Ski Dubai at Majid Al Futtaim’s Mall of the Emirates has around 22,500 square metres of indoor ski. Ahmed Jadallah / Reuters
Ski Dubai at Majid Al Futtaim’s Mall of the Emirates has around 22,500 square metres of indoor ski. Ahmed Jadallah / Reuters
Ski Dubai at Majid Al Futtaim’s Mall of the Emirates has around 22,500 square metres of indoor ski. Ahmed Jadallah / Reuters
Ski Dubai at Majid Al Futtaim’s Mall of the Emirates has around 22,500 square metres of indoor ski. Ahmed Jadallah / Reuters

Travel and Tourism

Cool indoor activities during the hot summer

As the heat picks up, events and activities during summer tend to move indoors. Across the Emirates, there are some cool things to do during this period. Here is a rundown of a few of them.

Sananda Sahoo

June 01, 2014

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As the heat picks up, events and activities during summer tend to move indoors. Across the Emirates, there are some cool things to do during this period. Here is a rundown of a few of them.

• At the Cribb, a business incubator in Dubai, budding entrepreneurs can polish their pitching skills to investors next month with Innov-a-thon. The winners of this day-long marathon pitching of innovative solutions, business models and technology ideas on July 13 and 14 will be incubated for 120 days at a seed accelerator in Dubai. DP World's TURN8 seed accelerator is sponsoring the event. As part of its summer promotions, the Cribb has also halved its membership prices, which can now start at Dh349 per month.

• Those looking to catch coverage of the Fifa World Cup in Brazil in a public space with catering services can head to Sheikh Saeed Hall 3 at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC). Games will be telecast live at DWTC's The Majlis. With a capacity of 1,000 people, the venue will telecast all 64 matches from the opener between Brazil and Croatia in Sao Paulo on June 12, through the final at Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on July 13. Each table booking for more than five people comes for Dh200 and private seating for up to 12 guests starts at Dh500 per table. Iftar is available at Dh140 per person with à la carte and set menus comes for Dh200 per person for Suhour. Call 04 3086322 for more info.

• Al Forsan International Sports Resort is holding its special summer events from May 15 until September 9 at its international sports resort in Abu Dhabi. One can go karting, or engage in some paintballing, wakeboarding, kneeboarding, archery besides laser shooting with their promotional rates.

• Indoor skiing at the height of summer has been identified with Dubai for long. And this summer it is not different. Ski Dubai at Majid Al Futtaim's Mall of the Emirates has around 22,500 square metres of indoor ski.

Hotels across the UAE are packaging rooms with deals to attract guests.

• The American operators Hilton Worldwide is offering 33 per cent discount on room rates at its Middle East and Africa properties. Rates can come as low as Dh197 at Hilton Ras Al Khaimah and Dh227 at DoubleTree by Hilton Ras Al Khaimah. As tourists keep away from Egypt, rates have also plunged at the Sinai Peninsula. At Hilton Hurghada Resort, the rooms start at Dh141 and Dh178 at Hilton Sharm Waterfalls Resort. More information on hiltonweekends.co.uk/SummerSale

• Guests looking to stay at Millennium and Copthorne Hotels in this country, Jordan, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait and Iraq can choose from five packages until September. One includes a 15 per cent discount on stays of three nights or more, an equal amount of discount for bookings a week in advance or a 10 per cent off on rates for reservations made 24 hours ahead. The group has 17 hotels in the region, including eight in the UAE. More information on www.millenniumhotels.ae

• The French hotel operators Accor is offering 40 per cent discount on reservations with breakfast included at its 48 hotels in the Middle East and North Africa. The rates are valid for reservations made between May 15 and August 19 for stays between June 1 and September 15. More information on accorhotels.com.

• At Abu Dhabi's hotel chain Rotana, stays between May 15 and September 15 will receive free breakfast and Wi-Fi besides a 20 per cent discount on services during the stay period, including food and beverage, spa treatments and minibar. More information on Rotana.com.

ssahoo@thenational.ae

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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. 

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Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.

Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.

Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.

Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.

Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.

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He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.

“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.

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