Muhammad Waseem will lead the UAE in the T20 format for the first time when they face New Zealand in a three-match international series in Dubai.
Waseem, who is ranked No 6 in the world in T20I's batting standings, took over the captaincy from CP Rizwan earlier this year.
The national team have exclusively played one-day internationals in the time since.
Now they are returning to the shortest format as they build towards attempting to qualify for the T20 World Cup in the West Indies next year.
They will be aiming for one of the two places on offer at the Asian qualifying event in Nepal in November.
New Zealand, for their part, are en route to the UK where they will play a limited-overs series against England later this month. They will play at the World Cup in India in October and November.
Newcomers
The UAE could give debuts to a raft of new players, as they continue to back young, home-raised players.
One player at the other end of the age scale could also be in for a first start in the format.
Asif Khan will attempt to transfer his prolific ODI form to the 20-over game if he gets to make his bow against New Zealand.
Full internationals
New Zealand have been sending teams to play in the UAE since the early days of the Sharjah Cup in the 1980s.
They have decent recent memories of the country, having reached the final of the T20 World Cup in 2021, before losing out to Australia at Dubai International Stadium.
This is the first time they will face the host nation in a full international series, though.
Weather
There are highs of 14º Celsius in Auckland at the moment. In Durham, where New Zealand will play their first ODI against England next week, it was 17º and cloudy on Wednesday.
Their stop over in the UAE is rather different. At 6pm on Thursday, it is forecast to be 38º in Dubai.
“It will help us. It is obviously hot and the games are in the evening, so there will be the humidity to deal with,” said UAE spinner Aayan Khan.
“It will be hard for us and for them. We will have an idea of how the surface will play in the evening which will give us a bit of strength.”
Fixtures
All games start at 6pm at Dubai International Stadium. Admission is free
Thursday, August 17 - First T20I
Saturday, August 19 - Second T20I
Sunday, August 20 - Third T20I
Squads
UAE: Muhammad Waseem (captain), Ali Naseer, Ansh Tandon, Aryansh Sharma, Asif Khan, Aayan Khan, Basil Hameed, Ethan D’Souza, Mohammed Faraazuddin, Jash Giyanani, Junaid Siddique, Lovepreet Singh, Mohammad Jawadullah, Sanchit Sharma, Vriitya Aravind, Zahoor Khan
New Zealand: Tim Southee (captain), Adi Ashok, Chad Bowes, Mark Chapman, Dane Cleaver, Jacob Duffy, Dean Foxcroft, Kyle Jamieson, Ben Lister, Cole McConchie, Jimmy Neesham, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Tim Seifert, Will Young
Broadcast
The matches will be shown live on Fancode.
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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