Inside Ikea Al Wahda Mall: an exclusive look inside Abu Dhabi's latest store

Finishing touches are being made in the new Ikea shop at Al Wahda Mall in Abu Dhabi.

Room displays have been assembled, shelves are stacked and the cafe is ready to welcome customers. The Christmas display is also assembled and ready for the start of the festive season.

The shop is set to open on Wednesday, November 18, spread across 2,100 square metres on the first floor of the mall, which will be the first in the centre of the city. Ikea already has a store on Yas Island, as well as two shop in Dubai – one at Festival City and another at Festival Plaza mall.

Click through the gallery above for an exclusive first look inside Ikea, Al Wahda Mall.

The Al Wahda Mall branch of Ikea will open on November 18. Victor Besa / The National

It is significantly smaller than the UAE's other three stores – the Yas Island store is 33,000 square metres and the Festival Plaza mall store is 35,000 square metres, the biggest in the UAE.

It will stock "approximately 2,000 low and medium-sized ready-to-assemble furniture and home essentials", the company said.

For all other products, customers will have digital access to the full range and can place their orders in-shop to have them delivered to their homes or the store.

"Al Wahda Mall remains a top destination for shopping, entertainment and leisure in the heart of Abu Dhabi, so we are thrilled to be able to bring our new Ikea concept store to this location," says Vinod Jayan, Ikea's UAE and Oman managing director.

"The full size Ikea store in Yas Island, which has operated on an area of 33,000 square metres since 2011, will continue to be the go-to destination for the complete inspiring Ikea experience, so our goal is to create a closer glimpse of that experience at the heart of the Abu Dhabi Island."

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Also on December 7 to 9, the third edition of the Gulf Car Festival (www.gulfcarfestival.com) will take over Dubai Festival City Mall, a new venue for the event. Last year's festival brought together about 900 cars worth more than Dh300 million from across the Emirates and wider Gulf region – and that first figure is set to swell by several hundred this time around, with between 1,000 and 1,200 cars expected. The first day is themed around American muscle; the second centres on supercars, exotics, European cars and classics; and the final day will major in JDM (Japanese domestic market) cars, tuned vehicles and trucks. Individuals and car clubs can register their vehicles, although the festival isn’t all static displays, with stunt drifting, a rev battle, car pulls and a burnout competition.

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