A year on from having to pay for entry for the first time, spectators at the DP World Tour Championship faced a new cost last week: paid parking.
Public car parking for the opening day on Thursday cost Dh50, rising to Dh80 for the remaining three days of the season-ending tournament.
The organisers say development of the surrounding area made the fee necessary, and hope it will encourage spectators to car pool, take taxis, or use the metro in future.
“It is not about us trying to make money, it is us trying to reduce the number of people coming in cars,” Freddie Schmeisser, the head of championships and business development director for the Middle East at DP World Tour, said.
“We had a massive public car park in the past, which is now Jumeirah Golf Estates 2. Because of the development, we don’t have the space for public parking any more, so now we are parking on the golf course. That is not great for the golf course.”
Despite the new costs for watching the season decided at Earth Course, Schmeisser says they are committed to keeping the event as affordable as possible.
The DP World Tour Championship was first played in 2009, when the UAE weekend was still Friday-Saturday.
It meant the spectacular finale to the season, when Lee Westwood snatched the first Race to Dubai title from Rory McIlroy’s grasp, was played out on the first day of the working week. The idea of charging for entry at that time was unrealistic.
The event had all the prestige of being the culmination to the tour season, the jeopardy of deciding the order of merit, and a guaranteed all-star field. But it was still new to a UAE sporting calendar that had plenty of highly popular fixtures on it already.
It took 15 years before a charge for general admission became a thing. In 2024, they took the plunge, and the result? Record crowds for the weekend days.
Schmeisser said there were 35,000 registrations when tickets were free of charge. “If 35,000 people turned up here, I would be going to the airport, because we couldn’t handle that,” Schmeisser said.
“We know that a lot of people don’t show up if you get a free ticket. You order four, then we had to close it, and so people who wanted to come couldn’t any more.
“That is why we introduced ticket sales for Saturday and Sunday last year for the first time, and we had more people on site when we charged than we did when it was free of charge. It puts a value on the tournament.”
Entry remains free for the first two days, dependent on registration. This year, admission for Saturday and Sunday was Dh190 per day.
Three Rolex Series events – the elevated purse tournaments on the DP World Tour which carry the most prestige – are played in the UAE. Weekend days at the Dubai Desert Classic cost Dh125, and it is Dh100 for the Abu Dhabi Championship.
Those fees are less than half the equivalent competitions elsewhere. At the Genesis Scottish Open, it is Dh290 on weekend days, and Dh340 for the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.
Even adding in the supplementary costs to watch at Earth Course, such as the parking, food, or the “first-tee experience”, the price of the day falls short of general admission for those Rolex Series events in the UK.
This month was a trial run for the new first tee idea. For Dh60 on Friday, and Dh99 on Saturday and Sunday, spectators could get a place on a raised platform next to the first tee, with an up-close experience of the acoustics of the players teeing-off under a special tented roof. There were unlimited soft drinks included in the price.
Behind the first tee box is one of the many stations on the course which dispense free sparkling, cold and ambient water.
Schmeisser estimates they would make $200,000 more in terms of revenue if they were to sell water, but says “it is the right thing to do”.
“If you pay Dh200 for entry, then drink five bottles of water, go into the village where the food is not too expensive, I would say it is a very fair deal,” he said.
“We try to be reasonable with the prices. Our job is to get even more people. We want growth every year, so we don’t want to keep people away.”
This year, spectators got to see McIlroy cap the finest season of his career by winning the Race to Dubai, even if he did end up losing out on the tournament title after a thrilling play-off against Matt Fitzpatrick.
The final day, which had started with nine of Europe’s Ryder Cup winning team within the top 12 on the leaderboard, culminated in some vintage McIlroy box office. He holed an eagle putt at the 72nd hole to force that play-off.
Moments like that provide the sort of exposure that makes Dubai a must-visit destination for golf tourists, according to Schmeisser, who says around 30 per cent of the spectators at the tournament are non-residents.
And that is the driving force behind it, rather than making a profit from paying spectators, he said.
