The UAE has urged global investors and industrialists to capitalise on its business-friendly environment that could help them achieve their manufacturing and export goals, as part of a strategy to support priority industrial sectors and attract investments.
The Emirates is seeing “significant development” in its plans to become a leading destination for global industrial companies and investment, Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, said during his visits to industrial companies in Dubai.
Dr Al Jaber visited electronic waste company Enviroserve and the Unilever factory, both located in Dubai Industrial City, where he was briefed on their international expansion plans.
We invite all investors and industrialists to benefit from the substantial competitive advantages available in the UAE, which give them the opportunity to realise their ambitions in manufacturing, developing and exporting their products
Dr Sultan Al Jaber,
Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology
The visits are part of the ministry's efforts to communicate directly with companies in the sector, follow up on innovative projects and continue to foster an environment that contributes to improving the sector’s success, the ministry said on Wednesday.
“Through these visits, we aim to discuss ways to provide a supportive business environment for local and international investors in the industrial sector, in line with the ministry’s strategy to transform the UAE into a major hub for future industries and advanced industries, as well as assist in opening up new regional and global markets to UAE-made products,” Dr Al Jaber said.
Dubai Industrial City is attracting global projects by providing the environment and solutions that support their growth, confirming the UAE industrial sector's ability to attract quality investments, he said.
The UAE, the Arab world’s second-largest economy, plans to increase the contribution of the industrial sector to its gross domestic product in the next 10 years to create jobs and attract investment.
Last year, the UAE announced Operation 300bn, which aims to more than double the contribution of the industrial sector to economic output to Dh300 billion ($81.68bn) by 2031, from Dh133bn in March 2021.
The ideas and operations of leading companies can assist the ministry's efforts to raise the industrial sector’s contribution to the national economy, and enhance the UAE’s global position as an destination for investment, it said.
“We invite all investors and industrialists to benefit from the substantial competitive advantages available in the UAE, which give them the opportunity to realise their ambitions in manufacturing, developing and exporting their products,” Dr Al Jaber said. The ministry engages in direct communication with all of its partners in the advanced industrial sector, he said.
Enviroserve recycles and processes electronic and electrical waste and equipment, and disposes of information technology assets, refrigerants and specialised waste.
The company has expanded from the UAE to new markets in Africa, the Middle East and the Caucasus region.
Its recycling model helps to make the industrial sector “more environmental friendly without affecting its growth”, said chief executive Lyes Yahiaoui.
Unilever's factory in Dubai Industrial City produces nearly 400 brands, making it the largest manufacturer of liquid personal care products in the Middle East and North Africa. It is also the company's regional headquarters for Mena, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Turkey.
The factory has delivered an 84 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions from energy along with a 22 per cent energy consumption reduction (per tonne of production), with 90 per cent of effluent reused, said Sanjiv Kakkar, regional executive vice president.
“We are now focused towards achieving Unilever commitment to net zero emissions by 2030,” he said.
Dubai Industrial City, part of Tecom Group, has attracted regional and international players in the industrial and logistics sector, and promoted the export of UAE-made products to international markets, Malek Al Malek, director general of the Dubai Development Authority and group chief of Tecom Group, said.
Company profile: buybackbazaar.com
Name: buybackbazaar.com
Started: January 2018
Founder(s): Pishu Ganglani and Ricky Husaini
Based: Dubai
Sector: FinTech, micro finance
Initial investment: $1 million
Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
Profile of Bitex UAE
Date of launch: November 2018
Founder: Monark Modi
Based: Business Bay, Dubai
Sector: Financial services
Size: Eight employees
Investors: Self-funded to date with $1m of personal savings
Brave CF 27 fight card
Welterweight:
Abdoul Abdouraguimov (champion, FRA) v Jarrah Al Selawe (JOR)
Lightweight:
Anas Siraj Mounir (TUN) v Alex Martinez (CAN)
Welterweight:
Mzwandile Hlongwa (RSA) v Khamzat Chimaev (SWE)
Middleweight:
Tarek Suleiman (SYR) v Rustam Chsiev (RUS)
Mohammad Fakhreddine (LEB) v Christofer Silva (BRA)
Super lightweight:
Alex Nacfur (BRA) v Dwight Brooks (USA)
Bantamweight:
Jalal Al Daaja (JOR) v Tariq Ismail (CAN)
Chris Corton (PHI) v Zia Mashwani (PAK)
Featherweight:
Sulaiman (KUW) v Abdullatip (RUS)
Super lightweight:
Flavio Serafin (BRA) v Mohammad Al Katib (JOR)
Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar
Director: Neeraj Pandey
Rating: 2.5/5
Quick facts on cancer
- Cancer is the second-leading cause of death worldwide, after cardiovascular diseases
- About one in five men and one in six women will develop cancer in their lifetime
- By 2040, global cancer cases are on track to reach 30 million
- 70 per cent of cancer deaths occur in low and middle-income countries
- This rate is expected to increase to 75 per cent by 2030
- At least one third of common cancers are preventable
- Genetic mutations play a role in 5 per cent to 10 per cent of cancers
- Up to 3.7 million lives could be saved annually by implementing the right health
strategies
- The total annual economic cost of cancer is $1.16 trillion
First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus
The Library: A Catalogue of Wonders
Stuart Kells, Counterpoint Press
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David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
The years Ramadan fell in May
Honeymoonish
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Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
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
What is Folia?
Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal's new plant-based menu will launch at Four Seasons hotels in Dubai this November. A desire to cater to people looking for clean, healthy meals beyond green salad is what inspired Prince Khaled and American celebrity chef Matthew Kenney to create Folia. The word means "from the leaves" in Latin, and the exclusive menu offers fine plant-based cuisine across Four Seasons properties in Los Angeles, Bahrain and, soon, Dubai.
Kenney specialises in vegan cuisine and is the founder of Plant Food Wine and 20 other restaurants worldwide. "I’ve always appreciated Matthew’s work," says the Saudi royal. "He has a singular culinary talent and his approach to plant-based dining is prescient and unrivalled. I was a fan of his long before we established our professional relationship."
Folia first launched at The Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills in July 2018. It is available at the poolside Cabana Restaurant and for in-room dining across the property, as well as in its private event space. The food is vibrant and colourful, full of fresh dishes such as the hearts of palm ceviche with California fruit, vegetables and edible flowers; green hearb tacos filled with roasted squash and king oyster barbacoa; and a savoury coconut cream pie with macadamia crust.
In March 2019, the Folia menu reached Gulf shores, as it was introduced at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, where it is served at the Bay View Lounge. Next, on Tuesday, November 1 – also known as World Vegan Day – it will come to the UAE, to the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach and the Four Seasons DIFC, both properties Prince Khaled has spent "considerable time at and love".
There are also plans to take Folia to several more locations throughout the Middle East and Europe.
While health-conscious diners will be attracted to the concept, Prince Khaled is careful to stress Folia is "not meant for a specific subset of customers. It is meant for everyone who wants a culinary experience without the negative impact that eating out so often comes with."
