• A health worker checks the body temperature of passengers bound for Frankfurt at Dubai International Airport.
    A health worker checks the body temperature of passengers bound for Frankfurt at Dubai International Airport.
  • Emirates Boeing 777 aircraft are seen on the tarmac at Dubai International Airport.
    Emirates Boeing 777 aircraft are seen on the tarmac at Dubai International Airport.
  • Passengers bound for Frankfurt board a shuttle bus at Dubai International Airport.
    Passengers bound for Frankfurt board a shuttle bus at Dubai International Airport.
  • A flydubai aircraft is parked on the tarmac of Dubai International Airport.
    A flydubai aircraft is parked on the tarmac of Dubai International Airport.
  • Passengers check in at Dubai International Airport.
    Passengers check in at Dubai International Airport.
  • An information board displays an alert for passengers to maintain distance from others at Dubai International Airport.
    An information board displays an alert for passengers to maintain distance from others at Dubai International Airport.
  • Mask-clad passengers bound for Frankfurt walk past check-in counters at Dubai International Airport.
    Mask-clad passengers bound for Frankfurt walk past check-in counters at Dubai International Airport.
  • A mask-clad employee walks in front of a flydubai aircraft on the tarmac of Dubai International Airport.
    A mask-clad employee walks in front of a flydubai aircraft on the tarmac of Dubai International Airport.
  • Passengers bound for Frankfurt wait at a terminal of Dubai International Airport.
    Passengers bound for Frankfurt wait at a terminal of Dubai International Airport.
  • Passengers bound for Frankfurt wait at a terminal of Dubai International Airport.
    Passengers bound for Frankfurt wait at a terminal of Dubai International Airport.
  • Passengers bound for Frankfurt wait at a terminal of Dubai International Airport.
    Passengers bound for Frankfurt wait at a terminal of Dubai International Airport.
  • Passengers wait at a terminal at Dubai International Airport, as Emirates resumed a limited number of outbound passenger flights.
    Passengers wait at a terminal at Dubai International Airport, as Emirates resumed a limited number of outbound passenger flights.
  • An Emirates aircraft takes off from Dubai International Airport.
    An Emirates aircraft takes off from Dubai International Airport.
  • Emirates Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 aircraft are seen on the tarmac at Dubai International Airport as the airline resumed a limited number of outbound passenger flights.
    Emirates Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 aircraft are seen on the tarmac at Dubai International Airport as the airline resumed a limited number of outbound passenger flights.
  • Passengers are assisted at the check-in counter in a terminal at Dubai International Airport.
    Passengers are assisted at the check-in counter in a terminal at Dubai International Airport.
  • Passengers have their travel documents checked before departure at Dubai International Airport.
    Passengers have their travel documents checked before departure at Dubai International Airport.
  • Passengers have their travel documents checked before departure at Dubai International Airport.
    Passengers have their travel documents checked before departure at Dubai International Airport.

Dubai named world's busiest airport for international flights in May


Hayley Skirka
  • English
  • Arabic

Dubai International Airport was the world's busiest for international flights in May, according to aviation intelligence firm the Official Airline Guide (OAG).

Topping the list with 1,895,866 scheduled seats, Dubai was well before second place, Istanbul Ataturk Airport, which recorded 1.3 million seats. Rounding out the rest of the top five busiest airports in the world for international flights were Hamad International Airport in Doha, Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam and Germany's Frankfurt airport.

London's Heathrow Airport, which was the busiest airport in the same month in 2019, before the global pandemic hit, slid to seventh position with just 747,420 seats listed for the UK's busiest airport in May.

Busiest international routes

Three of the world's busiest international routes for air travel in May start or end in Cairo, connecting the Egyptian capital with destinations in Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Unsplash
Three of the world's busiest international routes for air travel in May start or end in Cairo, connecting the Egyptian capital with destinations in Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Unsplash

Dubai also made it to the top 10 busiest international routes, with flights from Cairo to Dubai, and from the Egyptian capital to Riyadh featuring on the list for May. Dubai to Riyadh was another popular route for air travel.

Four of the top 10 busiest international air routes start or end in the US, reflecting a growing demand for outbound leisure travel from the states. No European air routes ranked in the top 10 list in May.

According to OAG, the busiest route for international travel in May was from Russia to Ukraine.

More than 285,000 travellers flew from Moscow to Simferopol, the Crimean capital located in Ukraine. The route also ranked in second place for travellers flying in the opposite direction, with more than 197,000 seats booked. Flights to and from the Crimean capital have increased since Turkey went into lockdowns in April and May.

Orlando to San Juan, in Puerto Rico, is the third busiest route for international flights in May 2021. Courtesy Unsplash
Orlando to San Juan, in Puerto Rico, is the third busiest route for international flights in May 2021. Courtesy Unsplash

Elsewhere, travellers are headed to San Juan in Puerto Rico from Orlando, Florida, which ranked as the third busiest international route in May, followed by Cairo to Jeddah, with 176,685 seats recorded over the month.

Here are the top 10 busiest international routes in May:

1. Moscow, Russia to Simferopol, Ukraine

2. Simferopol, Ukraine to Moscow, Russia

3. Orlando, Florida to San Juan, Puerto Rico

4. Cairo, Egypt to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

5. Houston, Texas to Mexico City, Mexico

6. Cairo, Egypt to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

7. New York, US to Santiago, Chile

8. Dubai, UAE to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

9. New York, US to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

10. Cairo, Egypt to Dubai, UAE

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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

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The biog

Name: Fareed Lafta

Age: 40

From: Baghdad, Iraq

Mission: Promote world peace

Favourite poet: Al Mutanabbi

Role models: His parents 

Chatham House Rule

A mark of Chatham House’s influence 100 years on since its founding,  was Moscow’s formal declaration last month that it was an “undesirable
organisation”. 

 

The depth of knowledge and academics that it drew on
following the Ukraine invasion had broadcast Mr Putin’s chicanery.  

 

The institute is more used to accommodating world leaders,
with Nelson Mandela, Margaret Thatcher among those helping it provide
authoritative commentary on world events. 

 

Chatham House was formally founded as the Royal Institute of
International Affairs following the peace conferences of World War One. Its
founder, Lionel Curtis, wanted a more scientific examination of international affairs
with a transparent exchange of information and ideas.  

 

That arena of debate and analysis was enhanced by the “Chatham
House Rule” states that the contents of any meeting can be discussed outside Chatham
House but no mention can be made identifying individuals who commented.  

 

This has enabled some candid exchanges on difficult subjects
allowing a greater degree of free speech from high-ranking figures.  

 

These meetings are highly valued, so much so that
ambassadors reported them in secret diplomatic cables that – when they were
revealed in the Wikileaks reporting – were thus found to have broken the rule. However,
most speeches are held on the record.  

 

Its research and debate has offered fresh ideas to
policymakers enabling them to more coherently address troubling issues from climate
change to health and food security.   

 
A little about CVRL

Founded in 1985 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory (CVRL) is a government diagnostic centre that provides testing and research facilities to the UAE and neighbouring countries.

One of its main goals is to provide permanent treatment solutions for veterinary related diseases. 

The taxidermy centre was established 12 years ago and is headed by Dr Ulrich Wernery. 

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