President Joe Biden on Thursday brushed off the drop in support among Muslim and Arab Americans due to US policy in the Israel-Gaza war, saying there is still time before the presidential election.
Before heading to North Carolina for a campaign event where he was due to speak about the economy, the Democratic President told reporters there is a “long way to go” before the November 5 elections.
He also said that his probable Republican opponent, former president Donald Trump, is expected to reintroduce a travel ban on Muslims and Arabs.
“The former president wants to put a ban on Arabs coming into the country," Mr Biden said. "We’ll make sure that we understand who cares about the Arab population."
Mr Trump was in office from 2017-2021 and ordered travel bans on nationals from several Muslim-majority states from entering the US. He has vowed to reimpose and even expand them if re-elected.
The bans sparked a severe backlash and challenges in courts. Mr Biden overturned them when he took office.
There has been intense anger among Muslim and Arab Americans over his response to Israel's war on Gaza and his refusal to call for a ceasefire.
Muslim and Arab-American groups have been campaigning against Mr Biden, and communities across the US have vowed not to vote for him.
Muslims and Arabs account for a small portion of US voters, but they are concentrated in states that are critical for Mr Biden's re-election bid.
They have also historically leaned towards the Democrats, and if they stay home, it could spell disaster for his campaign.
“Usually, the president wins an election because of his strong support for Israel,” Warren David, president of the Arab America organisation, told The National.
“This might be the first time a president loses an election because of it."
The election will probably be decided by a handful of key states, including Michigan, home to a large Arab and Muslim population.
A poll conducted by the Detroit News and WDIV-TV found Mr Biden trailing Mr Trump by 8 percentage points in the state.
In 2020, Mr Biden won Michigan by 3 percentage points.
Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Georgia and Arizona are also must-wins for Mr Biden.
“If they don't put a more concerted effort on Michigan, he might lose by double digits,” said Abed Ayoub, the national legal and policy director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee.
Mr Ayoub said that Michigan is also home to many supporters of the Palestinian cause.
“Those are people we grew up with, who support us,” he told The National. “If they think this is only a Palestinian or Arab issue, they're missing the point.”
This month, protesters calling for a ceasefire in Gaza interrupted Mr Biden's speech at a church that was the site of a 2015 white supremacist mass killing in South Carolina.
'Shakuntala Devi'
Starring: Vidya Balan, Sanya Malhotra
Director: Anu Menon
Rating: Three out of five stars
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- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
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The specs
Engine: Turbocharged four-cylinder 2.7-litre
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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 38,387
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Red Sparrow
Dir: Francis Lawrence
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Joel Egerton, Charlotte Rampling, Jeremy Irons
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Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
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The view from The National
Profile
Co-founders of the company: Vilhelm Hedberg and Ravi Bhusari
Launch year: In 2016 ekar launched and signed an agreement with Etihad Airways in Abu Dhabi. In January 2017 ekar launched in Dubai in a partnership with the RTA.
Number of employees: Over 50
Financing stage: Series B currently being finalised
Investors: Series A - Audacia Capital
Sector of operation: Transport
Zayed Sustainability Prize
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
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
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
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Founders: Abdulmajeed Alsukhan, Turki Bin Zarah and Abdulmohsen Albabtain.
Based: Riyadh
Offices: UAE, Vietnam and Germany
Founded: September, 2020
Number of employees: 70
Sector: FinTech, online payment solutions
Funding to date: $116m in two funding rounds
Investors: Checkout.com, Impact46, Vision Ventures, Wealth Well, Seedra, Khwarizmi, Hala Ventures, Nama Ventures and family offices
