A record-breaking year for UAE Team Emirates got even better on Thursday when it was announced star rider Tadej Pogacar has committed his future to the team by signing a new six-year contract.
It comes following an astounding season for the world’s most dominant cycling team and the preeminent rider of his generation.
Pogacar, 25, has continued to cement his legacy as an all-time great, becoming only the third male in history to win cycling’s triple crown of the Giro d’Italia, Tour de France and World Championships in the same year. In all, the Slovenian claimed 25 victories this year in what could be regarded as the greatest season in history, certainly of this century.
History was made, too, by UAE Team Emirates, with an unprecedented 20 different riders achieving race and stage wins this season for a total of 81 victories. To put their collective dominance into perspective, the next best team, Lidl-Trek, managed 42 wins.
It makes perfect sense, then, that the best team and cyclist on the planet – who topped the respective season-ending UCI world rankings by runaway distances reminiscent of a Pogacar breakaway – extend their relationship to 2030.
“It was really not a hard decision because I feel really good at UAE Team Emirates,” Pogacar told The National at an event at Abu Dhabi Cycling Club to celebrate the team’s season. “The team is always growing and improving, so it’s hard to look outside of here and find a better team where I would feel more comfortable, so it was a really easy decision.”
Pogacar’s new contract means the three-time Tour de France champion will eventually spend 12 years with UAE Team Emirates, in which time he has transformed from talented teenager to generational superstar. Ominously for his rivals, he should just be entering his prime, and with the guarantee of his future secured.
“It’s a nice thing that you can stay at one team for a long time,” Pogacar said. “It just makes it easier for the team and the rider because we know each other and makes you feel more comfortable. If you change team from year to year, you can miss that improvement and maybe not settle at one team, so I’m very happy I can stay so long here.”
The delight is most certainly mutual, with UAE Team Emirates president Matar Suhail Al Yabhouni Al Dhaheri praising Pogacar for his pivotal role both in the team’s historic success and in driving interest in cycling across the Emirates.
“This is a special moment for the team and for cycling here in the UAE. Tadej is an incredible talent that represents the UAE so amazingly,” Al Dhaheri said. “He is a beacon of inspiration for the next generation and is idolised and loved by so many. It has been a privilege watching him develop into the person he is today, and I couldn’t be prouder of what he’s accomplished for our team.
“As we continue to see our sport go from strength to strength across the region, there is no question that Tadej, alongside his teammates, are a massive reason for this. It’s a special day for cycling and we are so excited for the future.”
Focusing on the future is very much Pogacar’s mindset, instead of reveling in past success. While he describes his third Tour de France title as “special” – after successive runner-up finishes – and the Giro triumph as “one of the highlights of my career”, the Slovenian pays little attention to the many records he has accumulated over the years.
“There is no time for that,” he said. “I just need to keep moving forward, not backward, so we enjoy the moment and continue to look to the future, not the past.”
That future, for both Pogacar and UAE Team Emirates, now looks brighter than ever.
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
Name: Peter Dicce
Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics
Favourite sport: soccer
Favourite team: Bayern Munich
Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer
Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates
Company%20Profile
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MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
The biogs
Name: Zinah Madi
Occupation: Co-founder of Dots and links
Nationality: Syrian
Family: Married, Mother of Tala, 18, Sharif, 14, Kareem, 2
Favourite Quote: “There is only one way to succeed in anything, and that is to give it everything.”
Name: Razan Nabulsi
Occupation: Co-founder of Dots and Links
Nationality: Jordanian
Family: Married, Mother of Yahya, 3.5
Favourite Quote: A Chinese proverb that says: “Be not afraid of moving slowly, be afraid only of standing still.”
SQUAD
Ali Khaseif, Fahad Al Dhanhani, Adel Al Hosani, Mohammed Al Shamsi, Bandar Al Ahbabi, Mohammed Barghash, Salem Rashid, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Shaheen Abdulrahman, Hassan Al Mahrami, Walid Abbas, Mahmoud Khamis, Yousef Jaber, Saeed Ahmed, Majed Sorour, Majed Hassan, Ali Salmeen, Abdullah Ramadan, Khalil Al Hammadi, Fabio De Lima, Khalfan Mubarak, Tahnoun Al Zaabi, Ali Saleh, Caio Canedo, Muhammed Jumah, Ali Mabkhout, Sebastian Tagliabue, Zayed Al Ameri
Fixtures (all times UAE)
Saturday
Brescia v Atalanta (6pm)
Genoa v Torino (9pm)
Fiorentina v Lecce (11.45pm)
Sunday
Juventus v Sassuolo (3.30pm)
Inter Milan v SPAL (6pm)
Lazio v Udinese (6pm)
Parma v AC Milan (6pm)
Napoli v Bologna (9pm)
Verona v AS Roma (11.45pm)
Monday
Cagliari v Sampdoria (11.45pm)
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Visit Abu Dhabi culinary team's top Emirati restaurants in Abu Dhabi
Yadoo’s House Restaurant & Cafe
For the karak and Yoodo's house platter with includes eggs, balaleet, khamir and chebab bread.
Golden Dallah
For the cappuccino, luqaimat and aseeda.
Al Mrzab Restaurant
For the shrimp murabian and Kuwaiti options including Kuwaiti machboos with kebab and spicy sauce.
Al Derwaza
For the fish hubul, regag bread, biryani and special seafood soup.
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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
