Dubai English Speaking College’s bid to add the Girls Under 19 title next week to the Boys equivalent the school won last year at the Dubai Sevens will be a tough task.
Dubai Exiles have traditionally dominated the event. Fellow giants of Gulf club rugby like Abu Dhabi Harlequins and Dubai Hurricanes will also be represented at the competition, which starts on Thursday, December 1.
There will also be the threat posed by city rivals Dubai College, as well as previous winners British School Al Khubairat.
And yet DESC have reason to feel optimistic, too. After all, they are led by one of the leading talents of girls rugby in the region.
Emily Eglen, 17, was the leading try-scorer when the UAE won the Under 20s Women Asia Sevens tournament in Uzbekistan earlier this month.
The Australia-born DESC pupil scored 13 tries in the six games it took the national age-group team to triumph in that event.
It might have been regarded as a decent warm-up ahead of the Sevens, were it not for the fact that just keeping warm at all was part of the challenge for the touring UAE players.
“It was an amazing opportunity to travel to a different country and play with the girls, as I had never done it before,” Eglen said.
“It was a completely different experience for me. I’d never played in rain and such freezing weather before. Going over and playing in that was a lot different to what I am used to, but it was fun playing in a completely different temperature.
“Because you are constantly moving when you are on the field, you are not cold, but before the games it was freezing.”
Eglen has been playing full-contact rugby for the past three years, having first started rugby via a touch programme at DESC.
“I am quite a lot smaller than the other girls,” she said.
“Then, as soon as I got into it, I loved it. But it was scary at first. Being able to make big hits, and run the length of the pitch, it is a good feeling.”
According to George Cliffe, DESC’s coach who was also in charge of the UAE U20 girls side in Uzbekistan, Eglen’s rapid progress in rugby has been a triumph for hard work.
“Emily is a multi-sport athlete,” Cliffe said. “She did athletics when she was younger, she has played netball, and been involved in water polo and basketball.
“She didn’t start rugby until she was in Year 8, so the fact she has done what she has is really nice.
“The transfer of athleticism and physical fitness goes well into rugby, when you have to be aggressive, powerful and fast as well.
“She has been exemplary in terms of her attitude, and that is what has turned her into the player she is today.
“I think people think she found it easy just because she is quick. That hasn’t been the case. They only see the tries on Instagram, but she has put in a lot of hard graft behind the scenes.”
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
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
The National in Davos
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