Live updates: follow the latest news on Covid-19 variant Omicron
Demand for PCR testing surged as pupils returned to schools and workplaces after the winter break.
Demand was greatest at clinics that offer more affordable testing rates, starting at Dh50. All clinics run by Abu Dhabi's Seha group have tests for Dh50.
Many testing centres are offering free PCR screening with the purchase of a ticket to Expo 2020 Dubai, which means it could cost you as little as Dh45.
Be advised that some screening centres now said results can take up to 48 hours, up from less than 12 hours a month ago.
Many companies have implemented stricter workplace regulations after the New Year celebrations, requesting staff working in offices to test more regularly to help curb the spread of Covid-19.
Here is a list of some clinics offering affordable PCR testing in the UAE.
Dubai
Seha Covid-19 screening centre, City Walk, Dubai
Price: Dh50 for PCR test (results within 48 hours)
Appointment: Drive through (book via mobile application)
Opening times: 10am to 8pm
Location: City Walk and Dubai Parks and Resorts, Dubai
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General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs, Jafiliya, Dubai
Price: Dh80 for labourers (results within 48 hours)
Appointment: Walk-in
Opening times: 7am to 11pm
Location: Jafiliya, Dubai
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Rizek mobile application, Dubai
Price: Dh99 for home PCR test (results within 48 hours)
Appointment: Home visit (book via mobile application and use code RR99)
Opening times: 7am to 11pm
Location: Dubai
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Mena Labs drive-through Covid-19 screening tent, Umm Suqeim Road
Price: Dh110 for PCR test (results within 24 hours)
Appointment: Drive through (no appointment necessary)
Opening times: 7am to midnight
Location: Umm Suqeim Road, Dubai
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Abu Dhabi
Mediclinic Airport Road Hospital, Abu Dhabi
Price: Dh50 (results within 24 hours)
Appointment: PCR testing centre is available at building F (appointments not necessary but preferred)
Opening times: 8am to 5pm
Location: Airport Road, Abu Dhabi
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Mediclinic Al Noor Hospital
Price: Dh50 (results within 24 hours)
Appointment: Walk-in on first floor
Opening times: 10am to 9pm, Saturday to Thursday; 9am to 5pm, Friday
Location: Khalifa Street, next to First Abu Dhabi Bank
_______________
Medeor Hospital, Abu Dhabi
Price: Dh50 (results within 24 to 48 hours)
Appointment: Walk-in on first floor
Opening times: 9am to 9pm
Location: Muroor Road
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NMC Bareen International Hospital, Abu Dhabi
Price: Dh50 (results within 24 hours)
Appointment: Walk-in or drive-through (no appointment required)
Opening times: Walk-in is 10am to 10pm; drive-through is 24/7
Location: Mohammad bin Zayed City, Zone 15
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Sharjah
Seha Covid-19 screening centre, Al Bait Metwahhed, Sharjah
Price: Dh50 for PCR test (results within 48 hours)
Appointment: Drive through (book via mobile application)
Opening times: 10am to 8pm
Location: Al Bait Metwahhed, Sharjah
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NMC Medical Centre, Buhairah Corniche, Sharjah
Price: Dh100 for PCR test (results within 72 hours)
Appointment: Walk in
Opening times: 8am to 8pm
Location: Buhairah Corniche, Sharjah
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Thumbay Hospital Sharjah
Price: Dh100 for PCR test (results within 48 hours)
Appointment: Walk in
Opening times: 9am to midnight
Location: Thumbay Hospital Daycare, University City Road, Muweila, Sharjah
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
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Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
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Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
All Black 39-12 British & Irish Lions
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Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
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
Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
Director: Scott Cooper
Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Odessa Young, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 4/5
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The specs: 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk
Price, base: Dh399,999
Engine: Supercharged 6.2-litre V8
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 707hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 875Nm @ 4,800rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 16.8L / 100km (estimate)
The stats
Ship name: MSC Bellissima
Ship class: Meraviglia Class
Delivery date: February 27, 2019
Gross tonnage: 171,598 GT
Passenger capacity: 5,686
Crew members: 1,536
Number of cabins: 2,217
Length: 315.3 metres
Maximum speed: 22.7 knots (42kph)
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, second leg result:
Ajax 2-3 Tottenham
Tottenham advance on away goals rule after tie ends 3-3 on aggregate
Final: June 1, Madrid
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
