Latest news with #UAE
The National
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The National
Dave Chappelle roasts Trump, Israel-Iran conflict and DJ Khaled's silence: 'This isn't how it works, champ'
Dave Chappelle roasted Donald Trump's handling of the Israel-Iran conflict during his show in Abu Dhabi on Friday night. Travelling to the Gulf days after a ceasefire went into effect, the American comedian made light of the US President's unpredictability during his performance at a sold-out Etihad Arena as part of Abu Dhabi Comedy Season. 'Trump – I don't know about this guy. I can't tell if he's going to do good or not,' Chapelle said, adding: 'What a week you guys must have had over here in the Middle East.' The 51-year-old entertainer also brought up the US President's Saturday Truth Social post announcing the air strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities. 'Trump wrote that 'we did a meticulously perfect attack. We have disabled their nuclear facility.' And then at the end of the post he said, 'and now is the time for peace!' Word? I don't think that's how this works, champ,' Chappelle said. The comedian also made reference to the March security scandal surrounding US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, who shared attack plans on the Houthis through his Signal account. 'Trump bombed Iran, in an attack that was carefully planned on WhatsApp,' Chapelle said. Chappelle made light of growing concerns in the US regarding the ongoing regional conflict, saying: 'Everybody in America is scared. It's not good when Bible places are in the news. That means it might be the end of times. And if it is, you know what? I had a good run.' When an audience member yelled out the name of Palestinian-American musician DJ Khaled, the comedian questioned why the DJ has remained silent on the ongoing war in Gaza. 'DJ Khaled, let me tell you something. For a Palestinian, this man is awfully quiet right now. And as a Palestinian, how could you be that quiet right now? And why are you so fat? People are starving. He's the only fat Palestinian on earth right now,' Chappelle joked. Chappelle has been outspoken about the suffering of Palestinians ever since the Israel-Gaza war began. Last year, during his show in Abu Dhabi, he described Israel's actions in Gaza as ' genocide ' to cheers from the audience. He's tempered his criticism of Trump since his re-election, urging the American leader to have empathy for the people of Palestine during his January appearance on Saturday Night Live. And while he did not comment directly on Palestine in his latest UAE performance, he did end by making his stance on the matter clear. 'Now that I'm a big powerful voice in America, I've learnt that I have to be careful. I can get in some kind of trouble and they'll try to extort me and put words in my mouth so that I come out here and lie to you,' Chappelle said. 'So if that ever happens, we need a phrase. It has to be something that I would never say. So that if I say it, you know not to listen to anything I say after that. You ready? The phrase is: I stand with Israel.' Abu Dhabi Comedy Season 2025 is set to conclude next month with US comedian Bill Burr's performance on July 12.
The National
3 hours ago
- Business
- The National
Beyond the Bottom Line: How UAE Companies Can Turn Tax Compliance into Competitive Advantage
This column focuses on different treatments of tax law. If you are in a certain industry, what is the correct timing when invoicing? What information is mandatory on supplier invoices? You can continue to ask questions of this nature up to and including internal document management and compulsory filing with external parties. By way of consequences, inevitably it is the stick, not the carrot, that delivers the greatest response. It is important to understand what penalties can be applied and the sum value of interest on those. This is because it is typically at a later time that problems are discovered. Focusing on the carrot, let us reframe this as a positive business proposition. It is a useful exercise to revisit, line by line, component by component, your profit-and-loss statement to see if contributing elements are optimised. One part often overlooked is tax. Not just corporate tax, but VAT – and depending on your business activities – excise and customs duties. You can tell a lot about a chief executive's leadership by what draws their attention first. 'Sales is vanity, profit is sanity and cash flow is reality.' In uncertain times this adage is never more true. Let's start with sales. From an organisational viewpoint, the location of sales should cause you to consider having a separate entity for non-Gulf business. Depending on what and where you do it, this business might be exempt from corporate tax. At the very least, you can elect to sit outside the UAE's VAT system having satisfied the relevant authorities that you comply with their conditions. What would be lost in reclaimable VAT would be counterbalanced by not having to comply with rules of treatment for client and supplier invoices. Add to that reporting and the potential for disruptive external audits to normal internal operations. Let us add another layer. As more rules are introduced to a tax regime, it requires more effort to manage the increased difficulty. Several regimes that are adding new or amending existing rules, often tugging operational practices in different directions, require an alternative management approach. The worst outcome is when the rules of one tax regime are permitted to dictate the actions of another and do so incorrectly. For example, I've worked with people who, for years, thought that VAT did not apply to their revenue. These businesses will discover that the people to whom they are filing their annual corporate tax return, detailing their revenue, are the same as those they are not reporting their VAT related revenue to. If this is the position you find yourself in, admit the error. The relevant authorities will work with you to correct matters. Yes, with penalties, but having dealt with and settled your dues, the issue is considered resolved and everyone moves on. The above are examples of what you might find when you review your sales processes. It's not a comprehensive list. Let us move on to cost of goods and services. Does your business track the profitability of each piece of work it does at a consolidated level? For a corporate tax perspective, you are interested in whether any of your suppliers are related or connected parties. This means understanding the different parties that make up your supply chain. While you are looking at that, take a look at your margins. While we are talking about transfer pricing, what happens when a related party is not a direct supplier, but instead supplies one who is. Do the same rules of proving that transactions are being carried out at arm's length apply? I do not know. It's possible that a business might be unaware that it's happening. Given ignorance is no defence in law, that might not be sufficient, should it be discovered. Would the value of such business matter? A one-off transaction of value verses multiple micro transactions. Given the breadth of what constitutes a related party in the UAE, it might be easier than you think to find your organisation in this position.
