In Elio, a boy is transported to a utopia in the middle of the galaxy. It’s called the Communiverse, a place where aliens from across the stars joyously share the secrets of the universe. For young Elio, it’s a dream come true.
Yonas Ascuncion Kibreab, the 14-year-old Filipino-Eritrean American actor who plays the title role, once had a moment like that, too. It was the day he went to Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville, California.
Kibreab tells The National: “That campus is so magical. Being there, it’s almost like you’re living in a Pixar movie. All the people there are so cool and creative – I’m just so grateful I got to go there.”
While he’s now one of the handful of child actors to ever lead a Pixar movie, he never thought it possible he’d get there. Growing up, he wanted to be a professional tennis player – though he did watch the film Up over and over, crying each time.
“I started playing tennis when I was around three, and I played until I was 12. But I loved it so much that I would make funny tennis-related videos,” says Kibreab.
The US Tennis Association saw his work, inviting him to the US Open in New York to interview the top tennis players.
“I was like, ‘oh heck yeah’. That was the dream. But my parents saw me doing the interviews, and they thought, ‘I think he could be a good actor’. So I got an agent, did a commercial audition, and now I’m here,” Kibreab says.
In the character of Elio, who his Armenian-American co-director Madeline Sharafian describes as “the world's weirdest kid”, Kibreab related most to his active imagination, outgoing personality, and the fact that he doesn’t care what people think. “I think that’s his superpower. It was never hard to go into Elio’s character, because he’s like me in a lot of ways.”
When Kibreab auditioned for the role, he didn’t have the script, which he found thrilling. “It was the coolest thing. I could imagine what this movie was – what my character looked like. And all the aliens and the amazing universe that Pixar’s animators had created. It was so special because it’s something no one had ever seen before,” he continues.
In the three years that he played Elio, from the age of 11 until 14, he bonded with his character to the point that, to play the most emotional scenes, he didn’t have to think of any sad moments in his own life.
“It was Elio who really helped me. I just had to think of Elio’s story. There were so many deep things for me. When he’s crying in the story, honestly, just that itself made me cry,” says Kibreab.
In the film, however, Kibreab actually plays two characters – both Elio, and the AI clone of Elio made by the ship’s computer in the Communiverse. The clone travels back to Earth and takes his place, living with his aunt and pretending to be him.
“I feel like other Elio is a little bit creepier,” says Kibreab. “The directors were like, ‘have you seen any horror movies?' I'm like, Yeah, I have!’ So they told me, ‘just try to do your creepiest voice.'”
The young actor got so into the role, that he suggested to the directors that they record both characters at the same time, with him switching back and forth between playing both versions without a break.
“They're like, wow, that's a cool idea. Let's try it,” says Kibreab.
In the years that he recorded for the role, Kibreab started to grow up behind the scenes – so fast he hardly noticed until he went to the film’s premiere. When he looked up at the screen, he remembered how different Elio was when he auditioned for him – how unsure of himself he was. But the character in the finished product is different – a reflection of the young man he’s becoming.
“He has more confidence now than he did. When I watched the movie, I kind of teared up a little bit, because I really felt how Elio is feeling,” says Kibreab.
Elio is in cinemas now across the Middle East
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The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
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Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
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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