On 16 March 2022 in Cairo, Egypt, members of the Arab Competition Network (the “ACN”) held their first conference to launch this new network. This alert provides a high-level presentation of the ACN, as well as an overview of its mission and goals. Background and Goals of the ACN The ACN is a product of the efforts and collaboration of the Arab League and the Egyptian Competition Authority. The ACN aims to provide a platform…
In brief Across the globe, transfer pricing disputes have increased following a waterfall of changes, e.g., BEPS, increased transparency, global compliance obligations, intangibility of value creation and digitized taxation. The pandemic added its synchronized impact by provoking countless economic and social ripples on the already turbulent waters. Against this backdrop, the Middle Eastern economies are battling lower oil prices and budget deficits, which in turn increase the pressure for fiscal receipts. In the last couple…
Signing of the “Al-Ula Declaration” ending trade and other restrictions against Qatar As reported in our previous client update, on 5 January 2021, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and the rest of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states, along with Egypt, signed the “Al-Ula Declaration” at the 41st GCC Summit held in the city of Al-Ula. This marks the end of a three and a half year boycott…
In brief Our Middle East Tax Newsletter aims to provide you with regular updates, insights and practical guidance on the tax implications of doing business in the region. In this issue, we provide a roundup of the current status of Value Added Tax (VAT) and the most recent tax related developments across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), as well as their implications on the financial position of businesses. Oman VAT On 12 October 2020, it…
In brief Recent developments in the labour laws of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia and Bahrain have been issued to bridge the gender- pay gap between men and women. The updates have been in relation to: (i) prohibiting discrimination, whether in pay or otherwise, between male and female employees who carry out the same job in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain; (ii) introducing paternity leave in the UAE; and (iii) granting female…