How star wars can lead to a UAE industry

Film fans in the UAE are abuzz with the rumour that Abu Dhabi's desert will stand in as Tatooine, Luke Skywalker's home planet, in the next Star Wars movie. With Fast & Furious 7 also filming in the emirate, it seemed to confirm Abu Dhabi as a destination, whether for its nascent film industry or simply as a place to spot Hollywood stars.

Given that Matmata, the Tunisian village which stood in for Tatooine in the first movie, is still attracting tourists despite the passage of nearly 40 years and the turmoil of the Arab Spring, it will clearly be a notable moment for Abu Dhabi tourism if Star Wars is confirmed. However there is something far bigger at play here for the UAE and the development of its economy away from extractive industries.

Attracting major Hollywood films to the UAE will be a boon to the local film festivals but will achieve little else unless it leads to skills being passed on to locals. The world film industry is well known for its capricious exploitation of tax loopholes or financial incentives, and is equally renown for moving on if offered a better deal elsewhere.

But if locals can learn from the best in the world in a wide range of industry roles – be it scriptwriting, directing, post production or marketing – there is the prospect of creating the critical mass of expertise in the UAE that will foster a homegrown film industry.

An even surer investment for the UAE’s economy is movie-related theme parks. Construction is already well advanced on the Marvel superheroes theme park in Dubai. Universal Studios, Six Flags, Legoland and Bollywood theme parks are also planned or already underway. The experience of Anaheim and Australia’s Gold Coast is that clusters of theme parks create an industry of its own, boosting the UAE tourism sector and enticing some of the increasing number of longhaul passengers on Emirates or Etihad to break their journeys and spend a few days here.

And finally, the A-list directors who film in the UAE might realise that we also offer the same attributes of bright sunshine and reliable weather that led to Hollywood becoming the home of the US film industry. Many of those early filmmakers in the US were from the eastern seaboard but discovered California was a pleasant place to live and settle. The same could happen here, and for Abu Dhabi, that would be a true Hollywood ending.

Brief scores:

Manchester City 3

Bernardo Silva 16', Sterling 57', Gundogan 79'

Bournemouth 1

Wilson 44'

Man of the match: Leroy Sane (Manchester City)

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

MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW

Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman

Director: Jesse Armstrong

Rating: 3.5/5

The biog

Favourite colour: Brown

Favourite Movie: Resident Evil

Hobbies: Painting, Cooking, Imitating Voices

Favourite food: Pizza

Trivia: Was the voice of three characters in the Emirati animation, Shaabiyat Al Cartoon

The specs

Engine: 5.2-litre V10

Power: 640hp at 8,000rpm

Torque: 565Nm at 6,500rpm

Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto

Price: From Dh1 million

On sale: Q3 or Q4 2022

The Details

Kabir Singh

Produced by: Cinestaan Studios, T-Series

Directed by: Sandeep Reddy Vanga

Starring: Shahid Kapoor, Kiara Advani, Suresh Oberoi, Soham Majumdar, Arjun Pahwa

Rating: 2.5/5

Dubai Bling season three

Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed

Rating: 1/5

Honeymoonish

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Key facilities

Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
Premier League-standard football pitch
400m Olympic running track
NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
600-seat auditorium
Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
Specialist robotics and science laboratories
AR and VR-enabled learning centres
Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills

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

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