It is all gaiety and swank at the Sheikh Zayed Festival as the annual event marks the UAE's golden anniversary.
Running from November 18 to April 1, the cultural jamboree has always been about honouring local customs and traditions. This year, a new and improved family-friendly programme celebrates the country’s achievements from the past 50 years, and highlights its diverse migrant community.
The festival, which opens daily at 4pm, has augmented its Al Wathba venue almost twofold, with dedicated districts for several countries including the GCC states, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, India, China and Morocco.
The districts hold daily folkloric performances with over 650 acts set to perform in the coming months. They also feature stalls brimming with spices, foods, clothes, books and trinkets from each participating nation.
At the Palestinian wing, Amer Eid, Al Wathba’s self-proclaimed “zaatar king", hails passersby to his stand, offering conically-wrapped pieces of pita dipped in assorted blends of the Middle Eastern spice mixture.
“Palestinian zaatar is well known,” Eid says. A resident of Al Ain, he has been participating in the Sheikh Zayed Festival since three years. “I wanted to bring something new this year,” he says. “This one is mixed with pomegranate syrup, and this is a makdoos blend that I call the Palestinian Kentucky blend.”
Among the must-try dishes on offer at the festival is the regional favourite, halwa. Made in a large steaming pot with almonds, farina, caramelised sugar, rose water, saffron and cardamom, the dessert is one of Oman’s most popular traditional dishes and can be found in the Omani wing.
In the Yemeni section, Mohammed Al Muleiki attracts attendees by scooping large dollops of honey and letting them trickle back into their pots in viscous golden and amber trails.
Al Muleiki says he has been attending the festival for several years and that this is its biggest iteration yet. “It’s still the first day so we’ll see how it progresses, but the attendance is pretty great,” he says, before offering me another plastic teaspoon overflowing with ginger honey.
Al Muleiki is right. The turnout, hundreds strong, is impressive even by pre-pandemic standards. After two years of Covid-stunted events, there is an evident demand for family-friendly programming and the festival delivers in spades.
There are fireworks and laser shows, drawing portraits of the country’s leaders in the night sky, awe-inspiring performances by aerialists and a minutely choreographed water display at the Emirates Fountain. An ice rink, sports resort, funfair, flower garden, children’s theatre and even a house of horrors provide activities to suit a multitude of moods.
Celebrating the 50th
But perhaps the most marked additions of this year’s festival are the exhibitions highlighting the UAE’s accomplishments in the last half century, underlining the role the event's namesake, Sheikh Zayed, the Founding Father, had in the nation’s development.
Outdoor displays of archival photographs show key moments in the country’s early history such as the hosting of the UAE flag following the 1971 union and its inclusion to the United Nations.
A “Year of 50” zone features interactive displays that highlight some of the country’s most recent accomplishments – including the mission to Mars and the construction of museums including the Guggenheim and Louvre in Abu Dhabi.
A section is also dedicated to the UAE’s heritage, highlighting traditional crafts such as Khoos, a form of weaving that involves braiding palm fronds to create objects. The objects made often serve a functional purpose, such as the circular Surood, on which food is placed, or the fan-like Mahafa, used to cool oneself or fan a flame.
The festival is also hosting a number of competitions, including the Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan International Festival for Arabian Horses Prize Draw, Sheikh Zayed Dhow Sailing Race, Zayed Grand Prize for camel riding and Sheikh Zayed Falconry Competition. A saluki show will also highlight the age-old tradition of keeping and caring for the elegant desert hounds.
On December 2, the festival will host a special programme in celebration of the UAE’s 50th National Day, marking the occasion with folklore shows and live performances.
More information about the Sheikh Zayed Festival can be found at www.zayedfestival.ae
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Director: Majid Al Ansari
Rating: 4/5
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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.
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At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
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6.20pm: Jebel Hatta – Group 1 (TB) $260,000 (T) 1,800m; Winner: Lord Glitters, Daniel Tudhope, David O’Meara
6.55pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 – Group 1 (TB) $390,000 (D) 2,000m; Winner: Salute The Soldier, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass
7.30pm: Nad Al Sheba – Group 3 (TB) $228,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: Final Song, Frankie Dettori, Saeed bin Suroor
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- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
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Name: Dukkantek
Started: January 2021
Founders: Sanad Yaghi, Ali Al Sayegh and Shadi Joulani
Based: UAE
Number of employees: 140
Sector: B2B Vertical SaaS(software as a service)
Investment: $5.2 million
Funding stage: Seed round
Investors: Global Founders Capital, Colle Capital Partners, Wamda Capital, Plug and Play, Comma Capital, Nowais Capital, Annex Investments and AMK Investment Office
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Director: John Madden
Cast: Colin Firth, Matthew Macfayden, Kelly Macdonald and Penelope Wilton
Rating: 4/5
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