Bollywood star Ranveer Singh, Hollywood actress Diane Kruger and veteran Saudi actor Abdullah Al-Sadhan are to be honoured this year at the Red Sea International Film Festival.
The 10-day event, which celebrates the best of Saudi, Arab and international cinema, begins in Jeddah on Thursday.
Recipients of The Red Sea: Honoree Award are "prominent cinematic figures and icons who contributed to shaping the history of cinema as we know it today", organisers said.
“This year, we are honouring Ranveer Singh, an icon of Hindi cinema; Diane Kruger, who has delivered us a series of unforgettable characters from Helen of Troy to Tarantino’s Bridget von Hammersmark and affected us with her powerhouse performance of the avenging Angel Katja in Fatih Akin’s In the Fade; as well as the hugely beloved Abdullah Al-Sadhan, who has been a mainstay of Saudi entertainment through Tash ma Tash for two decades and will also appear in this year’s competition title Norah," said Mohammed Al-Turki, chief executive of the Red Sea International Film Festival.
Singh, one of the most popular actors in India, is no stranger to the festival. Along with his wife, actress Deepika Padukone, Singh attended the event in 2021 for the world premiere of their film 83.
Organisers have also announced the full jury for this year's event. It will be led by director Baz Luhrmann, known for films including Elvis and Moulin Rouge. He will be joined in the Red Sea: Features jury by Swedish-American actor Joel Kinnaman (Silent Night, For All Mankind and Suicide Squad), Bafta Award-nominated actress Freida Pinto (Slumdog Millionaire and Knight of Cups), Egyptian actress Amina Khalil (Grand Hotel and Eugenie Nights) and Spanish actress Paz Vega (Sex and Lucia and The OA).
The Red Sea: Shorts competition will be judged by Hana Alomair, a Saudi writer, filmmaker and film critic behind Netflix series Whispers; French-Moroccan actor Assaad Bouab (Call My Agent and Whatever Lola Wants); and award-winning Turkish-German film director, screenwriter and producer Fatih Akin.
The opening film this year is Hwjn, based on a popular Saudi fantasy romance novel. Hwjn is set in Jeddah and tells the story of a kind-hearted jinn who lives unseen among humans and develops an unexpected connection with Sawsan, a young medical student.
The book was written by Ibraheem Abbas and released in 2013 and became a bestseller in the kingdom. Director Yasir Alyasiri called it "an epic tale of romance, adventure and culture that has resonated with millions in Saudi Arabia and beyond".
"Bringing this beloved novel to life as a movie has been an extraordinary journey and a landmark achievement for regional cinema," he said earlier. "It's profoundly meaningful for us to open this year’s Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah – the city where Hwjn's story was born, and which plays a pivotal role in the narrative."
The event will close with Hollywood film Ferrari, starring Adam Driver as Enzo Ferrari, the motor racer and founder of the famed Italian car company. Directed by Michael Mann, the A-list cast includes Penelope Cruz, Shailene Woodley and Patrick Dempsey.
Ferrari was partly funded by Red Sea International Film Financing.
“Ferrari is Michael Mann in overdrive. It's a story about passion, love, and business where the cars are as beautiful as the film – which we loved from the moment we first saw it," said Kaleem Aftab, director of international programming for the festival. "This visually rich film serves as an exhilarating close to both this year’s festival and the international strand."
The biog
Favourite films: Casablanca and Lawrence of Arabia
Favourite books: Start with Why by Simon Sinek and Good to be Great by Jim Collins
Favourite dish: Grilled fish
Inspiration: Sheikh Zayed's visionary leadership taught me to embrace new challenges.
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
How to turn your property into a holiday home
- Ensure decoration and styling – and portal photography – quality is high to achieve maximum rates.
- Research equivalent Airbnb homes in your location to ensure competitiveness.
- Post on all relevant platforms to reach the widest audience; whether you let personally or via an agency know your potential guest profile – aiming for the wrong demographic may leave your property empty.
- Factor in costs when working out if holiday letting is beneficial. The annual DCTM fee runs from Dh370 for a one-bedroom flat to Dh1,200. Tourism tax is Dh10-15 per bedroom, per night.
- Check your management company has a physical office, a valid DTCM licence and is licencing your property and paying tourism taxes. For transparency, regularly view your booking calendar.
UAE%20SQUAD
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Uefa Nations League: How it works
The Uefa Nations League, introduced last year, has reached its final stage, to be played over five days in northern Portugal. The format of its closing tournament is compact, spread over two semi-finals, with the first, Portugal versus Switzerland in Porto on Wednesday evening, and the second, England against the Netherlands, in Guimaraes, on Thursday.
The winners of each semi will then meet at Porto’s Dragao stadium on Sunday, with the losing semi-finalists contesting a third-place play-off in Guimaraes earlier that day.
Qualifying for the final stage was via League A of the inaugural Nations League, in which the top 12 European countries according to Uefa's co-efficient seeding system were divided into four groups, the teams playing each other twice between September and November. Portugal, who finished above Italy and Poland, successfully bid to host the finals.
THE 12 BREAKAWAY CLUBS
England
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur
Italy
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus
Spain
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid
Arabian Gulf Cup FINAL
Al Nasr 2
(Negredo 1, Tozo 50)
Shabab Al Ahli 1
(Jaber 13)