The National
4 hours ago
- General
- The National
UAE Property: ‘Can my landlord charge a maintenance fee when I vacate?'
Question: I am writing to raise a concern regarding my recent experience with a property I vacated in the Al Jaddaf area in Dubai. When I first moved in, I submitted a security deposit of Dh4,000 ($1,089) for a unit measuring about 970 square feet. The rent was initially Dh80,000, then increased to Dh85,000, and was most recently raised to Dh93,000 following a change in building management. Due to the continuous rent increases, I decided not to renew and chose to vacate. During my two-year tenancy, the apartment experienced significant issues, such as cracks on the walls, the AC was never cleaned or serviced, the building's alarm system frequently rang at night, and the gas provider disconnected the alarm because it rang for no reason. Additionally, I personally paid to fix the shattaf and door, as maintenance requests during my tenancy were consistently ignored. Despite all this, I have now been charged more than Dh1,400 for 'maintenance' on vacating. I have asked the agent for a clear breakdown, and in response, I received unrelated images. What is more troubling is the pattern of discrimination I encountered. As a 30-year-old Somali woman, I often felt treated unfairly. There were instances where agents openly said that they do not rent to Nigerians or Sudanese, and when confronted, they deflected responsibility by blaming the landlord. I would appreciate your advice on how to escalate this matter. TA, Dubai Answer: It is common practice to give back a rented property in the manner it was given at the start of the tenancy. If it was painted and cleaned before, this would need to be done while returning the property. This will ensure your deposit will not be withheld. Some landlords describe this work as maintenance but in reality, it is just presentation. You mention a few points such as cracks appearing and that the AC was never cleaned. Unless the cracks were significant and you reported them, it is the landlord's responsibility to sort these out, but again, unless they were structural defects, these cracks would normally disappear when the apartment would be decorated. The AC cleaning would be done only if there is a contract to do so or by request from yourself and should be done at least once a year. It is not clear from your email if you complained about this. The building alarm going off is unfortunate but does not constitute a financial loss. I have reviewed the list of maintenance charges against you, but find them to be reasonable. If you do not want them to charge you, your choice would be to sort out the cleaning and painting yourself. I have not seen your tenancy agreement, but the common practice on maintenance issues is that if there is any issue below Dh500, this would be the tenant's responsibility and above this sum is on the landlord. I can only assume the shattaf and door came to less than the Dh500. Q: I want your guidance regarding a property transaction in process for a unit I am selling in Dubai. On May 15, I signed form F with a buyer, with the help of a registered broker. The contract is valid for two months from the date of signing. Before the signing of form F and payment of the 10 per cent security deposit, the buyer had obtained mortgage pre-approval. However, the initial pre-approval has lapsed and a subsequent reapplication was unsuccessful. As of June 20, the broker is working to obtain a new pre-approval through a different financial institution. As the contract is nearing expiry, will form F be at risk of breach due to the buyer's inability to secure financing so far? Also, if the transaction fails to proceed due to the buyer's financing situation, would I be eligible to claim the 10 per cent deposit or would this be subject to specific conditions or dispute resolution processes? I want to understand the correct procedures and options available to me under current regulations. KK, Dubai A: I only have the information given in your email, so I must make a few assumptions. I can only confirm your first question if there are certain clauses to confirm this in form F. Sometimes, it is mentioned that if the buyer cannot get final approval on finance for whatever reason, the deal can be considered null and void without penalties. If this clause is present, the buyer can walk away from the deal without repercussions. For your second point, the answer should be straightforward, but unfortunately it is not. Unless the buyer confirms in writing that they are in breach of the deal, you can only lay claim to the 10 per cent by filing a case at the Dubai courts. This will take time and be subject to fees. The end result should be to sell the property but sometimes, things go wrong or take a while to sort, so I would organise an addendum or extension to form F to finalise the deal. If things take too long or it is clear the buyer cannot purchase the property, only then should you seek legal recourse.
