When Covid brought an abrupt halt to world sport, as well as everything else, one of its many effects was to end the longest sequence in UAE sporting history.
For the first time in 51 years, there would be no Emirates Dubai Sevens. The absence of a tournament which predates the formation of the country was sorely felt.
By the time rugby restarted after the pandemic, the landscape had altered. Some slipped straight back into the old routine. South Africa, for example, have won the main event three times in two years since the tournament resumed.
Others faltered. Dubai Hurricanes were the region’s leading force in the abridged format before Covid, winning titles in 2018 and 2019.
They were deprived of a three-peat by the pandemic, and have struggled to get moving since. Last season, one of the region’s biggest clubs did not even field a team in the Premiership for XVs. Neither have they returned to a sevens final.
Now they are fighting back, having assembled a coaching team who know what it is like to taste success at the Sevens.
Mike Wernham, who was the club’s director of rugby when they went back-to-back in 2018 and 2019, has returned.
And the team’s coach is Henry Paul, the former England player who tasted title glory at the Sevens before it was even played at its current site.
Paul was part of the winning England side in the world series tournament back in 2005, which was played at the old Dubai Exiles ground in Al Awir.
He first moved to Dubai in 2016 to dovetail working at a school with coaching Jebel Ali Dragons. He spent four years with Canada’s XVs and sevens sides but returned to Dubai at the start of this year.
“I’m really excited to see what the future holds here for me,” Paul said. “We have six or seven guys who have played for UAE in the past and are fringe players now. They are raring to go. Some have won the Sevens before, others haven’t.
“We have a crack squad and we are really lucky to have this type of quality, but it is a really tough comp. Everyone wants to win it because it is such a great event, so we are not taking anything for granted.”
Hurricanes play JESS in practice game for Dubai 7s
All the sides entering the Gulf Men’s event at the Sevens are of a similar mind. With the likes of Saki Naisau, Niko Volavola and Charlie Taylor in their ranks, defending champs Dubai Tigers will remain the team to beat.
But, with enough personnel still around from the back-to-back winning years, Wernham is hopeful the Hurricanes can make an impression on the competition. He says he is intent on helping the club back towards the top echelons of Gulf rugby, having returned at the start of this season.
“I had been up to watch and it was breaking my heart,” Wernham said of being absent from the club after stepping away for personal reasons.
We have a crack squad and we are really lucky to have this type of quality, but it is a really tough comp
Henry Paul,
Dubai Hurricanes coach
“It is a big passion of mine, given the amount of time I had put in with these lads. The whole club, with the way it is run and its ethos, I was missing it.”
Their prospects have been buoyed by the return of Boris Finck, the captain last time Hurricanes won it, who was absent from the sevens last year.
“I remember looking at Boris and the look in his eye was like a boy going to Disneyland for the first time, then it was the same with the 11 players behind him,” Wernham said of the title wins.
“I would love to be able to see that image again. We are not going to be spoken about much and that is great. That is how we won it the first year.
“I am just really, really excited about watching this team play sevens. The depth is going to make a big difference for us.
“Trying to get on Pitch 1 [for the final] is not easy. I am talking about us really positively but I know the strength the other clubs have got. It is going to be exciting.”
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
Zayed Sustainability Prize
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
The five pillars of Islam
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
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
ARGYLLE
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Matthew%20Vaughn%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Bryce%20Dallas%20Howard%2C%20Sam%20Rockwell%2C%20John%20Cena%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The years Ramadan fell in May
Try out the test yourself
Q1 Suppose you had $100 in a savings account and the interest rate was 2 per cent per year. After five years, how much do you think you would have in the account if you left the money to grow?
a) More than $102
b) Exactly $102
c) Less than $102
d) Do not know
e) Refuse to answer
Q2 Imagine that the interest rate on your savings account was 1 per cent per year and inflation was 2 per cent per year. After one year, how much would you be able to buy with the money in this account?
a) More than today
b) Exactly the same as today
c) Less than today
d) Do not know
e) Refuse to answer
Q4 Do you think that the following statement is true or false? “Buying a single company stock usually provides a safer return than a stock mutual fund.”
a) True
b) False
d) Do not know
e) Refuse to answer
The “Big Three” financial literacy questions were created by Professors Annamaria Lusardi of the George Washington School of Business and Olivia Mitchell, of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Answers: Q1 More than $102 (compound interest). Q2 Less than today (inflation). Q3 False (diversification).
Company%C2%A0profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Eamana%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2010%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Karim%20Farra%20and%20Ziad%20Aboujeb%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EUAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERegulator%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDFSA%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinancial%20services%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E85%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESelf-funded%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
