• Fans cheer Mumbai Indians against Kolkata Knight Riders during their opening IPL match in Abu Dhabi in April 2014. Ravindranath K / The National
    Fans cheer Mumbai Indians against Kolkata Knight Riders during their opening IPL match in Abu Dhabi in April 2014. Ravindranath K / The National
  • Glenn Maxwell in action for Kings XI Punjab against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Part of the 2014 edition was held in the UAE as India was in the midst of elections. Jeffrey E Biteng / The National
    Glenn Maxwell in action for Kings XI Punjab against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Part of the 2014 edition was held in the UAE as India was in the midst of elections. Jeffrey E Biteng / The National
  • Leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal became a star with Royal Challengers Bangalore before making a name for himself as an India player. Pawan Singh / The National
    Leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal became a star with Royal Challengers Bangalore before making a name for himself as an India player. Pawan Singh / The National
  • Left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem, in IPL action at Abu Dhabi in 2014, continues to knock on the Indian selection committee's doors. Ravindranath K / The National
    Left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem, in IPL action at Abu Dhabi in 2014, continues to knock on the Indian selection committee's doors. Ravindranath K / The National
  • Kolkata paceman Morne Morkel in action against Rajasthan Royals in Abu Dhabi. The South African took 1-40. Jeffrey E Biteng / The National
    Kolkata paceman Morne Morkel in action against Rajasthan Royals in Abu Dhabi. The South African took 1-40. Jeffrey E Biteng / The National
  • Kolkata captain Gautam Gambhir enjoyed his outing against Mumbai Indians at Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi. Pawan Singh / The National
    Kolkata captain Gautam Gambhir enjoyed his outing against Mumbai Indians at Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi. Pawan Singh / The National
  • The IPL proved to be a hit throughout the country, judging by fan numbers at the stadiums. Pawan Singh / The National
    The IPL proved to be a hit throughout the country, judging by fan numbers at the stadiums. Pawan Singh / The National

Cricket

Indian Premier League 2020 set to begin on September 19

Chairman Brijesh Patel hopes to get government clearance soon to hold tournament in UAE

The National

July 24, 2020

  • English
  • Arabic

Indian Premier League (IPL) chairman Brijesh Patel announced that this year's tournament will begin on September 19 in the UAE.

The IPL Governing Council is scheduled to meet next week to finalise the schedule. The report said the Indian cricket board has informed the franchises about the plan.

"The Governing Council will meet shortly but we have finalised the schedule. It will run from September 19 to November 8. We expect the government approval to come through. It is a full 51-day IPL," Patel was quoted as saying by the Press Trust of India. The tournament is set to end on November 8.

Patel said that 'standard operating procedures' for the tournament are being prepared and the board will formally write to the Emirates Cricket Board soon.

“We are making the SOP and it will be ready in a few days. To allow crowd or not depends on the UAE government. Anyway social distancing has to be maintained. We have left it for their government to decide on that. Will also be writing to the UAE board formally,” Patel said.

IPL got the window to hold its much-delayed 2020 edition after the International Cricket Council (ICC) decided to postpone the T20 World Cup in Australia to next year.

The UAE has three major cricket grounds - the Dubai International Stadium, Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah Cricket Stadium - that can host top-level matches.

The report added that the Indian board will look to rent the ICC Academy for training purposes.

Earlier, the Emirates Cricket Board had stated that they will "extend full support" to the IPL if they do opt to switch the tournament to UAE.

“Considering the numbers of Covid cases in UAE is going down, and the situation is becoming more relaxed, we are hopeful that if the BCCI does come to us, at that time we will be one of the safest destinations in the world,” Mubashshir Usmani, the ECB general secretary, said.

The 12 breakaway clubs

England

Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur

Italy
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus

Spain
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid

One-off T20 International: UAE v Australia

When: Monday, October 22, 2pm start

Where: Abu Dhabi Cricket, Oval 1

Tickets: Admission is free

Australia squad: Aaron Finch (captain), Mitch Marsh, Alex Carey, Ashton Agar, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Chris Lynn, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Ben McDermott, Darcy Short, Billy Stanlake, Mitchell Starc, Andrew Tye, Adam Zampa, Peter Siddle

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Name: buybackbazaar.com

Started: January 2018

Founder(s): Pishu Ganglani and Ricky Husaini

Based: Dubai

Sector: FinTech, micro finance

Initial investment: $1 million

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

Expert advice

“Join in with a group like Cycle Safe Dubai or TrainYAS, where you’ll meet like-minded people and always have support on hand.”

Stewart Howison, co-founder of Cycle Safe Dubai and owner of Revolution Cycles

“When you sweat a lot, you lose a lot of salt and other electrolytes from your body. If your electrolytes drop enough, you will be at risk of cramping. To prevent salt deficiency, simply add an electrolyte mix to your water.”

Cornelia Gloor, head of RAK Hospital’s Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy Centre 

“Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can ride as fast or as far during the summer as you do in cooler weather. The heat will make you expend more energy to maintain a speed that might normally be comfortable, so pace yourself when riding during the hotter parts of the day.”

Chandrashekar Nandi, physiotherapist at Burjeel Hospital in Dubai
 

Navdeep Suri, India's Ambassador to the UAE

There has been a longstanding need from the Indian community to have a religious premises where they can practise their beliefs. Currently there is a very, very small temple in Bur Dubai and the community has outgrown this. So this will be a major temple and open to all denominations and a place should reflect India’s diversity.

It fits so well into the UAE’s own commitment to tolerance and pluralism and coming in the year of tolerance gives it that extra dimension.

What we will see on April 20 is the foundation ceremony and we expect a pretty broad cross section of the Indian community to be present, both from the UAE and abroad. The Hindu group that is building the temple will have their holiest leader attending – and we expect very senior representation from the leadership of the UAE.

When the designs were taken to the leadership, there were two clear options. There was a New Jersey model with a rectangular structure with the temple recessed inside so it was not too visible from the outside and another was the Neasden temple in London with the spires in its classical shape. And they said: look we said we wanted a temple so it should look like a temple. So this should be a classical style temple in all its glory.

It is beautifully located - 30 minutes outside of Abu Dhabi and barely 45 minutes to Dubai so it serves the needs of both communities.

This is going to be the big temple where I expect people to come from across the country at major festivals and occasions.

It is hugely important – it will take a couple of years to complete given the scale. It is going to be remarkable and will contribute something not just to the landscape in terms of visual architecture but also to the ethos. Here will be a real representation of UAE’s pluralism.

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