Talks with Qatar over an ambitious air transport agreement with the European Union are continuing on schedule with both the EU and Doha keen to show the impact of the Gulf crisis on regional air traffic has been minimal.
On June 5, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and its allies severed diplomatic, economic and air, land and sea transport links with Qatar over its support of extremist groups.
Since then, Doha has argued that it is the target of a “blockade”, although the measures undertaken by Saudi, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt constitute a boycott as Qatar’s links to other countries remain unaffected. Its foreign minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani says that Qatar is paying ten times as much to import food and medicine since the crisis started.
On the one hand, Qatar complains of a ‘blockade’, while on the other hand it has sought to show its ability to continue to expand its connections with the outside world. It has launched new shipping routes and announced new destinations for its national carrier, proving it remains unhindered in having access to other markets and regions. Hamad Port, south of the Qatari capital, is operating at "full capacity," the port's director, Abdelaziz Nasser Al-Yafei told AP. The port received 212 ships in June, with 24,000 containers, 4,300 cars, 61,000 livestock and 6,400 tonnes of construction materials, according to AP. On one evening earlier this month, five large ships docking in Hamad Port unloaded sheep from Australia, food from Turkey and cars made in South Korea. Yesterday, Turkey said it had sent 197 cargo planes, 16 trucks and one ship to Qatar since the dispute began, according to a Reuters report quoting economy minister Nihat Zeybekci. However, longer routes have to be taken, a matter which is having a financial impact.
As the Arab boycott continues amid the Qatar crisis, Doha has been seeking to expand its external relations, which would not be feasible under a blockade. It is unencumbered enough that the EU will not hold off concluding a key air transport deal with it. Violeta Bulc, the European commissioner for transport, who is leading efforts to review the block’s aviation regulations with a number of nations, said that the Gulf remained a priority in terms of finalising these pacts and that the row would not impact talks.
"Europe sees the Gulf countries as important partners and we intend to maintain excellent relations with each of them, including in the aviation sector. Negotiations for an ambitious air transport agreement with Qatar will therefore continue and I am hopeful that we will soon be in a position to start similar negotiations with the UAE," she said.
Ms Bulc said that she will meet with Sultan Al Mansouri, economy minister and chairman of the General Civil Aviation Authority board next month and extend an invitation for the UAE to enter talks with the EU.
Negotiations with Qatar had already made good progress by early June, according to the European Commission (EC). The current diplomatic row between Qatar and its neighbours has impacted Qatar Airways with it recently deploying spare aircraft in Europe to help strike-hit British Airways maintain its short-haul schedule. This month Qatar Airways said it would bring forward the launch of new routes to Sohar in Oman and Prague. Its chief executive Akbar al-Baker has claimed it is business as usual, pushing ahead with plans to invest at least US$800 million in American Airlines.
According to Saj Ahmad, chief analyst at StrategicAero Research, securing bilateral deals such as with the EU is key to the growth ambitions of Arabian Gulf carriers. However, the current political dispute does cloud the outlook for how Qatar’s neighbours might respond to the conclusion of a deal between it and the EU before the crisis is resolved. European aviation accounts for 26 per cent of the world market. Total seats on scheduled flights between the EU and the six nations of the GCC have more than tripled over the past decade to 39 million in 2015, according to the EC.
The EU’s negotiations with Gulf countries on air transport agreements also cover market access including addressing the allegations voiced by European airlines of unfair competition from Gulf carriers.
Mr Ahmad said that other issues may come in to play such as the future of Airbus’ A380 which is struggling to find new customers.
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)
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
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Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage
Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid
Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani
Rating: 4/5
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
57%20Seconds
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Our legal advisor
Ahmad El Sayed is Senior Associate at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.
Experience: Commercial litigator who has assisted clients with overseas judgments before UAE courts. His specialties are cases related to banking, real estate, shareholder disputes, company liquidations and criminal matters as well as employment related litigation.
Education: Sagesse University, Beirut, Lebanon, in 2005.
Various Artists
Habibi Funk: An Eclectic Selection Of Music From The Arab World (Habibi Funk)
Gulf Under 19s final
Dubai College A 50-12 Dubai College B
European arms
Known EU weapons transfers to Ukraine since the war began: Germany 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 Stinger surface-to-air missiles. Luxembourg 100 NLAW anti-tank weapons, jeeps and 15 military tents as well as air transport capacity. Belgium 2,000 machine guns, 3,800 tons of fuel. Netherlands 200 Stinger missiles. Poland 100 mortars, 8 drones, Javelin anti-tank weapons, Grot assault rifles, munitions. Slovakia 12,000 pieces of artillery ammunition, 10 million litres of fuel, 2.4 million litres of aviation fuel and 2 Bozena de-mining systems. Estonia Javelin anti-tank weapons. Latvia Stinger surface to air missiles. Czech Republic machine guns, assault rifles, other light weapons and ammunition worth $8.57 million.
The view from The National
The biog
DOB: March 13, 1987
Place of birth: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia but lived in Virginia in the US and raised in Lebanon
School: ACS in Lebanon
University: BSA in Graphic Design at the American University of Beirut
MSA in Design Entrepreneurship at the School of Visual Arts in New York City
Nationality: Lebanese
Status: Single
Favourite thing to do: I really enjoy cycling, I was a participant in Cycling for Gaza for the second time this year
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
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
How to donate
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
Results
2.30pm: Expo 2020 Dubai – Conditions (PA) Dh80,000 (Dirt) 1,600m; Winner: Barakka, Ray Dawson (jockey), Ahmad bin Harmash (trainer)
3.05pm: Now Or Never – Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,600m; Winner: One Idea, Andrea Atzeni, Doug Watson
3.40pm: This Is Our Time – Handicap (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Perfect Balance, Tadhg O’Shea, Bhupat Seemar
4.15pm: Visit Expo 2020 – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Kaheall, Richard Mullen, Salem bin Ghadayer
4.50pm: The World In One Place – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1.900m; Winner: Castlebar, Adrie de Vries, Helal Al Alawi
5.25pm: Vision – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: Shanty Star, Richard Mullen, Rashed Bouresly
6pm: Al Wasl Plaza – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: Jadwal, Dane O’Neill, Doug Watson