“We are trying not to be a moneymaking machine,” Schmeisser said. “We want to keep this sustainable. We are still working on a couple of areas where we can improve.
“We are here to promote Dubai. We all work together. We are all trying to showcase how amazing the UAE is. We could potentially charge more, but this is supposed to be for anyone in the UAE.”
Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
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
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
PROFILE
Name: Enhance Fitness
Year started: 2018
Based: UAE
Employees: 200
Amount raised: $3m
Investors: Global Ventures and angel investors
The Prison Letters of Nelson Mandela
Edited by Sahm Venter
Published by Liveright
Landfill in numbers
• Landfill gas is composed of 50 per cent methane
• Methane is 28 times more harmful than Co2 in terms of global warming
• 11 million total tonnes of waste are being generated annually in Abu Dhabi
• 18,000 tonnes per year of hazardous and medical waste is produced in Abu Dhabi emirate per year
• 20,000 litres of cooking oil produced in Abu Dhabi’s cafeterias and restaurants every day is thrown away
• 50 per cent of Abu Dhabi’s waste is from construction and demolition
Results
Ashraf Ghani 50.64 per cent
Abdullah Abdullah 39.52 per cent
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar 3.85 per cent
Rahmatullah Nabil 1.8 per cent
What drives subscription retailing?
Once the domain of newspaper home deliveries, subscription model retailing has combined with e-commerce to permeate myriad products and services.
The concept has grown tremendously around the world and is forecast to thrive further, according to UnivDatos Market Insights’ report on recent and predicted trends in the sector.
The global subscription e-commerce market was valued at $13.2 billion (Dh48.5bn) in 2018. It is forecast to touch $478.2bn in 2025, and include the entertainment, fitness, food, cosmetics, baby care and fashion sectors.
The report says subscription-based services currently constitute “a small trend within e-commerce”. The US hosts almost 70 per cent of recurring plan firms, including leaders Dollar Shave Club, Hello Fresh and Netflix. Walmart and Sephora are among longer established retailers entering the space.
UnivDatos cites younger and affluent urbanites as prime subscription targets, with women currently the largest share of end-users.
That’s expected to remain unchanged until 2025, when women will represent a $246.6bn market share, owing to increasing numbers of start-ups targeting women.
Personal care and beauty occupy the largest chunk of the worldwide subscription e-commerce market, with changing lifestyles, work schedules, customisation and convenience among the chief future drivers.
What is graphene?
Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged like honeycomb.
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were "playing about" with sticky tape and graphite - the material used as "lead" in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But as they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment had led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
At the time, many believed it was impossible for such thin crystalline materials to be stable. But examined under a microscope, the material remained stable, and when tested was found to have incredible properties.
It is many times times stronger than steel, yet incredibly lightweight and flexible. It is electrically and thermally conductive but also transparent. The world's first 2D material, it is one million times thinner than the diameter of a single human hair.
But the 'sticky tape' method would not work on an industrial scale. Since then, scientists have been working on manufacturing graphene, to make use of its incredible properties.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. Their discovery meant physicists could study a new class of two-dimensional materials with unique properties.
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
'Ashkal'
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Polarised public
31% in UK say BBC is biased to left-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is biased to right-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is not biased at all
Source: YouGov
Dunki
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Five expert hiking tips
Always check the weather forecast before setting off
Make sure you have plenty of water
Set off early to avoid sudden weather changes in the afternoon
Wear appropriate clothing and footwear
Take your litter home with you
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Strait of Hormuz
Fujairah is a crucial hub for fuel storage and is just outside the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route linking Middle East oil producers to markets in Asia, Europe, North America and beyond.
The strait is 33 km wide at its narrowest point, but the shipping lane is just three km wide in either direction. Almost a fifth of oil consumed across the world passes through the strait.
Iran has repeatedly threatened to close the strait, a move that would risk inviting geopolitical and economic turmoil.
Last month, Iran issued a new warning that it would block the strait, if it was prevented from using the waterway following a US decision to end exemptions from sanctions for major Iranian oil importers.
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