Paris Couture Week: Zuhair Murad among select designers to hold shows at July event

After a year of online-only presentations, couture is returning to the City of Lights.

Paris Couture Week will take place in the French capital next month, with a select group of labels holding live runway shows.

According to a provisional calendar published by the Federation de la Haute Couture et de la Mode, eight designers will present collections in-person, signalling a return to the runway after two seasons of virtual showcases.

Among the curated group of labels taking part is Lebanon's Zuhair Murad, which will bring its autumn/winter 2021 collection to Paris.

Dior, Azzaro Couture, Chanel, Giorgio Armani Prive, Balenciaga, Jean Paul Gaultier and Vaishali S will also hold catwalk displays, according to the calendar revealed on Monday.

The event, which will run between Monday, July 5 and Thursday, July 8, will also incorporate a number of online presentations by the likes of Fendi, Giambattista Valli and Schiaparelli.

Regional labels Georges Hobeika, Elie Saab and Maison Rabih Kayrouz are also set to hold virtual shows.

A limited number of invite-only guests will attend the physical shows, the fashion institution revealed.

Notable shows include Balenciaga, which will make its return to haute couture after 53 years, Maison Margiela, which postponed its spring/summer 2021 collection last season, and Pyer Moss, which will debut its first couture collection.

While not part of the calendar, Maison Alaia will also make a long-awaited runway return under new designer Pieter Mulier next month. The fashion house, founded by Tunisian designer Azzedine Alaia who died in 2017, will take place the day before the start of Paris Couture Week.

Jean Paul Gaultier Couture will also return under guest designer Chitose Abe, after the label's eponymous designer retired from the runway in January 2020.

Scroll through the gallery below to see more from Zuhair Murad's spring / summer 2020 show at Paris Haute Couture Week:

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The specs

Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 640hp
Torque: 760nm
On sale: 2026
Price: Not announced yet

Stree

Producer: Maddock Films, Jio Movies
Director: Amar Kaushik
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Rating: 3.5

Biography

Favourite book: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

Holiday choice: Anything Disney-related

Proudest achievement: Receiving a presidential award for foreign services.

Family: Wife and three children.

Like motto: You always get what you ask for, the universe listens.

ENGLAND SQUAD

Eoin Morgan (captain), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Tom Curran, Alex Hales, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood

Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters

The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.

Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.

A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.

The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.

The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.

Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.

Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment

But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.

Electoral College Victory

Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.

Popular Vote Tally

The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.

ARGENTINA SQUAD

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Defenders: Juan Foyth, Nicolas Otamendi, German Pezzella, Nicolas Tagliafico, Ramiro Funes Mori, Renzo Saravia, Marcos Acuna, Milton Casco
Midfielders: Leandro Paredes, Guido Rodriguez, Giovani Lo Celso, Exequiel Palacios, Roberto Pereyra, Rodrigo De Paul, Angel Di Maria
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Squid Game season two

Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk

Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun

Rating: 4.5/5

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