This week is filled with events, starting off with a free-to-watch skydiving championship on Monday. Skateboarding is also on the cards, as well as some foodie hits and the return of Quoz Arts Fest in Dubai.
Here, The National rounds up seven things to do around the UAE, from January 20 to 26.
Monday, January 20: Watch indoor skydivers compete
Clymb Abu Dhabi is hosting the EEIPC 2025 International Skydiving Championship, where more than 200 elite athletes are convening for five days of gravity-defying action.
The event consists of three championships. Teams of eight will be creating intricate geometric shapes during exhilarating free-falls, while 16 skydivers will craft complex patterns mid-air all at once.
January 20 to 24; 11am-6pm; free to attend; Yas Island, Abu Dhabi; 600 511115
Tuesday, January 21: All-you-can-eat breakfast
Dine-in guests at popular Levantine chain Allo Beirut can enjoy an unlimited spread of Lebanese breakfast favourites for Dh39. Dishes include hearty shakshuka, soft and crispy manakish, plus healthy ful medames.
Daily, 8am-10.30am; all Allo Beirut locations; 862 34788
Wednesday, January 22: Four-hands vegetarian dinner
Foodies can book a table at Avatara, which is hosting a four-hands dinner collaboration. The chef of the world's first vegetarian fine dining restaurant, with one Michelin star, Rahul Rana, is teaming up with Aphisith Phongsavanh of kebab house Al Naqa.
While specific dishes are kept as a secret until the actual dinner, the 12-course menu will fuse both chefs' expertise and offer Indian, Laotian and Arabic flavours. The chefs will dish out two bites and two starters each, as well as one main course and one dessert each.
January 22; 6pm-9pm; Dh595 per person; Dubai Hills Estate, Business Park 1; 058 143 2426
Thursday, January 23: Skateboarding training for kids
Circuit X at Hudayriyat Island in Abu Dhabi is hosting a skateboarding school on Wednesdays and Thursdays throughout the winter season. Open to participants aged five to 14, the classes will focus on essential skills such as board control, balance techniques, safety practices and park etiquette. Flexible group lessons are available, as well as private sessions. Equipment will be provided.
Wednesdays and Thursdays until March; 5pm-6pm; from Dh595 per person; Hudayriyat Island, Abu Dhabi; 02 691 0302
Friday, January 24: Candlelight concert at Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental
Take in some of the greatest Arabic tunes of a century by the gentle glow of candlelight. Held at a different venue each week, the Candlelight concert series is coming to Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental this weekend.
Titled A Century of Iconic Arabic Music, the concert will enable guests to relive the magical tunes of some of the biggest artists in the Arab world, from Umm Kulthum and Fairuz to Abdul Majeed Abdullah and Abdallah Al Ruwaished, with music performed by UAE's Mena Band.
January 24; two slots available at 6.30pm and 8.30pm; from Dh250; Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental, Abu Dhabi; 02 690 9000
Saturday, January 25: Boyz II Men in Abu Dhabi
Fans of the American vocal harmony group can catch their performance in Abu Dhabi as part of Saadiyat Nights. Concertgoers can expect to singalong to hits such as On Bended Knee, I'll Make Love To You and End Of The Road, as well as tracks from their recent albums such as Under the Streetlight.
January 25; doors open at 5pm; from Dh175 per person; Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi; customerservice@ticketmaster.ae
Sunday, January 26: Quoz Arts Fest returns
Quoz Arts Fest at Alserkal Avenue returns this week with a line-up of musicians, DJs, visual artists and more. There will be workshops, panel talks, exhibitions as well as film screenings throughout the event. On Sunday, rising Tunisian singer Emel Mathloui is performing her first concert, fusing traditional Arabic music, contemporary sounds and a bold feminist lens.
Guests can also enjoy several food pop-ups, such as Italian spot Monno, Mexican joint Tacos Los Hermanos and Filipino restaurant Kooya.
January 25 and 26; 10am onwards; from Dh63 per person; Al Quoz, Dubai; 04 333 3464
Company%C2%A0profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDate%20started%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMay%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHusam%20Aboul%20Hosn%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDIFC%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%20%E2%80%94%20Innovation%20Hub%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EEmployees%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Eeight%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Epre-seed%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Epre-seed%20funding%20raised%20from%20family%20and%20friends%20earlier%20this%20year%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill
Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
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
