After a notable absence over the past two years owing to the pandemic, Ramadan tents and majlises have once again returned to the UAE. Always a favourite with friends and family, there's plenty to celebrate this year. Whether it's an iftar with a view or suhoor under the stars, here's a look at eight tents to visit in Abu Dhabi and Dubai to mark the occasion.
Amaseena at The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai
Amaseena will have Bedouin-inspired tents under the stars while Arabic music plays to create an authentic desert dining experience. There will be lamb mandi, traditional favourites such as tagine and a spread across nine stations that showcases the best of Middle Eastern cuisine from Morocco, Lebanon, the UAE and more. The iftar buffet starts at Dh249 per person, while suhoor is a la carte, with dishes from Dh35.
Daily; iftar from sunset-9pm, suhoor from 10pm-1am; The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai; www.ritzcarlton.com; 04 399 4000
Asateer Tent at Atlantis, The Palm
Palm Jumeirah’s hugely popular Asateer Tent is back and serves both iftar and suhoor, with the addition of themed buffet nights this year, including Moroccan, Lebanese, Persian and Emirati cuisine. The tent also features a variety of seating arrangements for guests, including a Royal Majlis, four VIP Majlis areas, two family majlises, as well as booth seating and more than 100 dining tables. Iftar is Dh240 per person on weekdays and Dh260 on weekends. Meanwhile, those wanting to attend suhoor will need to have a minimum spend of Dh170 per person excluding shisha.
Daily; iftar is sunset-8.30pm, suhoor is 9.30pm-2.30am; Atlantis, The Palm, Palm Jumeirah, Dubai; atlantisthepalm.com; 04 426 2626
Al Majlis at Madinat Jumeirah
Al Majlis will be open for iftar and suhoor throughout Ramadan. The main dining space has a distinctly Arab vibe with its twinkling lights, chandeliers and generous use of mirrors. Buffet stations serve up Middle Eastern and international dishes. For those who prefer more privacy, there are four private majlis seating areas that can be booked exclusively for larger groups. Iftar is Dh220 per person, while suhoor starts at Dh185 per person.
Daily; iftar is sunset-8.30pm, suhoor is 9.30pm-3am; Madinat Jumeirah, Al Sufouh, Dubai; call 04 366 5500 or email al-majlis@jumeirah.com
Al Hadheerah tent at Bab Al Shams Desert Resort & Spa
The beautiful scenery makes the drive to Bab Al Shams Desert Resort & Spa worth it. Iftar features nearly a dozen food stations serving cuisines from Emirati and Omani to Syrian and Moroccan, with several vegetarian options available, too. An oud player and Tanoura dancer will be on hand to set the scene, and guests can also enjoy a heritage show featuring a falcon and camel. Advance reservation is required.
Daily; sunset-10pm; Dh299 per person, children aged 4 to 11 get 50 per cent off; Bab Al Shams Desert Resort & Spa, Al Qudra Road, Dubai; call 04 809 6194 or email bas.restaurants@meydanhotels.com
Rooftop tent at SLS Dubai Hotel & Residences
Enjoy iftar on the 75th floor of SLS Dubai Hotel & Residences as the property will host a Ramadan tent on its rooftop for the first time. Throughout the holy month, guests can enjoy breaking their fast from sunset with panoramic views of the Dubai skyline. The tent will feature majlis seating, colourful lanterns and Arabian carpets. Guests will be welcomed with medjoul dates and fresh juices before being served freshly baked breads and dips. Sharing-style starters will be served while guests can choose from tajine, quail, seafood, mushroom or lamb for mains. End on a sweet note with a selection of desserts including mango kunafa and pistachio baklava. Space is limited to only 50 guests daily, so booking is required. In-house guests can also enjoy suhoor on the 75h floor, which is from 10pm until sunrise.
Daily; sunset-10pm; Dh185 per person; SLS Dubai Hotel & Residences, Business Bay, Dubai; email slsdubai@slshotels.com or call 04 607 0757
Majlis of the World at Global Village
Global Village announced that it will extend its opening by four weeks, meaning that it will stay open throughout the holy month. The family-friendly attraction will host Ramadan Nights, a multicultural iftar and suhoor experience at the Majlis of the World. There will be an outdoor tent that offers sit-down meals along with traditional entertainment such as live music and board games. On weekends, there will be a 9pm fireworks show to mark the occasion. Table options come in two, four or six-person seating.
Daily; sunset-2am; Dh150 for two hours or Dh200 for the entire evening; Global Village, Dubai; www.globalvillage.ae
Majlis Lounge at Rosewood Abu Dhabi
Enjoy iftar overlooking the Abu Dhabi skyline at Rosewood Abu Dhabi. Starting at sunset, head to the Majlis Lounge for an iftar with live stations featuring Ramadan favourites from local and regional to international flavours. There is an early bird special price of Dh215 for week one. The iftar menu will change every two to three days. Meanwhile, enjoy suhoor with a set menu or a la carte. Iftar is sunset to 9pm, while suhoor is 10pm to 3am.
Daily; Dh235 per person for iftar, Dh195 for suhoor set menu; Rosewood Abu Dhabi, Al Maryah Island, Abu Dhabi; www.rosewoodhotels.com; call 02 813 5520 or email abudhabi.festival@rosewoodhotels.com
Al Meylas at Four Seasons Hotel Abu Dhabi
Head to Al Meylas to enjoy an iftar in a modern majlis with an assortment of Ramadan classics. Choose from a set menu or enjoy a la carte with dishes that consist of mezze favourites such as warak enab, fatayer, and savour mains such as chicken shawarma or Arabic mixed grill. Finish the meal by sampling the restaurant’s signature kunafa.
Daily; sunset-2am; Dh300 per person for set menu; Four Seasons Hotel Abu Dhabi at Al Maryah Island, Abu Dhabi; www.fourseasons.com; 02 333 2222
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
MATCH INFO
World Cup qualifier
Thailand 2 (Dangda 26', Panya 51')
UAE 1 (Mabkhout 45 2')
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Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
If you go
The flights
Etihad (etihad.com) flies from Abu Dhabi to Luang Prabang via Bangkok, with a return flight from Chiang Rai via Bangkok for about Dh3,000, including taxes. Emirates and Thai Airways cover the same route, also via Bangkok in both directions, from about Dh2,700.
The cruise
The Gypsy by Mekong Kingdoms has two cruising options: a three-night, four-day trip upstream cruise or a two-night, three-day downstream journey, from US$5,940 (Dh21,814), including meals, selected drinks, excursions and transfers.
The hotels
Accommodation is available in Luang Prabang at the Avani, from $290 (Dh1,065) per night, and at Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp and Resort from $1,080 (Dh3,967) per night, including meals, an activity and transfers.
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Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
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Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
Company%20profile
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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.”
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher: Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
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Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
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
Dubai Rugby Sevens
November 30, December 1-2
International Vets
Christina Noble Children’s Foundation fixtures
Thursday, November 30:
10.20am, Pitch 3, v 100 World Legends Project
1.20pm, Pitch 4, v Malta Marauders
Friday, December 1:
9am, Pitch 4, v SBA Pirates
AIR
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