• Patients sit on bed waiting to be moved to a hospital, amid the spread of the coronavirus disease in Ahmedabad, India. Reuters
    Patients sit on bed waiting to be moved to a hospital, amid the spread of the coronavirus disease in Ahmedabad, India. Reuters
  • A health worker takes a swab sample to test for Covid-19 at a drive-through testing facility at GMDC ground in Ahmedabad, India. AP Photo
    A health worker takes a swab sample to test for Covid-19 at a drive-through testing facility at GMDC ground in Ahmedabad, India. AP Photo
  • People pray while attending a funeral service for a Covid-19 fatality at a burial ground in New Delhi, India. Bloomberg
    People pray while attending a funeral service for a Covid-19 fatality at a burial ground in New Delhi, India. Bloomberg
  • A patient with breathing problem is helped to walk towards an ambulance as he is being shifted to a hospital in Ahmedabad, India. Reuters
    A patient with breathing problem is helped to walk towards an ambulance as he is being shifted to a hospital in Ahmedabad, India. Reuters
  • Migrant workers queue up to enter a railway station to leave the city ahead of a lockdown to slow the spread of Covid-19 in Mumbai, India. Getty Images
    Migrant workers queue up to enter a railway station to leave the city ahead of a lockdown to slow the spread of Covid-19 in Mumbai, India. Getty Images
  • Muslims wearing masks as a precaution against the coronavirus wait to break fast on the first day of the holy month of Ramadan at the Jama Mosque, in New Delhi, India. AP Photo
    Muslims wearing masks as a precaution against the coronavirus wait to break fast on the first day of the holy month of Ramadan at the Jama Mosque, in New Delhi, India. AP Photo

UAE

Emirates extends flights ban from India to UAE until August 7

Passengers who have transited through India in the past 14 days will also be barred from travel

The National

July 28, 2021

  • English
  • Arabic

Follow the latest updates on the Covid-19 pandemic here

The suspension on passenger flights from India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka to Dubai will be extended until at least August 7, Emirates airline announced on Wednesday.

The airline suspended passenger flights from all four countries on several occasions in recent weeks, with the latest ban originally scheduled to be lifted on July 28.

Emirates also said passengers who have transited through India, Pakistan, Bangladesh or Sri Lanka in the past 14 days will not be allowed to travel from any other destination to the UAE.

UAE citizens, golden visa holders and members of diplomatic missions who comply with updated Covid-19 regulations are exempt from the ruling.

Emirates said it was experiencing "a greater volume of calls than anticipated" and urged passengers whose calls did not relate to travel within the next 48 hours to consider calling at a later date.

"If your flight has been cancelled or impacted by route suspensions due to Covid‑19 restrictions, you don’t need to call us immediately for rebooking. You can simply hold on to your Emirates ticket and when flights resume, get in touch with us or your booking office to make new travel plans," the Emirates statement read.

"Emirates regrets any inconvenience caused."

On Monday, Etihad Airways confirmed passenger flights to and from India would stay suspended until August 2.

The Abu Dhabi airline had previously said all flights from India were suspended until July 31, citing government directives.

Restrictions on passengers from India have been in place since late April, when daily Covid-19 case numbers soared to 400,000 and the highly infections Delta variant emerged.





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

Race card

1.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,200m.

2.15pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,200m.

2.45pm: Handicap Dh95,000 1,200m.

3.15pm: Handicap Dh120,000 1,400m.

3.45pm: Handicap Dh80,000 1,400m.

4.15pm: Handicap Dh90,000 1,800m.

4.45pm: Handicap Dh80,000 1,950m.

The National selections:

1.45pm: Galaxy Road – So Hi Speed

2.15pm: Majestic Thunder – Daltrey

2.45pm: Call To War – Taamol

3.15pm: Eqtiraan - Bochart

3.45pm: Kidd Malibu – Initial

4.15pm: Arroway – Arch Gold

4.35pm: Compliance - Muqaatil

Updated: July 29, 2021, 6:42 AM