Traders at Dubai Financial Market. The emirate has taken steps to encourage listings. Pawan Singh / The National
Traders at Dubai Financial Market. The emirate has taken steps to encourage listings. Pawan Singh / The National
Traders at Dubai Financial Market. The emirate has taken steps to encourage listings. Pawan Singh / The National
Traders at Dubai Financial Market. The emirate has taken steps to encourage listings. Pawan Singh / The National

Dubai to list 10 state-owned companies as it seeks to increase stock market size to Dh3tn


Mary Sophia
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Dubai plans to list 10 government and state-owned companies on the Dubai Financial Market as part of a broader strategy to double the financial market's size to Dh3 trillion ($816.7 billion).

The emirate's authorities also launched a market maker fund worth Dh2bn as it seeks to encourage listings from sectors such as energy, logistics and retail.

A fund worth Dh1bn will be formed to attract more technology companies to list in the local bourse and encourage innovative products, Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, tweeted on Monday, following the first meeting of the Securities and Exchange Higher Committee.

"Dubai has a stock market, Nasdaq Dubai, and a gold and commodities exchange. We are the second largest Islamic sukuk centre in the world and the third highest country in diamond trading. We have one of the largest gold exchanges, we are the largest country to re-export tea and we have exchanges to trade these commodities. Our next stop will be to organise digital assets for the future," he tweeted.

The Securities and Exchange Higher Committee approved the formation of Dubai Markets Supervisory Committee and specialised courts for capital markets, Dubai Media Office said in a statement on Monday.

The committee will study a regulatory framework to attract new digital assets to operate from Dubai and will support Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors and reporting in operations.

The Dubai Markets Supervisory Committee will be chaired by Abdulla Al Ghafari and will be responsible for supervising, monitoring and protecting the rights of shareholders and investors, and improving transparency in the emirate's securities and commodities markets.

The committee also approved the formation of two specialised courts within the Commercial Court to settle securities disputes from January 2022. The courts will be dealing with both major and minor disputes based on the financial value of each case.

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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

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Updated: November 02, 2021, 5:46 AM