Daily Mail
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Katie Price left humiliated after being forced to delete 18th birthday tribute to daughter Princess
Katie Price was left humiliated after being forced to delete her 18th birthday tribute to daughter Princess on Friday. The glamour model, 47, who shares the influencer with ex Peter Andre, took to her Instagram Stories to mark the milestone, but her kind words came 48 hours too early. Katie posted a sweet snap of young Princess, who turns 18 on Sunday, and gushed: 'Happy 18th birthday to the most amazing daughter and my best friend @princess_andre I love you so much'. The post was then swiftly taken down before the mum-of-five, who is currently in Dubai, replaced it with another snap of the birthday girl. She wrote: '2 days until Princess turns 18 can't believe it xx'. Earlier this week Princess looked the spitting image of her famous mother as she posed for a stunning selfie. She sported a curly-haired looked similar to her mother in her heyday for the snap after getting ready for a Dua Lipa show. Fully glammed up with a full face of W7 Cosmetics makeup, Princess cracked a smile for the camera as the sun beamed down on her. 'What a beauty...' read the caption penned by Princess's beautician. The curly-haired look brought back memories of Katie, now 47, who donned a similar haircut when she shot to fame back in the 1990s. Pictures of the former glamour model taken during her modelling days in 1995 show her sporting frizzy light-brown locks while clad in a white two-piece skirt and top. Katie has indeed sported a number of different hairstyles over the years. After rising to stardom with her natural curly hair, during her Jordan days Katie would regularly straighten her brown locks. She later dyed her hair blonde, actually sporting a braided look during her time on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! in 2004 - when she met Princess's father Peter Andre, 52. It comes after Princess opened up about her private life in a rare interview, revealing that she's 'not a big drinker' ahead of her big birthday. She told Ok! Magazine that she isn't a huge fan of drinking because she'd 'never want to embarrass herself'. 'I'm not really a big drinker or party-goer,' the 17-year-old revealed. 'I'll never put myself in a position that would make me look bad.' Princess also opened up about her split from her boyfriend of two years last month. 'I'm feeling good. I've always kept my personal life personal so I don't talk too much about it but now is the time to focus on me.' It was reported in May that she had split from her partner after her busy career left 'no place for a man'. While her former flame remains unnamed, Princess declared last year that she was 'in love'. According to The Sun Princess, who kept much of her relationship out of the public eye, will be doing the same with the 'tough' break up. A source told the publication: 'They just grew apart, they were each other's first love so it has been tough but there are no hard feelings.' 'He's still on good terms with both Katie and Peter, Princess is really concentrating on her career right now and there's no place for a man'. Princess' reps declined to comment when contacted by MailOnline. The teen first went public with their romance when she invited him along to her mother Katie's 45th birthday celebrations in Brighton in May 2023. Katie then appeared on Jamie Laing's Private Parts podcast, where she opened up on her thoughts about the romance. Discussing her Christmas plans at the time, she revealed: 'Princess and her boyfriend are coming up with me for the weekend.' Jamie excitedly interrupted: 'Princess has a boyfriend!' causing Katie to reply: 'I know, Ed. He's alright actually.' Describing their relationship, she continued: 'I watch them, and they argue, then they laugh. They argue like proper little teenagers. 'They're both like jealous of each other and it's like, 'Oh shut up you two!' They are funny together, they're like a little married couple.'
Gulf Business
5 hours ago
- Business
- Gulf Business
DubaiNow app users can now access their credit report, credit score
Image: Getty Images/ For illustrative purposes The Etihad Credit Bureau (ECB), the UAE's federal entity for credit information and analytics, has announced a strategic partnership with DubaiNow, the Dubai government's unified smart services platform, allowing users to access their credit report and credit score directly through the app. The integration enables individuals to retrieve their credit data with a single click, significantly enhancing user convenience and digital accessibility. 'Etihad Credit Bureau is committed to advancing the UAE's digital transformation agenda by fostering integration across local government platforms,' said Marwan Ahmad Lutfi, director general of Etihad Credit Bureau. 'By leveraging advanced technology and seamless APIs, we've made it easier than ever to stay informed about your credit health through the digital channels individuals use most.' DubaiNow offers over 300 services Image courtesy DubaiNow website Matar Al Hemeiri, chief executive of the Digital Dubai Government Establishment, said: 'We are pleased to announce the joining of Etihad Credit Bureau to the DubaiNow application, enabling users to easily and quickly access their credit information anytime. This step embodies Etihad Credit Bureau's leading position and reflects its commitment to advancing the digitalisation of life in the UAE.' The initiative aligns with the UAE's national strategy, 'We the UAE 2031', which envisions a pioneering digital ecosystem that supports modern lifestyles and a robust digital economy. Etihad Credit Bureau's integration with DubaiNow follows earlier efforts such as its service linkage with Both entities say the partnership will encourage informed decision-making and promote financial literacy among UAE residents, while laying the groundwork for deeper intergovernmental digital collaborations.
