Thousands of people with expired documents remain queuing up at centres across the country as they seek to legalise their stay in the UAE.
The two-month amnesty has sparked interest after the government said people who have overstayed their residence and visit visas would not be charged fines.
Families that have not applied for visas for children born in the UAE will also get a reprieve and can apply for the legal document as part of the amnesty that will run until October.
Christopher Kyeyunemr, 29, from Uganda, was one of the first people to obtain an exit pass after living illegally for the last two years.
He arrived in Dubai in November 2020 and worked as a cleaner and then as a security guard.
“My former company cancelled my work permit but I tried to find a new job. I tried to apply for a new visa but couldn’t,” Mr Kyeyunemr told The National.
As soon as he heard about the amnesty he bought his flight home and made sure he was first in the queue on Sunday morning. For residents whose fingerprints are already on the system, the process of getting an exit pass is instantaneous. For applicants who overstayed a visit visa and therefore did not register their fingerprints when entering the country, the process can take up to 48 hours.
“I booked my ticket home and came here at 7.30am for when the doors opened. I got my exit pass and am now going to Dubai Airport to catch my 10.30am flight,” he said.
The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs centre in Al Awir has two tents, separating men and women. It can accommodate more than 2,000 people and has 26 counters for taking fingerprints.
One GDRFA official at the location told The National that they had waived fines for 100 people in the first 30 minutes of the day.
The penalty for remaining in the country on an expired visa is Dh50 ($13.6) per day for tourists or residents - meaning that many owe thousands, or tens of thousands, of dirhams.
Specified government offices throughout the Emirates opened on Sunday to handle queries and applications from people who want to change their status and remain in the country or seek an exit permit and leave.
The amnesty also covers those who have fled from their sponsors - but does not apply to people who entered the state illegally.
In Abu Dhabi, Federal Authority For Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security (ICP) centres in Al Dhafra, Sweihan, Al Maqam and Al Shahamah, as well as typing centres recognised by the authority will process documents.
In Dubai, people can approach 86 Amer service centres across the emirate.
People who arrived in the UAE on a visit visa have been asked to approach the ICP centres listed above in Abu Dhabi or the Al Awir centre in Dubai.
This is because people arriving in the country do not get their fingerprints scanned – something the recommended centres are equipped to do, allowing for the completion of procedures.
“It is a chance for all violators to change their status in the country,” ICP chief Maj Gen Suhail Al Khaili said.
Open on weekends
Several embassies have said they will stay open on weekends over the next two months to handle the rush of people submitting requests to renew their passports. Valid passports or travel documents that confirm the person’s identity are required by amnesty applicants.
The Pakistan Embassy in Abu Dhabi and its consulate in Dubai will stay open every Saturday to cope with the increased numbers.
The Indian embassy in Abu Dhabi said applicants can walk into BLS centres in Al Reem, Mussaffah and Al Ain to apply for travel documents.
Those who wanted to return to India could obtain an emergency certificate from its consular office in Abu Dhabi at Guardian Tower, in Al Saadah Zone, from 4pm to 6pm. People who want to regularise their residency can apply for passports at the BLS centres in Al Reem, Musaffah and Al Ain, the embassy said.
The centres would operate every Sunday during the amnesty period from 9am to 5pm.
The amnesty is scheduled to end on October 21 but a previous one in 2018 that was to run for three months was extended by several weeks due to high demand.
More than 105,000 people then benefitted from the reprieve.
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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Turkish Ladies
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Akeed
Based: Muscat
Launch year: 2018
Number of employees: 40
Sector: Online food delivery
Funding: Raised $3.2m since inception
Dates for the diary
To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:
- September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
- October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
- October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
- November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
- December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
- February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.
Champions parade (UAE timings)
7pm Gates open
8pm Deansgate stage showing starts
9pm Parade starts at Manchester Cathedral
9.45pm Parade ends at Peter Street
10pm City players on stage
11pm event ends
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.”
if you go
The flights
Emirates have direct flights from Dubai to Glasgow from Dh3,115. Alternatively, if you want to see a bit of Edinburgh first, then you can fly there direct with Etihad from Abu Dhabi.
The hotel
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Located in the heart of Mackintosh's Glasgow, the Dakota Deluxe is perhaps the most refined hotel anywhere in the city. Doubles from Dh850
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Events and tours
There are various Mackintosh specific events throughout 2018 – for more details and to see a map of his surviving designs see glasgowmackintosh.com
For walking tours focussing on the Glasgow Style, see the website of the Glasgow School of Art.
More information
For ideas on planning a trip to Scotland, visit www.visitscotland.com
Company%20Profile
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