Syria, where my roots lie, has a rich heritage dating back to the third millennium BC. It has made headlines for the wrong reasons since 2011, but beyond the fog of war lies a beautiful country with a staggering media presence and a new generation of tech-savvy minds eager for change.
I have come to realise this on several visits to the country to pursue a personal project. As a third-culture individual based in the UAE, and with professional and cultural ties to Europe, Middle East and South-East Asia, I have always been on a quest for a homeland. And I have begun to understand and appreciate Syria for what it is since I returned in 2019 for the first time since the war broke out.
The pandemic threatened to put my trips there on hold. But last November, equipped with my negative PCR test report and a round-trip ticket from Abu Dhabi to Beirut, I arrived at Rafic Hariri airport, where the even immigration officer was surprised that I was transiting to Syria.
When I arrived by car to the Syria-Lebanon border, I crossed the kilometre-long no man’s land between the two countries. My facemask became wet with the tears rolling down my face as I reached the Syrian frontier – a crossing point where many dreams have been crushed, families separated and promises broken.
I was then driven to Damascus, where I was greeted with pitch-black streets and the odd building that had electricity. The five-star hotel I checked into moments later seemed so disconnected from reality.
The first of the artists I met for a project I am working on was Mustafa Ali, a renowned sculptor who runs a gallery on Al Ameen Street. Mustafa’s conservative neighbours initially criticised his sculptures as “idols” and boycotted his gallery, but he eventually persuaded them to accept his work’s artistic value. He organised an exhibition that filled the streets of the neighbourhood of Al Shaalan with easels, paint, colours, students, musicians and curious onlookers.
Mustafa invited me to a lecture he organised at Damascus University to talk about the value of art. The young and inspired minds had a great thirst to connect with the outside world. Yet they stared at me, as a visitor, as though I was an alien.
I don’t blame them for their pessimism. Ninety per cent of Syria’s population lives in poverty, according to the UN’s latest figures. In a country where 11 million people need assistance just to survive, many depend on multiple sources of income. The reality on the ground was stark as I often drove past long queues at petrol stations, and longer ones at bakeries.
“It’s called a ‘smart card’. But really, it’s a stupid card,” my friend said one day, describing the ration card provided to her by the government, to buy everything from groceries to gas cylinders at subsidised rates. People have to wait their turn to get their supplies. “We are at number 725,” my friend said.
When a PCR test costs $100, as it does in Damascus, it is no surprise that Covid-19 is of less priority when compared to the country’s myriad other crises.
I later met Sami Moubayed of the Damascus History Foundation, an NGO dedicated to preserving the historical records of the capital. Dr Moubayed founded it in 2017 after discovering that a wealth of manuscripts, documents and photographs dating back to 1860 were being kept in storage facilities in the outskirts of the city, left neglected and vulnerable to bombs and, on better days, rats. The foundation has since expanded its purview to award young people for their historic projects, organise seminars and maintain an online platform to showcase photographs, audio-visual materials, academic articles and other things.
I then walked to what remains of Bab Touma, one of the seven gates that sealed Old City, built during the time of the Roman Empire. There, I met the photographer Antoun Mazzawi and his partner, an artist named Tamar Shahinian, who does digital embroidery on Mazzawi’s photographs. We walked around the Old City searching for knockers on old doors. Mazzawi would catalogue these door knockers and publish their photographs without sharing their locations to protect them from theft, given their considerable worth. One knocker includes a figure of a hand symbolising the worship to Jupiter, which dates back to 200 AD. Its base depicts the sun, and on the top sits a fig leaf. Many of the knockers carry a Christian cross, and many others carry a flower that was added later during the introduction of Islam. To walk through the Old City is to be reminded that Syria has long been blessed with multiple religions. This is truly, in one sense, an elevated land.
Despite its rich heritage, it is the stories of the conflict and its impact that we hear about more often. Posters of crying children with a call for action to donate bags of flour, blankets and medical supplies are important. But the world also needs to know about Andre Maalouli, director of the Damascus Opera House, and his mission to bring peace through music. It needs to sway to the music of Taher Maamelli. It needs to wander about the distillery land of Roula Ali Adeeb and immerse itself in the essential oils and waters she distils from flowers and herbs. It needs to know that there is a fleet of computer engineers, programmers, illustrators, graphic designers and animators who work online and submit projects globally under anonymous names to make a living. Why don’t they make many headlines?
I was in a coffee shop with a friend making this point when the power went out. I looked around to see that life hadn’t stopped. I could hear chatter, laughter and clinking glasses. When the lights came back on, I was the only one to applaud. Syrians are resilient. So much has happened that nothing can break their spirit.
I packed the frozen makdous – stuffed eggplant with walnut and paprika – that my aunt insisted I take with me (an act of love, this insistence) and left Damascus with a heavy heart.
But when I returned to the no man’s land on my way to the Lebanese border, I was alone but felt at peace. I felt rooted – like I belonged.
As I made my way back, my mind wandered to a balcony at my friend’s house in the neighbourhood of Mezzeh, which overlooked two jasmine and lemon trees. If these trees survived this turmoil, I thought, so would my 17 million fellow Syrians.
