Fifty days of winter festivities at Expo City Dubai will centre around a 16-metre tall Christmas tree. AFP
Fifty days of winter festivities at Expo City Dubai will centre around a 16-metre tall Christmas tree. AFP
Fifty days of winter festivities at Expo City Dubai will centre around a 16-metre tall Christmas tree. AFP
Fifty days of winter festivities at Expo City Dubai will centre around a 16-metre tall Christmas tree. AFP

Expo City Dubai to transform into magical ‘Winter City’ to celebrate the holidays


Hayley Skirka
  • English
  • Arabic

The holidays are coming early this year as Expo City Dubai is transforming into a Winter City later this month.

From November 23, through UAE National Day and into the New Year, the Mobility District, Surreal water feature and Al Wasl Plaza at Expo City Dubai will host 50 days of festivities.

As well as a chalet-style Christmas market, there will be traditional fairground games, a place for children to post their letters to Santa and plenty of decorated pine trees.

Santa poses for a picture with kids during the official Expo 2020 Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony in Dubai. REUTERS / Satish Kumar
Santa poses for a picture with kids during the official Expo 2020 Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony in Dubai. REUTERS / Satish Kumar

The festive celebrations will begin on December 9 with a tree lighting ceremony to illuminate the district’s 16-metre tall Christmas tree. The White Christmas theme will be reflected in the projection show at Al Wasl Dome, which will transform nightly into a glowing wintry spectacle.

With the scent of mulled drinks and mince pies wafting through the air, families can try wreath and ornament-making workshops, take part in gingerbread baking classes and visit Expo City’s toy factory where teddy bears can be customised for each child. There’s also a fully-decorated Santa’s Grotto.

Live entertainment is scheduled with a performance called Mrs Claus Christmas Show running from December 20-29, and Carols by Candlelight will place in the five days including and leading up to Christmas Day.

Dogs are also welcome to join the festive fun, as Expo City Dubai is now pooch friendly with complimentary water bowls, treats and waste bags available for all four-legged visitors.

UAE National Day at Expo City Dubai

Winter City is also where UAE National Day celebrations will be under way at Expo City Dubai this year.

Celebrating 51 years since the UAE was founded, it will feature special commemorations for three days — from November 30, culminating in a special concert on December 2.

And for children who can’t get enough of Expo City Dubai, the two-week Winter Camp will be a place where they can have fun outdoors and take part in interactive indoor activities at Terra at The Sustainability Pavilion and Alif at The Mobility Pavilion. It’s open to children aged 6 to 12 years, and prices vary.

As part of the winter season, Expo City Dubai is also hosting a family-friendly Fan City to show all the action from the Fifa World Cup Qatar 2022. Opening on November 20, the same day as the footballing spectacle, it will kick-start the seasonal transformation.

Christmas celebrations at Expo 2020 Dubai - in pictures

  • Christmas celebrations at Expo 2020 Dubai. All photos: Antonie Robertson / The National
    Christmas celebrations at Expo 2020 Dubai. All photos: Antonie Robertson / The National
  • Santa's reindeer make an appearance at the world's fair.
    Santa's reindeer make an appearance at the world's fair.
  • Expo visitors get into the Christmas spirit.
    Expo visitors get into the Christmas spirit.
  • A young visitor gets his picture taken with one of Santa's reindeer.
    A young visitor gets his picture taken with one of Santa's reindeer.
  • Festive dancers at the world's fair.
    Festive dancers at the world's fair.
  • The Expo yellow train is decked in Christmas decorations.
    The Expo yellow train is decked in Christmas decorations.
  • Young visitors enjoy Christmas at Expo 2020.
    Young visitors enjoy Christmas at Expo 2020.
  • Expo visitors grab a selfie with some giant-sized Christmas baubles.
    Expo visitors grab a selfie with some giant-sized Christmas baubles.
  • There are an array of Christmas displays on the Expo site.
    There are an array of Christmas displays on the Expo site.
  • Visitors get their picture taken with some colourful festive characters.
    Visitors get their picture taken with some colourful festive characters.
  • An Expo photo opportunity with one of Santa's elves.
    An Expo photo opportunity with one of Santa's elves.
  • An outsized Christmas bauble provides the perfect backdrop for a festive photo at the Expo.
    An outsized Christmas bauble provides the perfect backdrop for a festive photo at the Expo.
  • Rudolph and friends entertain visitors to the world's fair.
    Rudolph and friends entertain visitors to the world's fair.
  • A Christmas tree at Expo 2020.
    A Christmas tree at Expo 2020.
  • Visitors get into the festive spirit at Expo 2020.
    Visitors get into the festive spirit at Expo 2020.
  • A name tag for a red-nosed reindeer at Expo 2020.
    A name tag for a red-nosed reindeer at Expo 2020.
  • Festive performers reach new heights at the world's fair.
    Festive performers reach new heights at the world's fair.
  • Spruce-looking performers at Expo 2020 Dubai.
    Spruce-looking performers at Expo 2020 Dubai.
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If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.

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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

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10. Substance and CbC reporting focus

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Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”

Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.” 

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Will the pound fall to parity with the dollar?

The idea of pound parity now seems less far-fetched as the risk grows that Britain may split away from the European Union without a deal.

Rupert Harrison, a fund manager at BlackRock, sees the risk of it falling to trade level with the dollar on a no-deal Brexit. The view echoes Morgan Stanley’s recent forecast that the currency can plunge toward $1 (Dh3.67) on such an outcome. That isn’t the majority view yet – a Bloomberg survey this month estimated the pound will slide to $1.10 should the UK exit the bloc without an agreement.

New Prime Minister Boris Johnson has repeatedly said that Britain will leave the EU on the October 31 deadline with or without an agreement, fuelling concern the nation is headed for a disorderly departure and fanning pessimism toward the pound. Sterling has fallen more than 7 per cent in the past three months, the worst performance among major developed-market currencies.

“The pound is at a much lower level now but I still think a no-deal exit would lead to significant volatility and we could be testing parity on a really bad outcome,” said Mr Harrison, who manages more than $10 billion in assets at BlackRock. “We will see this game of chicken continue through August and that’s likely negative for sterling,” he said about the deadlocked Brexit talks.

The pound fell 0.8 per cent to $1.2033 on Friday, its weakest closing level since the 1980s, after a report on the second quarter showed the UK economy shrank for the first time in six years. The data means it is likely the Bank of England will cut interest rates, according to Mizuho Bank.

The BOE said in November that the currency could fall even below $1 in an analysis on possible worst-case Brexit scenarios. Options-based calculations showed around a 6.4 per cent chance of pound-dollar parity in the next one year, markedly higher than 0.2 per cent in early March when prospects of a no-deal outcome were seemingly off the table.

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Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:

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