it is on which to build understanding and acceptance of others.
There are a number of ways that adults, particularly parents and teachers, can instil this in our children. The starting point begins with an adult’s awareness that children mimic and absorb what we say and do so we must be careful of any negative words or views we express around them. This means before anything else we need to increase our mindfulness of how we express our thoughts and reactions in front of them.
Secondly we must truly practise respect for individuals and teach our children to respect themselves, nurturing their self-confidence and teaching them that learning to respect others begins with respect for oneself.
Another effective approach is increasing their exposure to different cultures and customs by all means available to us such as sharing a traditional holiday meal with friends, taking part in activities that celebrate the diverse communities of the UAE, encouraging them to watch foreign films and read books by international authors and make friends with their peers from different backgrounds and beliefs.
It is also important to communicate and help prepare them to confront through discussion various topics including race, ethnicity and class. To facilitate these discussions outside the classroom I continue to advocate the importance of visiting museums and cultural organisations. Such institutions are perfectly positioned to provide safe spaces for discourse and knowledge sharing on these issues. Furthermore, thoughtfully tailored programmes and exhibitions will help stimulate meaningful thinking on these issues.
With this ethos fully adopted in your household you will help your children understand the important fact that tolerance means realising that the world is a vast place with diverse peoples that maintain views, ideas and opinions different to our own. Regardless of how we feel different to others we must treat everyone with respect and kindness if we are to co-exist peacefully and create a better future.
We all want our children to flourish in this globalised world in spite of its many challenges which they will inherit. So let us pledge to nurture children to be morally strong, empathetic, confident and completely comfortable with each other’s differences. With their hearts and minds expanded – something I think our generation struggles with – they will have both kindness and tolerance as their guiding truth to a life in service of humankind.
Manal Ataya is the director general of Sharjah Museums Authority
How does ToTok work?
The calling app is available to download on Google Play and Apple App Store
To successfully install ToTok, users are asked to enter their phone number and then create a nickname.
The app then gives users the option add their existing phone contacts, allowing them to immediately contact people also using the application by video or voice call or via message.
Users can also invite other contacts to download ToTok to allow them to make contact through the app.
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Fire and Fury
By Michael Wolff,
Henry Holt
Visit Abu Dhabi culinary team's top Emirati restaurants in Abu Dhabi
Yadoo’s House Restaurant & Cafe
For the karak and Yoodo's house platter with includes eggs, balaleet, khamir and chebab bread.
Golden Dallah
For the cappuccino, luqaimat and aseeda.
Al Mrzab Restaurant
For the shrimp murabian and Kuwaiti options including Kuwaiti machboos with kebab and spicy sauce.
Al Derwaza
For the fish hubul, regag bread, biryani and special seafood soup.
How it works
1) The liquid nanoclay is a mixture of water and clay that aims to convert desert land to fertile ground
2) Instead of water draining straight through the sand, it apparently helps the soil retain water
3) One application is said to last five years
4) The cost of treatment per hectare (2.4 acres) of desert varies from $7,000 to $10,000 per hectare
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
Results
57kg quarter-finals
Zakaria Eljamari (UAE) beat Hamed Al Matari (YEM) by points 3-0.
60kg quarter-finals
Ibrahim Bilal (UAE) beat Hyan Aljmyah (SYR) RSC round 2.
63.5kg quarter-finals
Nouredine Samir (UAE) beat Shamlan A Othman (KUW) by points 3-0.
67kg quarter-finals
Mohammed Mardi (UAE) beat Ahmad Ondash (LBN) by points 2-1.
71kg quarter-finals
Ahmad Bahman (UAE) defeated Lalthasanga Lelhchhun (IND) by points 3-0.
Amine El Moatassime (UAE) beat Seyed Kaveh Safakhaneh (IRI) by points 3-0.
81kg quarter-finals
Ilyass Habibali (UAE) beat Ahmad Hilal (PLE) by points 3-0
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
The specs: 2018 Infiniti QX80
Price: base / as tested: Dh335,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 400hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.1L / 100km
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The specs
Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 217hp at 5,750rpm
Torque: 300Nm at 1,900rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh130,000
On sale: now
LIKELY TEAMS
South Africa
Faf du Plessis (captain), Dean Elgar, Aiden Markram, Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers, Quinton de Kock (wkt), Vernon Philander, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Morne Morkel, Lungi Ngidi.
India (from)
Virat Kohli (captain), Murali Vijay, Lokesh Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik (wkt), Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Mohammad Shami, Jasprit Bumrah.
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder MHEV
Power: 360bhp
Torque: 500Nm
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Price: from Dh282,870
On sale: now
BULKWHIZ PROFILE
Date started: February 2017
Founders: Amira Rashad (CEO), Yusuf Saber (CTO), Mahmoud Sayedahmed (adviser), Reda Bouraoui (adviser)
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: E-commerce
Size: 50 employees
Funding: approximately $6m
Investors: Beco Capital, Enabling Future and Wain in the UAE; China's MSA Capital; 500 Startups; Faith Capital and Savour Ventures in Kuwait
