One of Dubai’s most popular long-established hotels will be home to the city’s newest water park.
Grand Hyatt Dubai is launching its own water park, a ticketed attraction with 15 slides and rides including a surfing lagoon that will be open to the public.
The five-star hotel has been a stalwart in the city for more than 20 years and is now expanding with construction of a water park spread across 20,000 square metres.
Opening next year, the water park will be free to enter for travellers staying at the hotel, and guests staying at other Hyatt properties in the city will also receive complimentary visits. Tourists and guests at other hotels will be able to buy tickets for the water park.
“You can visit the water park in the morning, and then in the afternoon be in Dubai Mall which is just a 15-minute drive. By evening, you're back to the hotel and you can access the water park again – it's that easy to switch between the city and the leisure experience,” Moritz Frings, executive assistant manager of sales and marketing at Grand Hyatt Dubai, told The National.
The park will have it's own beach lagoon spanning 2,000 square metres and filled with natural sand. It will also have a huge wave pool, a lazy river for those looking to meander around the facility, an action-packed surf pool and two slide towers.
Younger children aged one to five will be well catered to with their own splash area at the park designed around an "oasis in the city" theme, and private cabanas will cater to sun-seekers.
“Our existing customers at the hotel will have unlimited access to the facility, and also we have 18 hotels and serviced apartments managed by Hyatt in Dubai, and those guests will also have access to the facility,” Frings added during an interview at the Arabian Travel Market.
While Dubai is already home to several water parks – including Aquaventure which was recently named the world's biggest water park – this new attraction is designed to appeal to families seeking a price point that is not within the ultra-luxury market.
“We want to develop more visitation to Dubai, and so we're targeting are families that tend to go visit other destinations, such as Turkey, or the Mediterranean, where there are similar resorts," said Frings.
"These families don't need massive resorts, they just want a place where their children can have an experience and they have everything they need."
MATCH INFO
Manchester United 1 (Rashford 36')
Liverpool 1 (Lallana 84')
Man of the match: Marcus Rashford (Manchester United)
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
Scoreline:
Cardiff City 0
Liverpool 2
Wijnaldum 57', Milner 81' (pen)
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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Abu Dhabi – Call 999 or 8002626 (Aman Service)
Dubai – Call 800243
Sharjah – Call 065632222
Ras Al Khaimah - Call 072053372
Ajman – Call 067401616
Umm Al Quwain – Call 999
Fujairah - Call 092051100 or 092224411
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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
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Starring: Vidya Balan, Sanya Malhotra
Director: Anu Menon
Rating: Three out of five stars
Indika
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Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
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- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
