• People with their dogs at the official opening of Central Bark in Damac Akoya Oxygen in Dubai.
    People with their dogs at the official opening of Central Bark in Damac Akoya Oxygen in Dubai.
  • People arriving with their dogs for the official opening of Central Bark. All photos by Pawan Singh/The National
    People arriving with their dogs for the official opening of Central Bark. All photos by Pawan Singh/The National
  • Dogs playing at the official opening of Central Bark in Damac Akoya Oxygen in Dubai.
    Dogs playing at the official opening of Central Bark in Damac Akoya Oxygen in Dubai.
  • Doggy accessories on display at one of the stalls during the official opening of Central Bark.
    Doggy accessories on display at one of the stalls during the official opening of Central Bark.
  • People arriving with their dogs for the official opening of Central Bark.
    People arriving with their dogs for the official opening of Central Bark.
  • The entrance to Central Bark.
    The entrance to Central Bark.
  • People arriving with their dogs for the official opening of Central Bark.
    People arriving with their dogs for the official opening of Central Bark.
  • The dedicated dog park is located in Damac's Akoya Oxygen community.
    The dedicated dog park is located in Damac's Akoya Oxygen community.
  • People with their dogs at the official opening of Central Bark.
    People with their dogs at the official opening of Central Bark.
  • People with their dogs at the official opening of Central Bark.
    People with their dogs at the official opening of Central Bark.
  • The opening day of Central Bark.
    The opening day of Central Bark.
  • Families and their four-legged friends watch a film after the official opening of Central Bark.
    Families and their four-legged friends watch a film after the official opening of Central Bark.
  • A visitor at Central Bark.
    A visitor at Central Bark.
  • People arriving with their dogs for the official opening of Central Bark.
    People arriving with their dogs for the official opening of Central Bark.
  • People with their dogs at the official opening of Central Bark.
    People with their dogs at the official opening of Central Bark.
  • People with their dogs at Central Bark.
    People with their dogs at Central Bark.
  • Shayda Jansar with her dog Henry at the official opening of Central Bark.
    Shayda Jansar with her dog Henry at the official opening of Central Bark.

Dubai's four-legged residents flock to new dog park at Akoya Oxygen


Selina Denman
  • English
  • Arabic

Dubai’s four-legged residents have a new spot to to call their own, following the opening of Central Bark, a dedicated dog park in Dubai’s Akoya Oxygen community. This follows the opening of a dog park at Damac Hills two weeks ago, firmly placing Damac communities among the most dog friendly in the city.

Opening day at Central Bark. Pawan Singh / The National
Opening day at Central Bark. Pawan Singh / The National

A fully enclosed spot surrounded by trees, Central Bark is a five minute walk from the Akoya Oxygen Community Centre and is located behind the community's Carrefour supermarket. It is open to all and free to enter. Opening day included doggy agility demonstrations, competitions and games. The festivities concluded with a showing of Frozen on the lawn by the dog park.

Central Bark's “unleashing ceremony” was organised by Flopster, a self-dubbed “pet community facilitator”, which brings the UAE’s pet lovers together and supports developers such as Damac in creating more pet-friendly communities.

Laetitia Guidicelli, founder of Flopster, commented: “The UAE has seen an increase in pet-friendly and bespoke pet-focused events and activities in recent years and we are proud to have played a key role in this development.

“The opening of Akoya’s dog friendly park is testament to the growing number of developers who seek to enhance their communities’ offerings to cater to the growing number of pet owners.

"As a business that brings the UAE’s animal lovers together, we are proud to support Damac in their efforts to create bespoke pet-friendly spaces across their developments. We look forward to hosting many exciting events at Akoya in the coming months.”

Flopster has also launched #FlopsterFridays at the dog-friendly beach at Al Jazira Bungalows in Ghantoot. For Dh100 per person, dog owners and their furry friends get full access to the pet-friendly beach, as well as doggie activities, surfing lessons, sunset beach yoga and games.

Groom and Two Brides

Director: Elie Semaan

Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla

Rating: 3/5

The specs

Engine: 5.2-litre V10

Power: 640hp at 8,000rpm

Torque: 565Nm at 6,500rpm

Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto

Price: From Dh1 million

On sale: Q3 or Q4 2022 

The specs

Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel

Power: 579hp

Torque: 859Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Price: From Dh825,900

On sale: Now

Difference between fractional ownership and timeshare

Although similar in its appearance, the concept of a fractional title deed is unlike that of a timeshare, which usually involves multiple investors buying “time” in a property whereby the owner has the right to occupation for a specified period of time in any year, as opposed to the actual real estate, said John Peacock, Head of Indirect Tax and Conveyancing, BSA Ahmad Bin Hezeem & Associates, a law firm.

The specs

Engine: 3.8-litre, twin-turbo V8

Transmission: eight-speed automatic

Power: 582bhp

Torque: 730Nm

Price: Dh649,000

On sale: now  

The biog

Name: Marie Byrne

Nationality: Irish

Favourite film: The Shawshank Redemption

Book: Seagull by Jonathan Livingston

Life lesson: A person is not old until regret takes the place of their dreams

Test

Director: S Sashikanth

Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan

Star rating: 2/5

White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogenChromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxideUltramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica contentOphiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on landOlivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour

FFP EXPLAINED

What is Financial Fair Play?
Introduced in 2011 by Uefa, European football’s governing body, it demands that clubs live within their means. Chiefly, spend within their income and not make substantial losses.

What the rules dictate? 
The second phase of its implementation limits losses to €30 million (Dh136m) over three seasons. Extra expenditure is permitted for investment in sustainable areas (youth academies, stadium development, etc). Money provided by owners is not viewed as income. Revenue from “related parties” to those owners is assessed by Uefa's “financial control body” to be sure it is a fair value, or in line with market prices.

What are the penalties? 
There are a number of punishments, including fines, a loss of prize money or having to reduce squad size for European competition – as happened to PSG in 2014. There is even the threat of a competition ban, which could in theory lead to PSG’s suspension from the Uefa Champions League.

DUBAI%20BLING%3A%20EPISODE%201
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECreator%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENetflix%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EKris%20Fade%2C%20Ebraheem%20Al%20Samadi%2C%20Zeina%20Khoury%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
From Zero

Artist: Linkin Park

Label: Warner Records

Number of tracks: 11

Rating: 4/5

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

Teri%20Baaton%20Mein%20Aisa%20Uljha%20Jiya
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirectors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Amit%20Joshi%20and%20Aradhana%20Sah%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECast%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Shahid%20Kapoor%2C%20Kriti%20Sanon%2C%20Dharmendra%2C%20Dimple%20Kapadia%2C%20Rakesh%20Bedi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

Engine: 80 kWh four-wheel-drive

Transmission: eight-speed automatic

Power: 402bhp

Torque: 760Nm

Price: From Dh280,000