There were long queues of jobseekers on Friday morning as Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) held an open day to recruit taxi drivers.
The recruitment day was being held as part of a drive to hire new drivers in an attempt to tackle taxi shortages in the emirate.
The RTA announced in November that it was planning to hire more drivers to help meet growing demand, which has risen significantly since Expo 2020 Dubai opened.
Ahmed Naqi, 26, lost his job as an airline office administrator two years ago and has struggled to find work ever since.
He even returned to Pakistan to find work there but his search was fruitless. Mr Naqi said he was born and raised in the UAE.
Anyone that is hiring doesn’t want to hire more senior people like me. That’s why I applied for this when I saw the advert online
Mahfuzur Rahaman Khan,
former sales adviser for an oil company
“I have returned to Dubai because I need to find a job,” Mr Naqi said.
“I need to have work. My brothers and my mother are here in Dubai with me and are relying on me for support.”
The walk-in interviews for new taxi drivers were held in Deira.
An online advert promised a salary of up to Dh2,000 plus bonus, accommodation and health insurance with applicants requiring two to five years of experience.
Applications were open to people between the ages of 23 and 55 and who have a residency visa and an Emirates ID.
Dubai Taxi Corporation, run by RTA, has 5,700 vehicles. Most of the vehicles run 24 hours a day, operated by drivers on 12-hour split shifts.
But in recent months demand has outstripped supply, with a huge demand for taxis at Expo 2020 Dubai, where thousands of drivers were sent.
Mahfuzur Rahaman Khan, 42, has not found work since leaving his job as a sales adviser for an oil company in Dubai in 2020.
“I had to go home and help look after my father in Bangladesh,” he said. “I wasn’t able to come back because of the restrictions due to the pandemic.”
He returned to Dubai once restrictions were lifted but finding a new job has been a challenge.
“I keep looking and looking for work but there is nothing available,” he said.
“Anyone that is hiring doesn’t want to hire more senior people like me.
“That’s why I applied for this when I saw the advert online.”
Other applicants said the chances of finding a job recently were remote, which was why they jumped at the chance of applying to be taxi drivers in Dubai.
“I worked in a seafood restaurant before but I have been out of work for some time,” said Kwaku Danso, 40, from Ghana.
“I was a taxi driver in my home country for 15 years before coming here.”
Indian Najeeb Sharf, 29, said he moved to Dubai three months ago to find work, but has so far had no success.
“I have given myself another two weeks to find something,” Mr Sharf said.
Another applicant said he had been driving a taxi in his home country of Ghana for several years and felt his skills could easily be transferred.
“I was driving a taxi for many years at home and it would be an honour to come to Dubai and help increase the productivity of the country,” said Alex Obeng, 29.
“I have been here for almost a week now.”
Another candidate said he hopes he gets lucky and gets the job.
“I applied for a lot of jobs online but never got a response,” said Haseeb Nadeem, 21, from Pakistan. “I just qualified from college and came over here two months ago, but this is the only opportunity I have had so far.”
MATCH STATS
Wolves 0
Aston Villa 1 (El Ghazi 90 4' pen)
Red cards: Joao Moutinho (Wolves); Douglas Luiz (Aston Villa)
Man of the match: Emi Martinez (Aston Villa)
MATCH INFO
Fulham 0
Aston Villa 3 (Grealish 4', Hourihane 15', Mings 48')
Man of the match: Jack Grealish (Aston Villa)
if you go
The flights
Etihad, Emirates and Singapore Airlines fly direct from the UAE to Singapore from Dh2,265 return including taxes. The flight takes about 7 hours.
The hotel
Rooms at the M Social Singapore cost from SG $179 (Dh488) per night including taxes.
The tour
Makan Makan Walking group tours costs from SG $90 (Dh245) per person for about three hours. Tailor-made tours can be arranged. For details go to www.woknstroll.com.sg
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
Army of the Dead
Director: Zack Snyder
Stars: Dave Bautista, Ella Purnell, Omari Hardwick, Ana de la Reguera
Three stars
Types of bank fraud
1) Phishing
Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
2) Smishing
The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
3) Vishing
The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
4) SIM swap
Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
5) Identity theft
Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
6) Prize scams
Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre, four-cylinder turbo
Transmission: seven-speed dual clutch automatic
Power: 169bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh54,500
On sale: now
