From our rich history of economic exchange, to the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1972, the UAE and the Netherlands have enjoyed nearly 50 years of partnership. While the world-famous flower fields of the Netherlands and the UAE's desert metropolises can seem worlds apart, there is more that connects our peoples than meets the eye. With over 7,800 Dutch nationals calling the UAE home – alongside nearly 200 other nationalities – visitors from the Netherlands have always been given a warm welcome here. Historically, the coasts of the UAE served as prime commerce and supply points for Dutch traders and explorers, and today our country continues to serve as a key entry point into the region for the Netherland's businesses and entrepreneurs. Trade between our two countries has flourished in recent years, with total UAE investment flows into the Netherlands reaching about $750 million between 2003-2019. In 2020, despite the Covid-19 pandemic's impact on global markets, non-oil foreign trade between our two nations reached more than $3 billion.
The Netherlands pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai will keep its carbon footprint as small as possible using reusable, recyclable and biodegradable material. V8 Architects
The UAE and the Netherlands have invested in the communication, renewable energy, and transportation and warehousing sectors as key areas of focus to create jobs and generate economic opportunities. The agreements signed by our two countries – including ones for the avoidance of double taxation and air services – reflect this level of economic engagement. With 42 weekly flights between our two countries during the winter of 2020, it is easy to see why about 100 Dutch companies have invested in the UAE over the years, and why the UAE has become the most significant export market in the Middle East. As the world sets out on a post-pandemic recovery, the UAE is optimistic that bilateral trade will continue this remarkable growth. We look forward to exploring new opportunities for partnership by increasing trade delegations and official visits in the coming period.
Over 7,800 Dutch nationals call the UAE home
The UAE-Dutch relationship has also brought our peoples together to share in our rich cultures. We both believe firmly that by strengthening cultural collaboration, we can benefit from each other's experience. This year's inaugural UAE-Netherlands Week is evidence that our partners in the Netherlands share our interest in promoting the arts and engaging in knowledge exchange through our museums and other creative fields. The UAE Embassy in The Hague participates annually in the Embassies Festival, where we showcase Emirati culture through food, folk dance, traditional clothing and other heritage displays. In addition, the UAE Embassy has benefited from its many visits to Dutch universities to draw lessons from the fields of agriculture and food technology, two areas in which the Netherlands excels. As global tourism resumes, UAE citizens and residents are keen to enjoy all that the Netherlands has to offer and even more enthusiastic in welcoming back Dutch visitors to the UAE. This year, as the Netherlands joins nearly 200 other countries and organisations participating in Expo 2020 Dubai, we will have the opportunity to experience the Dutch language, culture, and traditions in the UAE.
Omar Saif Ghobash is the UAE's Assistant Minister for Public and Cultural Diplomacy
Expo 2020 Dubai will also serve as a forum through which the UAE and the Netherlands can strengthen one of the pillars of our enduring relationship: food security. We are excited to see what our Dutch partners will display in their "microclimate" pavilion, which will focus on water, energy, and food resources. Our two countries have worked concertedly to achieve food security in a sustainable manner, and Expo 2020 Dubai offers opportunities for Dutch agri-tech companies to expand their engagement within the UAE, as well as other target markets. In recent years, the UAE and the Netherlands have held high-level discussions on how to bolster global food security efforts. Our two countries share a commitment to assisting developing nations in addressing concerns over food security and fostering innovation in this field to promote new and efficient technologies.
As the world confronts the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, this issue has taken on renewed importance. In November 2018, the UAE launched the National Food Security Strategy to ensure that everyone in the UAE has access to sufficient, affordable and nutritious food, especially during emergencies. The National Food Security Strategy laid the foundations for enhancing our country's preparedness by underscoring the need to diversify import sources, enhance local production and identify new markets. At the start of the pandemic, the UAE updated the National Food Security Strategy to promote self-sufficiency and provide the market with necessary commodities during the Covid-19 crisis. We believe we can benefit from working with the Netherlands and other international partners to share this knowledge with the global community and continue to learn from their best practices in the field. The UAE has long valued its partnership with the Netherlands and believes that this year's historic celebrations will elevate our co-operation to new horizons. In 2021, the year in which the UAE celebrates 50 years as a nation and nearly 50 years of friendship with the Netherlands, we are determined to seize upon the opportunities that abound for bilateral and multilateral collaboration. It is this belief that has led the UAE and the Netherlands to connect deeply our two regions through diplomatic, economic and cultural exchange over the past half-century. Ultimately, it is this vision that will guide our partnership – defined by opportunity, innovation, and mutual benefit – for many more years to come.
