Live updates: Follow the latest news on Israel-Gaza
Many flights to Israel will remain suspended into the new year as major airlines steer clear of the war.
Virgin Atlantic has cancelled flights to Tel Aviv until mid-March due to the “ongoing situation in Israel”.
British Airways has no tickets available in the first few weeks of 2024 but is accepting bookings in February.
Among those returning earlier is German airline Lufthansa, which announced some Tel Aviv flights will resume on January 8.
Some airlines’ return dates have already been pushed back, however, as the Israel-Gaza war rages on despite calls for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Still suspended
Many airlines stopped flights after Hamas’s attack on October 7, with British Airways calling a halt to flights over security fears.
Although Ben Gurion Airport, Tel Aviv and Israel’s main international gateway, is still running, major airlines have been cautious in resuming flights.
Virgin Atlantic said its schedule is “under constant review” but flights from London to Tel Aviv are cancelled until March 16, and the return journey until March 17.
Ryanair’s Tel Aviv schedule is suspended until January 31 because of what it called “operational restrictions” beyond its control.
British Airways, which at one stage said it was accepting bookings for December 10, now has no Tel Aviv flights available on its website until February 1.
Wizz Air is offering tickets to Tel Aviv in February from Abu Dhabi, London, and Budapest.
Emirates, which suspended all flights to and from Tel Aviv in November, is among the airlines that have not announced any end date for the stoppage.
United Airlines, whose flights are also grounded, said frequent flyers to Tel Aviv would have their status preserved until 2025 even if they do not travel until then. American Airlines has extended rebooking options until March.
Countries including the UK and Germany have officially advised against travel to Israel, which can affect insurance eligibility. The US says citizens should “reconsider travel”, one step below a “do not travel” warning.
Set to return
Lufthansa said about a third of its normal schedule will resume from January 8, using an Airbus A320.
Four flights per week will run from Lufthansa’s Frankfurt hub, and three from Munich, while routes to Zurich and Vienna will run via subsidiary airlines Swiss and Austrian.
The Lufthansa Group says this schedule “offers good transfer connections from Israel to North America”, but warns changes to the schedule “must be expected due to changing conditions”.
Romanian airline TAROM is planning to return with two flights a week between Tel Aviv and Bucharest beginning on New Year’s Day.
Flights will run on Thursdays and Sundays from the second week of January “considering the progressive development of the operation depending on the situation in Israel”.
Israel’s national airline, El Al, is still running its schedule “in accordance with the instructions of the Israeli security forces”. It says customers can cancel flights at no cost until January 31.
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
Dr Amal Khalid Alias revealed a recent case of a woman with daughters, who specifically wanted a boy.
A semen analysis of the father showed abnormal sperm so the couple required IVF.
Out of 21 eggs collected, six were unused leaving 15 suitable for IVF.
A specific procedure was used, called intracytoplasmic sperm injection where a single sperm cell is inserted into the egg.
On day three of the process, 14 embryos were biopsied for gender selection.
The next day, a pre-implantation genetic report revealed four normal male embryos, three female and seven abnormal samples.
Day five of the treatment saw two male embryos transferred to the patient.
The woman recorded a positive pregnancy test two weeks later.
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
