A new medical school in Abu Dhabi hopes to encourage more Emiratis to consider a career in health care.
A collaboration between multinational providers VPS Healthcare and the Cumming School of Medicine of the University of Calgary in Canada will offer the only accelerated graduate three-year programme outside of North America through which to become a doctor.
Graduates will be enrolled into a residency at one of 24 VPS Healthcare hospitals across the region, to address the significant demand for physicians in the UAE and elsewhere.
It truly has the potential to become a prestigious medical ecosystem – with innovative teaching and programmes that will impact our whole community and far beyond
Dr Taleb Almansoori
Medical degrees at the new school aim to create new opportunities for the UAE’s Nafis project, a federal programme to make Emiratis more competitive in the private sector job market.
Dr Shamsheer Vayalil, founder and chairman of VPS Healthcare, said the new school of medicine will also generate significant positive economic and social benefits.
“VPS Healthcare's education programmes will help build a new generation of qualified healthcare professionals,” he said.
“And for the employment of Emirati nationals in the private sector, this is a key pillar of the UAE’s economic diversification agenda.
“After graduation, these highly educated Emirati professionals will become part of a world-class academic medical health system, which will improve the quality of health care in our communities.”
The programme called Nafis, meaning 'complete' in English, was announced in September alongside the launch of the second tranche of projects under the "Projects of the 50”.
The programme commemorates the UAE’s jubilee year and carves out an economic mandate for the next 50 years to inspire youth and deliver national prosperity.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Five top industries for Emirati talent - in pictures
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Within five years, all private sector companies in the UAE should have a workforce that is at least 10 per cent Emirati.
Majid Al Futtaim has already committed to recruit 3,000 Emiratis in the private sector before 2026 in the retail and leisure sector.
More options for career in health care
The new school will include extensive roles in research and development in medical and healthcare fields, high-paying jobs and better access to top-class specialists.
“Given the highly talented physician faculty attracted to academic medical centres, consumers looking to make healthcare decisions often remain in UAE, rather than travelling to different parts of the world,” said Dr Shamsheer.
“VPS Healthcare will continue its mission to attract and now train primary care and clinical specialists who are so crucial to the future of health care and patient well-being in the UAE.”
The new partnership will swell the options available for students hoping for a medical career in the country.
A roster of medical universities offering some of the best regional facilities include the Mohammed bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences in Dubai, the College of Medicine and Health Sciences at Khalifa University in Abu Dhabi and UAE University in Al Ain.
Other options for medical students are the Gulf Medical University in Ajman, and Ajman University, where three of its nine colleges are dedicated to medical sciences.
Since 1970, the University of Calgary’s doctor of medicine programme has been one of only two fully accredited medical schools in Canada to offer a three-year course.
The VPS Group’s Burjeel Medical City in Abu Dhabi will serve as the principal teaching hospital for the medical school.
A teaching hospital on the same site as the medical school will accelerate exchange of information, mentorship and the “spirit of learning”, officials said.
A search is now on to recruit the school of medicine’s founding president, dean and faculty.
Enrolment will begin as soon as all approvals and licensing are complete, most likely in 2022.
“The medical school will reshape and redefine the health services in the private sector by merging clinical practice with academic medicine,” said Dr Taleb Almansoori, academic adviser for VPS Healthcare.
“We constantly strive for excellence, aiming for knowledgeable and innovative Emiratis ready to serve our community and lead the healthcare sector.
“Interested students in joining this school will get a world-class medical education accompanied by hands-on clinical education at VPS facilities.
“It truly has the potential to become a prestigious medical ecosystem – with innovative teaching and programmes that will impact our whole community and far beyond.”
Company profile
Name: Thndr
Started: October 2020
Founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: pre-seed of $800,000
Funding stage: series A; $20 million
Investors: Tiger Global, Beco Capital, Prosus Ventures, Y Combinator, Global Ventures, Abdul Latif Jameel, Endure Capital, 4DX Ventures, Plus VC, Rabacap and MSA Capital
The biog
Marital status: Separated with two young daughters
Education: Master's degree from American Univeristy of Cairo
Favourite book: That Is How They Defeat Despair by Salwa Aladian
Favourite Motto: Their happiness is your happiness
Goal: For Nefsy to become his legacy long after he is gon
Anghami
Started: December 2011
Co-founders: Elie Habib, Eddy Maroun
Based: Beirut and Dubai
Sector: Entertainment
Size: 85 employees
Stage: Series C
Investors: MEVP, du, Mobily, MBC, Samena Capital
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Fines for littering
In Dubai:
Dh200 for littering or spitting in the Dubai Metro
Dh500 for throwing cigarette butts or chewing gum on the floor, or littering from a vehicle.
Dh1,000 for littering on a beach, spitting in public places, throwing a cigarette butt from a vehicle
In Sharjah and other emirates
Dh500 for littering - including cigarette butts and chewing gum - in public places and beaches in Sharjah
Dh2,000 for littering in Sharjah deserts
Dh500 for littering from a vehicle in Ras Al Khaimah
Dh1,000 for littering from a car in Abu Dhabi
Dh1,000 to Dh100,000 for dumping waste in residential or public areas in Al Ain
Dh10,000 for littering at Ajman's beaches
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now
Results
2.30pm: Dubai Creek Tower – Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (Dirt) 1,200m; Winner: Marmara Xm, Gary Sanchez (jockey), Abdelkhir Adam (trainer)
3pm: Al Yasmeen – Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,700m; Winner: AS Hajez, Jesus Rosales, Khalifa Al Neyadi
3.30pm: Al Ferdous – Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,700m; Winner: Soukainah, Sebastien Martino, Jean-Claude Pecout
4pm: The Crown Prince Of Sharjah – Prestige (PA) Dh200,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: AF Thayer, Ray Dawson, Ernst Oertel
4.30pm: Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Cup – Handicap (TB) Dh200,000 (D) 2,000m; Winner: George Villiers, Antonio Fresu, Bhupat Seemar
5pm: Palma Spring – Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 2,000m; Winner: Es Abu Mousa, Antonio Fresu, Abubakar Daud
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
Slow loris biog
From: Lonely Loris is a Sunda slow loris, one of nine species of the animal native to Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore
Status: Critically endangered, and listed as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature red list due to growing demand in the global exotic pet trade. It is one of the most popular primate species found at Indonesian pet markets
Likes: Sleeping, which they do for up to 18 hours a day. When they are awake, they like to eat fruit, insects, small birds and reptiles and some types of vegetation
Dislikes: Sunlight. Being a nocturnal animal, the slow loris wakes around sunset and is active throughout the night
Superpowers: His dangerous elbows. The slow loris’s doe eyes may make it look cute, but it is also deadly. The only known venomous primate, it hisses and clasps its paws and can produce a venom from its elbow that can cause anaphylactic shock and even death in humans
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 247hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm from 1,500-3,500rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 7.8L/100km
Price: from Dh94,900
On sale: now
