The UAE's car-sharing platform ekar will begin operations in Bangkok in January 2022, a move that will see it expanding within South-East Asia.
The company will expand its services to other cities in Thailand later next year, it said on Sunday.
Ekar will introduce its car subscription service, which offers cars from one to nine months for a single monthly subscription cost with no down payments or long-term commitments via the app in Thailand.
The personal mobility company will also introduce its peer-to-peer car sharing services, which allow people to rent their own cars to the general public, later in 2022.
Ekar’s subscription and peer-to-peer car sharing services will allow residents and tourists to have access to affordable four-wheeled mobility
Vilhelm Hedberg,
founder, ekar
“Bangkok is an incredibly exciting opportunity, a city with a high smartphone penetration yet limited tech-enabled self-drive mobility options,” said Vilhelm Hedberg, founder of ekar.
“Ekar’s subscription and peer-to-peer car sharing services will allow residents and tourists to have access to affordable four-wheeled mobility, while reducing the overall number of cars on the roads.”
Car-sharing apps that allow customers to rent a vehicle by the hour, or even the minute, have been growing in popularity. The pay-by-use model of car hire saves drivers on costs of insurance, maintenance and car loan repayments.
More consumers are now open to vehicle subscription services, according to a survey of car industry executives conducted by management consultancy McKinsey last year.
Ekar provides users with on-demand access to a network of thousands of vehicles. Since its inception in 2016, ekar has grown from a 15-vehicle pilot programme with Etihad Airways to a multi-country service used by more than 250,000 customers in seven cities across the GCC.
The company operates in the UAE and Saudi Arabia and will introduce the service in Malaysia imminently, with Egypt and Turkey launches scheduled for later in 2022.
All ekar subscription cars, which are technology-enabled vehicles from fleet owners and car rental companies, come with insurance, maintenance and roadside assistance and can be switched, traded up or returned at any time, the company said.
A user can select a desired model on the ekar app and a sterilised car will be delivered to them within a two-hour window.
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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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
