UAE residents and visitors are gearing up for a long weekend from December 1 to 4 as the country celebrates its 51st National Day on December 2.
Scroll through the gallery above to see National Day deals across the UAE
For those looking to dine out, there are a number of meal deals and special menus being offered, from discounts to all-you-can-eat offers. Here are some of them.
Cafe Society
The quirky spot in Dubai Marina, known for its artistic approach to food, is celebrating National Day with a 50 per cent discount across its menu — from breakfast to dinner. Must-try dishes include Mediterranean seafood paella, chicken piccata, French onion soup and pomegranate garden salad.
December 2; 9am-11pm; prices vary; Dubai Marina; 04 318 3755; cafesociety.ae
Majlis Al Sultan
The Middle Eastern restaurant is launching a traditional Emirati dish for its National Day celebrations at its Al Wasl Road and City Centre Me'aisem branches. Only available to order for four days, the oven-roasted lamb shoulder will be served over a plate of spiced rice or freekeh with nuts.
November 30 to December 3; noon-5pm; Dh90 per person; Al Wasl Road; 04 334 1888; City Centre Me'aisem; 04 770 1451
Bombay Borough
Dessert lovers can head to the Indian restaurant, which is celebrating National Day with a promotion on a limited-time menu. This takes in berry tres leches, Philadelphia gujiya and an Anglo-Indian bread pudding, all of which are priced at Dh51. Desserts aside, the Dubai International Financial Centre spot features pan-Indian cuisine, with dishes such as steamed sweet and sour chutney fish wrapped in a banana leaf.
December 1 to 4; noon-midnight; the DIFC; 054 995 8296; bombayborough.com
Wingstop
The famed wings shack is offering a 51 per cent discount on all online orders above Dh40 across the UAE through the Wingstop mobile app and website. The restaurant is known for its enticing flavours, which include hickory-smoked barbecue, mango habanero and lemon pepper. It has more than 1,500 outlets across the world, 18 of which are in the UAE.
December 1 to 4; times and prices vary; 800 27283; wingstop.ae
The Blacksmith
This Dubai smokehouse has a buy-one, get-one-free deal on its house drinks and delectable main courses, which include the classic slow-cooked brisket, a range of steaks, and beef short ribs. On top of the mouth-watering parade of meat, the venue features a laid-back terrace, which will host live performers on National Day at its Dubai Marina and Business Bay branches.
December 1 to 3; 5pm-11pm; prices vary; theblacksmithdubai.com
Golden Dragon
The long-standing Chinese restaurant, which opened in Oud Metha in 1976, knows a thing or two about celebrating National Day. This year, it is offering diners a Dh51 all-you-can-eat meal, featuring a selection of sushi and dim sum. On offer are classics such as salmon California rolls, dragon rolls and prawn dumplings.
December 3 to 28; noon-11pm; Dh51; Oud Metha; 04 357 7022; goldendragonme.com
Talea by Antonio Guida
As part of National Day celebrationsguests at this Emirates Palace restaurant can order a five-course set menu prepared by guest chef Alessandro Miocchi, the co-owner and head chef of the famed Retrobottega in Rome. The menu, which puts a spotlight on Miocchi's strong Italian roots, features dishes such as a risotto with smoked butter and cured lemon, and a hamachi with eggplant and miso.
December 2; 6pm-10:30pm; Dh750 per person; West Corniche Road; 02 690 7999; mandarinoriental.com
Sante Ria
For a Latino-inspired celebration of National Day, this spot in Jumeirah Village Circle is the place to be. On offer is a buy-one, get-one-free deal on main courses and house drinks. The restaurant offers an authentic South American and Caribbean experience, featuring everything from Jamaican jerk chicken and hearty Peruvian mains to Brazilian street-food delicacies.
December 1 to 3; 6pm-11pm; prices vary; The First Collection, Jumeirah Village Circle; 04 275 6630; santeriadubai.ae
Mondoux
Pastry chefs at this Dubai restaurant's two branches — at Dubai Creek Harbour and The Beach, JBR — are creating a flag mosaic for their cream and berry cakes. The best part? The dessert is free for diners eating at either outpost. The menu features a hearty breakfast and mains such as salmon Benedict and tuna steak.
December 1 to 4; 8am-midnight; mondoux.ae
Monno
The Emirati-owned artisanal Italian ristorante is celebrating National Day with a limited-time patriotic pizza donning the colours of the UAE flag. The hand-made pizza comprises freshly made dough slathered with Italian tomato sauce, with toppings including creamy mozzarella fior di latte from Naples, fresh rocket and black olives.
December 2; noon-midnight; Dh50 per pizza; Al Wasl Road, Jumeirah 1, Dubai; monno.ae
Deliveroo and Couqley
This deal is one for those embarking on a dessert camping getaway on the National Day weekend. Deliveroo and French bistro Couqley are offering a discounted rate on a BBQ Anywhere Kit, which includes two burger patties, two potato buns, aged cheddar cheese, lettuce, sliced tomatoes and onions, and a variety of condiments and sides.
November 23 to December 4; Dh69 per kit; deliveroo.ae
Rove City Centre and Frying Pan Adventures
A rather unique way to celebrate National Day, this walking tour of Old Dubai focuses on one of the city's cultural delights — karak tea. Participants will be able to "rediscover the city's roots" through tastings, from mainstream brand Project Chaiwala to more unknown spots peppered throughout the area. The three-hour tour starts at Rove City Centre in Deira, and there are two National Day-themed tours available.
December 3; Dh125; 8:45am and 11:45am; Deira; www.fryingpanadventures.com
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
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Michael Beckley, Cornell Press
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