Omar Saif Ghobash is Assistant Minister for Public and Cultural Diplomacy at the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation
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
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
Five hymns the crowds can join in
Papal Mass will begin at 10.30am at the Zayed Sports City Stadium on Tuesday
Some 17 hymns will be sung by a 120-strong UAE choir
Five hymns will be rehearsed with crowds on Tuesday morning before the Pope arrives at stadium
‘Christ be our Light’ as the entrance song
‘All that I am’ for the offertory or during the symbolic offering of gifts at the altar
‘Make me a Channel of your Peace’ and ‘Soul of my Saviour’ for the communion
‘Tell out my Soul’ as the final hymn after the blessings from the Pope
The choir will also sing the hymn ‘Legions of Heaven’ in Arabic as ‘Assakiroo Sama’
There are 15 Arabic speakers from Syria, Lebanon and Jordan in the choir that comprises residents from the Philippines, India, France, Italy, America, Netherlands, Armenia and Indonesia
The choir will be accompanied by a brass ensemble and an organ
They will practice for the first time at the stadium on the eve of the public mass on Monday evening
The Uefa Nations League, introduced last year, has reached its final stage, to be played over five days in northern Portugal. The format of its closing tournament is compact, spread over two semi-finals, with the first, Portugal versus Switzerland in Porto on Wednesday evening, and the second, England against the Netherlands, in Guimaraes, on Thursday.
The winners of each semi will then meet at Porto’s Dragao stadium on Sunday, with the losing semi-finalists contesting a third-place play-off in Guimaraes earlier that day.
Qualifying for the final stage was via League A of the inaugural Nations League, in which the top 12 European countries according to Uefa's co-efficient seeding system were divided into four groups, the teams playing each other twice between September and November. Portugal, who finished above Italy and Poland, successfully bid to host the finals.
ESSENTIALS
The flights Emirates, Etihad and Swiss fly direct from the UAE to Zurich from Dh2,855 return, including taxes.
The chalet Chalet N is currently open in winter only, between now and April 21. During the ski season, starting on December 11, a week’s rental costs from €210,000 (Dh898,431) per week for the whole property, which has 22 beds in total, across six suites, three double rooms and a children’s suite. The price includes all scheduled meals, a week’s ski pass, Wi-Fi, parking, transfers between Munich, Innsbruck or Zurich airports and one 50-minute massage per person. Private ski lessons cost from €360 (Dh1,541) per day. Halal food is available on request.
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
The specs
Engine: 5.0-litre V8
Power: 480hp at 7,250rpm
Torque: 566Nm at 4,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: L/100km
Price: Dh306,495
On sale: now
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
U19 WORLD CUP, WEST INDIES
UAE group fixtures (all in St Kitts) Saturday 15 January: v Canada Thursday 20 January: v England Saturday 22 January: v Bangladesh
UAE squad Alishan Sharafu (captain), Shival Bawa, Jash Giyanani, Sailles Jaishankar, Nilansh Keswani, Aayan Khan, Punya Mehra, Ali Naseer, Ronak Panoly, Dhruv Parashar, Vinayak Raghavan, Soorya Sathish, Aryansh Sharma, Adithya Shetty, Kai Smith
How to wear a kandura
Dos
Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Other IPL batting records
Most sixes: 292 – Chris Gayle
Most fours: 491 – Gautam Gambhir
Highest individual score: 175 not out – Chris Gayle (for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Pune Warriors in 2013)
Highest strike-rate: 177.29 – Andre Russell
Highest strike-rate in an innings: 422.22 – Chris Morris (for Delhi Daredevils against Rising Pune Supergiant in 2017)
Highest average: 52.16 – Vijay Shankar
Most centuries: 6 – Chris Gayle
Most fifties: 36 – Gautam Gambhir
Fastest hundred (balls faced): 30 – Chris Gayle (for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Pune Warriors in 2013)
Fastest fifty (balls faced): 14 – Lokesh Rahul (for Kings XI Punjab against Delhi Daredevils in 2018)
