Sisters Grimm, a Dubai production company founded by ballerina Pietra De Mello-Pittman and Grammy-nominated singer Ella Spira, have released a new song and music video featuring artworks by children across the UAE.
It launched online on Wednesday, marking World Wildlife Day.
The duo recently released their "Covid-conscious" digital initiative UAE Art in Nature, giving young people aged 5 to 18 the chance to get involved with Sisters Grimm's work, and to channel their creativity while engaging with nature. It was supported by Dubai's Knowledge and Human Development Authority.
The self-funded project received more than 1,000 artistic submissions from more than 100 schools across the UAE, and these have been turned into 3D imagery used in the video for new single Windows of the Mind, which features the vocals of Madyan Hamza, who sings in Arabic, and DB Gad in English.
“We wanted to provide children with the opportunity to learn outside their usual environment and enjoy the many benefits of nature for well-being and to inspire artistic, creative expression and family connection,” said Sisters Grimm, in a statement.
Every child who sent in a submission has had their artwork displayed in the online UAE Art in Nature Gallery and will receive a signed certificate of participation.
The work will tour the Emirates and later be made available internationally, as part of a Sisters Grimm-curated art installation, in which all of the pieces will be set alongside Spira's paintings of natural landscapes across the UAE.
"We conceived this project to create an opportunity for everyone to consciously connect with nature and to encourage environmental awareness so we can all start to take the necessary steps to reaching net zero emissions.
“It’s the start of everyone individually making lifestyle choices from a place of appreciating and understanding the power of nature, and how important it is we all protect our natural world.”
Sisters Grimm have released numerous songs and music videos since the start of the pandemic, amassing more than 5.3 million views on their YouTube channel.
This includes United, a song written for UAE National Day by Spira and DB Gad, featuring the vocals of Emirati singer Shamma Hamdan, Don Abdullah and Madyan Hamza. Its video has more than three million views on YouTube.
It was inspired by the travels of De Mello-Pittman and Spira across the seven emirates. "The idea behind the song United was us wanting to share these wonders of the UAE that we've been lucky enough to experience and believe it gives a different level of understanding of where this region has come from," the duo wrote in the description on YouTube.
“It has been special and unexpected to discover the history, culture and natural beauty of the region, which is perhaps less known.”
De Mello-Pittman and Spira founded Sisters Grimm in 2009 in London, before establishing their first international office in the UAE in 2020. They set up a home writing and recording studio to complete production on a new show, Daughters of the Wind, which they say will showcase the best of the UAE and celebrate Arab culture.
In 2020, the pair were also made MBEs (Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) by Queen Elizabeth II for their services to international trade and to the creative industries.
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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How do I nominate someone? Through the website.
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