Maysoon Barber is an expert in social enterprise innovation and the executive director of Fatima bint Hazza Foundation in Abu Dhabi
Jurassic%20Park
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Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Why your domicile status is important
Your UK residence status is assessed using the statutory residence test. While your residence status – ie where you live - is assessed every year, your domicile status is assessed over your lifetime.
Your domicile of origin generally comes from your parents and if your parents were not married, then it is decided by your father. Your domicile is generally the country your father considered his permanent home when you were born.
UK residents who have their permanent home ("domicile") outside the UK may not have to pay UK tax on foreign income. For example, they do not pay tax on foreign income or gains if they are less than £2,000 in the tax year and do not transfer that gain to a UK bank account.
A UK-domiciled person, however, is liable for UK tax on their worldwide income and gains when they are resident in the UK.
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
- £250m to train new AI models
Company%20profile%20
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Company%20profile
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The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
%E2%80%98White%20Elephant%E2%80%99
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Results
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,600m; Winner: Rawat Al Reef, Adrie de Vries (jockey), Abdallah Al Hammadi (trainer)
5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Noof KB, Richard Mullen, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: AF Seven Skies, Bernardo Pinheiro, Qaiss Aboud
6.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Jabalini, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7pm: UAE Arabian Derby – Prestige (PA) Dh150,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Dergham Athbah, Richard Mullen, Mohamed Daggash
7.30pm: Emirates Championship – Group 1 (PA) Dh1,000,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Somoud, Richard Mullen, Jean de Roualle
8pm: Abu Dhabi Championship – Group 3 (TB) Dh380,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Irish Freedom, Antonio Fresu, Satish Seemar
Read more from Aya Iskandarani
FULL%20RESULTS
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More from Neighbourhood Watch
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 2.5-litre, turbocharged 5-cylinder
Transmission: seven-speed auto
Power: 400hp
Torque: 500Nm
Price: Dh300,000 (estimate)
On sale: 2022
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
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Business Insights
- Canada and Mexico are significant energy suppliers to the US, providing the majority of oil and natural gas imports
- The introduction of tariffs could hinder the US's clean energy initiatives by raising input costs for materials like nickel
- US domestic suppliers might benefit from higher prices, but overall oil consumption is expected to decrease due to elevated costs
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Racecard
%3Cp%3E5pm%3A%20Al%20Bateen%20%E2%80%93%20Maiden%20(PA)%20Dh80%2C000%20(Turf)%202%2C200m%3Cbr%3E5.30pm%3A%20Al%20Khaleej%20%E2%80%93%20Maiden%20(PA)%20Dh80%2C000%20(T)%201%2C400m%3Cbr%3E6pm%3A%20Wathba%20Stallions%20Cup%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(PA)%20Dh70%2C000%20(T)%201%2C400m%3Cbr%3E6.30pm%3A%20Al%20Nahyan%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(PA)%20Dh80%2C000%20(T)%201%2C600m%3Cbr%3E7pm%3A%20Al%20Karamah%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(PA)%20Dh80%2C000%20(T)%201%2C600m%3Cbr%3E7.30pm%3A%20Al%20Salam%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(TB)%20Dh80%2C000%20(T)%201%2C400m%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
Gulf Under 19s final
Dubai College A 50-12 Dubai College B
Baby Driver
Director: Edgar Wright
Starring: Ansel Elgort, Kevin Spacey, Jamie Foxx, Lily James
Three and a half stars
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New UK refugee system
- A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
- Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
- To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
- Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
- Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
Tips from the expert
Dobromir Radichkov, chief data officer at dubizzle and Bayut, offers a few tips for UAE residents looking to earn some cash from pre-loved items.
- Sellers should focus on providing high-quality used goods at attractive prices to buyers.
- It’s important to use clear and appealing photos, with catchy titles and detailed descriptions to capture the attention of prospective buyers.
- Try to advertise a realistic price to attract buyers looking for good deals, especially in the current environment where consumers are significantly more price-sensitive.
- Be creative and look around your home for valuable items that you no longer need but might be useful to others.
Tell-tale signs of burnout
- loss of confidence and appetite
- irritability and emotional outbursts
- sadness
- persistent physical ailments such as headaches, frequent infections and fatigue
- substance abuse, such as smoking or drinking more
- impaired judgement
- excessive and continuous worrying
- irregular sleep patterns
Tips to help overcome burnout
Acknowledge how you are feeling by listening to your warning signs. Set boundaries and learn to say ‘no’
Do activities that you want to do as well as things you have to do
Undertake at least 30 minutes of exercise per day. It releases an abundance of feel-good hormones
Find your form of relaxation and make time for it each day e.g. soothing music, reading or mindful meditation
Sleep and wake at the same time every day, even if your sleep pattern was disrupted. Without enough sleep condition such as stress, anxiety and depression can thrive.
MATCH INFO
Inter Milan v Juventus
Saturday, 10.45pm (UAE)
Watch the match on BeIN Sports
