• Outside view of the newly-opened Al Zahia City Centre in Sharjah. All pictures are courtesy Pawan Singh / The National)
    Outside view of the newly-opened Al Zahia City Centre in Sharjah. All pictures are courtesy Pawan Singh / The National)
  • The newly-opened mall is the largest in the Northern emirates.
    The newly-opened mall is the largest in the Northern emirates.
  • The mall is home to an eight lane bowling alley.
    The mall is home to an eight lane bowling alley.
  • The mall is also home to a 16-screen Vox Cinema
    The mall is also home to a 16-screen Vox Cinema
  • Vox Gold is the VIP cinema experience for those who want to indulge in a fine dining menu with their movie.
    Vox Gold is the VIP cinema experience for those who want to indulge in a fine dining menu with their movie.
  • The Cinema features a space with double couches for a shared experience
    The Cinema features a space with double couches for a shared experience
  • Inside the children's cinema with colourful seating options
    Inside the children's cinema with colourful seating options
  • Tom & Jerry Cheese Town, an experience for families
    Tom & Jerry Cheese Town, an experience for families
  • The food court at City Centre Al Zahia in Sharjah.
    The food court at City Centre Al Zahia in Sharjah.
  • A grand plaza offers access to children’s play areas
    A grand plaza offers access to children’s play areas
  • The Carrefour Hypermarket at City Centre Al Zahia, Sharjah
    The Carrefour Hypermarket at City Centre Al Zahia, Sharjah
  • Hand sanitising stations at theCity Centre Al Zahia in Sharjah.
    Hand sanitising stations at theCity Centre Al Zahia in Sharjah.

Inside Sharjah's new City Centre Al Zahia: 16-screen cinema, bowling alley and gaming centre


Janice Rodrigues
  • English
  • Arabic

The largest mall in the Northern Emirates is now open in Sharjah.

City Centre Al Zahia opened to the public last Wednesday, offering more than 136,200 square metres of retail, dining and leisure space.

Headed by Majid Al Futtaim, the mall is home to entertainment and retail attractions including a 16-screen Vox Cinemas, featuring three Gold auditoriums for those wanting to indulge in fine dining offerings while they watch the latest films, two Max mega-screens, a children's auditorium and a new cinema space with double couches for a shared experience.

There's also a bowling centre with an eight-lane bowling alley, digital scorekeeping computers and video simulations. The space also features foosball tables, billiards and restaurants.

Visitors will also find Magic Planet, which spans over two floors, where the little ones can test out video games such as Halo, King Kong of Skull Island VR or try rides such as G-Force, or Gravity Air Park, an inflatable obstacle course.

At 136,200 square metres, this is the largest mall in Sharjah. Pawan Singh / The National
At 136,200 square metres, this is the largest mall in Sharjah. Pawan Singh / The National

City Centre Al Zahia includes brands such as Carrefour, Zara, Bershka, Pandora, Pull & Bear, Virgin Megastores, Centrepoint, Home Centre, Max, Emax, Steve Madden, Pablosky, ecco and Pandora. Nine retailers — including Lululemon, Crate and Barrel and Lego — are new to Sharjah .

A grand plaza offers access to children's play areas and an art zone, while families can also look forward to Tom and Jerry Cheese Town, a new attraction. There's plenty in the pipeline, too. A nine-hole mini golf experience is set to launch in April.

To celebrate the opening of Majid Al Futtaim’s 28th mall in the region, the company has launched a “shop and win” competition, where people who spend Dh200 or more are entered into a draw to win Dh5,000 Share points daily.

SERIE A FIXTURES

Friday (UAE kick-off times)

Sassuolo v Bologna (11.45pm)

Saturday

Brescia v Torino (6pm)

Inter Milan v Verona (9pm)

Napoli v Genoa (11.45pm)

Sunday

Cagliari v Verona (3.30pm)

Udinese v SPAL (6pm)

Sampdoria v Atalanta (6pm)

Lazio v Lecce (6pm)

Parma v Roma (9pm)

Juventus v Milan (11.45pm)

 

The specs: 2018 Audi RS5

Price, base: Dh359,200

Engine: 2.9L twin-turbo V6

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic

Power: 450hp at 5,700rpm

Torque: 600Nm at 1,900rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 8.7L / 100km

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Racecard:

6.30pm: Mazrat Al Ruwayah (PA) | Group 2 | US$55,000 (Dirt) | 1,600 metres

7.05pm: Meydan Sprint (TB) | Group 2 | $250,000 (Turf) | 1,000m

7.40pm: Firebreak Stakes | Group 3 | $200,000 (D) | 1,600m

8.15pm: Meydan Trophy | Conditions (TB) | $100,000 (T) | 1,900m

8.50pm: Balanchine | Group 2 (TB) | $250,000 (T) | 1,800m

9.25pm: Handicap (TB) | $135,000 (D) | 1,200m

10pm: Handicap (TB) | $175,000 (T) | 2,410m.

From Zero

Artist: Linkin Park

Label: Warner Records

Number of tracks: 11

Rating: 4/5

Indoor cricket World Cup:
Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23

UAE fixtures:
Men

Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final

Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final

UAE squad

Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Udeni Kuruppuarachchige, Vaishnave Mahesh.

UAE tour of Zimbabwe

All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I

SANCTIONED
  • Kirill Shamalov, Russia's youngest billionaire and previously married to Putin's daughter Katarina
  • Petr Fradkov, head of recently sanctioned Promsvyazbank and son of former head of Russian Foreign Intelligence, the FSB. 
  • Denis Bortnikov, Deputy President of Russia's largest bank VTB. He is the son of Alexander Bortnikov, head of the FSB which was responsible for the poisoning of political activist Alexey Navalny in August 2020 with banned chemical agent novichok.  
  • Yury Slyusar, director of United Aircraft Corporation, a major aircraft manufacturer for the Russian military.
  • Elena Aleksandrovna Georgieva, chair of the board of Novikombank, a state-owned defence conglomerate.
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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

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
'The Lost Daughter'

Director: Maggie Gyllenhaal

Starring: Olivia Colman, Jessie Buckley, Dakota Johnson

Rating: 4/5