Dubai is set to get a new women-only beach this year. Announced on Sunday as part of the second phase of the Dh400 million redevelopment of Al Mamzar Beach, the attraction will include a gated area where women will also be able to enjoy night swimming.
Spread across 125,000 square metres, Al Mamzar Beach is one of the city's most popular family destinations. It already offers dedicated women-only days, on Mondays and Wednesdays, where an all-female staff are on hand to ensure visitors enjoy their privacy to the fullest.
Once the redevelopment is completed, female visitors will have access to their own dedicated beach on all days of the week, as well as their own sports club and children's play areas.
Ahead of the planned completion at the end of this year, here are other ladies-only beaches in the UAE.
Al Bateen Ladies Club by Matcha
Perched on the shores of Al Bateen beach that overlooks Hudayriyat Island, the ladies-only club is home to wellness-centric activities and classes, including Pilates and yoga, as well as Matcha Club, the boutique padel and community venue from Dubai. Spread across 34,000 square metres, other amenities include a shaded infinity pool, private beach, spa and an on-site restaurant.
The venue also features a dedicated children's play area, complete with outdoor amenities such as swings, slides and monkey bars, as well as an indoor playground for the summer months.
Open daily from 7am until 4pm; day passes start at Dh150; Qasr Al Shatie, Abu Dhabi; 054 995 5036
Sharjah Ladies Club
Founded in 1982, Sharjah Ladies Club is one of the oldest spaces of its kind in the country, offering everything from fitness and beauty treatments to food and event spaces. Visitors and members have access to a ladies-only private beach, which also features a number of water sports activities, such as paddle boarding and kayaking, as well as other activities for mothers and children. The venue also includes Sharjah's largest ice-skating rink.
Open daily from 7.30am to 10pm from Saturday to Thursday and from 9am to 9pm on Fridays; day passes start at Dh150; Corniche St, Sharjah; 050 285 1747
Dubai Ladies Club
Located on the Jumeirah coastline, Dubai Ladies Club offers facilities such as spas and fitness centres to restaurants and event spaces. All members and visitors can access the club's private, ladies-only beach, which also features jogging tracks, several sport courts and a swimming pool.
Open daily from 7am to 10pm; day passes start at Dh195 on weekdays and Dh260 on weekends; Jumeirah 2, Dubai; 04 349 9922
Ladies-only beach days
Al Mamzar Beach
Mondays and Wednesdays are for ladies only at this public beach, with boys up to the age of six permitted. The seaside spot has many grassy areas for picnics and barbecues, as well as offering rentable air-conditioned chalets for the hotter months.
Open daily from 8am to 10pm, with extended evening hours over the weekend; entry costs Dh5 per person; chalets start at Dh150 for up to 8 people; Al Mamzar, Dubai; 04 296 6201
Kai Beach
Every Friday, this licensed oceanfront oasis on Saadiyat Island is reserved for ladies only. The venue channels boho vibes with macrame parasols, wooden sunloungers and driftwood-crafted tables, and women can enjoy the perfect beachside break in privacy, whether catching the sunrise or watching the spectacular sunset along the 500-metre stretch.
Open daily from 7am until sunset; Dh150 for a day pass; cabanas are priced at Dh330 for two adults and two children; Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi; 050 283 5795
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The specs: Rolls-Royce Cullinan
Price, base: Dh1 million (estimate)
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbo V12
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 563hp @ 5,000rpm
Torque: 850Nm @ 1,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 15L / 100km
The specs: Aston Martin DB11 V8 vs Ferrari GTC4Lusso T
Price, base: Dh840,000; Dh120,000
Engine: 4.0L V8 twin-turbo; 3.9L V8 turbo
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic; seven-speed automatic
Power: 509hp @ 6,000rpm; 601hp @ 7,500rpm
Torque: 695Nm @ 2,000rpm; 760Nm @ 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.9L / 100km; 11.6L / 100km
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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
MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City, Tuesday, 11pm (UAE)
Matches can be watched on BeIN Sports
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
Getting there
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Tbilisi from Dh1,025 return including taxes
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v Tunisia, Group Stage (Kane, via Harry Maguire header, from Kieran Trippier corner)
v Panama, Group Stage (Stones, header, from Trippier corner)
v Sweden, Quarter-Final (Maguire, header, from Young corner)
One Free-Kick
v Panama, Group Stage (Stones, via Jordan Henderson, Kane header, and Raheem Sterling, from Tripper free-kick)
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Starring: Brie Larson, Samuel L Jackson, Jude Law, Ben Mendelsohn
4/5 stars
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if you go
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct to Kolkata from Dh1,504 and Dh1,450 return including taxes, respectively. The flight takes four hours 30 minutes outbound and 5 hours 30 minute returning.
The trains
Numerous trains link Kolkata and Murshidabad but the daily early morning Hazarduari Express (3’ 52”) is the fastest and most convenient; this service also stops in Plassey. The return train departs Murshidabad late afternoon. Though just about feasible as a day trip, staying overnight is recommended.
The hotels
Mursidabad’s hotels are less than modest but Berhampore, 11km south, offers more accommodation and facilities (and the Hazarduari Express also pauses here). Try Hotel The Fame, with an array of rooms from doubles at Rs1,596/Dh90 to a ‘grand presidential suite’ at Rs7,854/Dh443.
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Manchester United 1 (Fernandes pen 2') Tottenham Hotspur 6 (Ndombele 4', Son 7' & 37' Kane (30' & pen 79, Aurier 51')
Man of the match Son Heung-min (Tottenham)
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Dubai Bling season three
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The story in numbers
18
This is how many recognised sects Lebanon is home to, along with about four million citizens
450,000
More than this many Palestinian refugees are registered with UNRWA in Lebanon, with about 45 per cent of them living in the country’s 12 refugee camps
1.5 million
There are just under 1 million Syrian refugees registered with the UN, although the government puts the figure upwards of 1.5m
73
The percentage of stateless people in Lebanon, who are not of Palestinian origin, born to a Lebanese mother, according to a 2012-2013 study by human rights organisation Frontiers Ruwad Association
18,000
The number of marriages recorded between Lebanese women and foreigners between the years 1995 and 2008, according to a 2009 study backed by the UN Development Programme
77,400
The number of people believed to be affected by the current nationality law, according to the 2009 UN study
4,926
This is how many Lebanese-Palestinian households there were in Lebanon in 2016, according to a census by the Lebanese-Palestinian dialogue committee
The biog
Name: Salem Alkarbi
Age: 32
Favourite Al Wasl player: Alexandre Oliveira
First started supporting Al Wasl: 7
Biggest rival: Al Nasr
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What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
