It was five years ago this month that the UAE Falcons of the Emirates American Football League won their first and only Super Bowl International Division Championship in Orlando, Florida.
"That was one of my best memories of playing football in Dubai and the experience gave me the confidence and ambition to pursue my dream of playing major college football in the United States,” Adam Babb recalled.
Babb was a regular face at the Emirates American Football League, having completed six seasons as a member of the Dubai Stallions as well as representing the UAE Falcons in various international matches.
He is now a member of the Arizona State University (ASU) football team that is set to play against the University of Wisconsin in the Las Vegas Bowl on December 30.
For Babb, who is majoring in Business and Tourism, the game is a bit of a homecoming.
“To have access to several sports and then an introduction to football in Dubai has been a blessing to me, honestly,” he said.
"My father sent me home to Las Vegas for high school because he understood this would be the best opportunity for me to go on to Division 1 college football.
“I thought I had the potential to play at this level when I joined high school. The league I played back in Dubai as a kid gave me the confidence and experience, and the opportunity to travel to the US, China, Singapore, Ukraine and a lot of other places.”
The jump is no small accomplishment for Babb, 18, as only a small group of players with an international background are included on Division 1 college football rosters each year.
The league I played back in Dubai as a kid gave me the confidence and experience to travel to the US, China, Singapore, Ukraine and a lot of other places
Adam Babb
There are more than one million high school players in the USA and of those 10,000 - less than one per cent - go on to play division 1 college football. Less than 200 of those 10,000 are from countries outside the US.
“My teammate Peizhang Jackson He became the first Chinese national in NCAA Division 1 college football history to score a touchdown in a game last year,” Babb said.
“ASU is very open and receptive to international origin players and this helped me in my recruitment. I was able to make it to the Division 1 level through hard work and belief in myself which is the spirit I grew up with in Dubai.
“The opportunity to play for coach Herm Edwards at Arizona State University is a dream come true and I am taking full advantage of it.
“Our coaches all originate from the NFL and my special team coach Shawn Slocumb won a Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers. So I am really getting the best of coaching and development at ASU.
“I love my teammates. They are all very supportive and the campus is amazing. The environment on game day is electric and running on to the field to thousands of cheering fans is such a rush, you can't hope but perform your best for them.”
Babb’s father James, who has been employed in Dubai for the past 16 years and is now a Golden Visa resident, said growing up in a sporting environment in Dubai paid rich dividends.
“For him, the sports environment was exceptional in the UAE,” he said. “He had the opportunity to compete in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, baseball and American football, and travelled internationally to compete in all of those sports successfully.
“It really gave him the confidence he could make the jump to the big stage in the US.”
Babb has lofty ambitions to take his game forward and perhaps, believes he can one day make it to the NFL and play professionally.
“I am focused on the next four years, performing my best for Arizona State. I do not believe I am close to reaching my potential yet,” he added.
“If my performance is proven good enough upon graduation, I would love the opportunity to compete at the NFL level.
“The Las Vegas Raiders are my favourite pro team and I just graduated from high school in Allegiant Stadium six months ago and now I am returning back for the bowl game.
“It could be a sign of things to come. I'll keep working hard and believing good things will continue to happen, as they have so far.”
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
What is the definition of an SME?
SMEs in the UAE are defined by the number of employees, annual turnover and sector. For example, a “small company” in the services industry has six to 50 employees with a turnover of more than Dh2 million up to Dh20m, while in the manufacturing industry the requirements are 10 to 100 employees with a turnover of more than Dh3m up to Dh50m, according to Dubai SME, an agency of the Department of Economic Development.
A “medium-sized company” can either have staff of 51 to 200 employees or 101 to 250 employees, and a turnover less than or equal to Dh200m or Dh250m, again depending on whether the business is in the trading, manufacturing or services sectors.
Venom
Director: Ruben Fleischer
Cast: Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, Riz Ahmed
Rating: 1.5/5
Evacuations to France hit by controversy
- Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
- Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
- The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
- Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
- It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
- Since the start of the Gaza war, it has also included 45 Gazan beneficiaries
- Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
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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
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
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Details
Through Her Lens: The stories behind the photography of Eva Sereny
Forewords by Jacqueline Bisset and Charlotte Rampling, ACC Art Books
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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More coverage from the Future Forum
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
