The UAE often experiences sand and dust storms that reduce air quality and hamper visibility on the roads.
A dust alert was issued over the weekend as visibility dropped to below 500 metres in parts of the country, with many people waking up to thick clouds of dust in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Flights bound for Dubai International Airport were diverted to neighbouring airports because of poor visibility while police warned motorists to be vigilant while driving in the hazy conditions.
And the dusty conditions are expected to continue over the coming days with winds of up to 40 kilometres an hour expected in parts of the country.
As the dusty weather continues, sandstorms are likely to become more regular. But why? And do they potentially pose a risk to public health?
How common are sandstorms?
In the UAE, sandstorms are certainly not unusual. They most often hit during the summer and in turbulent weather, such as during the transition from winter to spring, when rising temperatures cause strong winds. The rate of storms is expected to increase with the effects of climate change, according to a report published in 2017.
More extreme sandstorms are usually reported elsewhere in the region, in countries such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Iraq, where there are strong north-westerly winds.
During the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, concentrations of nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide and carbon monoxide ― all pollutants released by vehicles ― dropped, in some cases by as much as 70 per cent.
But a recent study in the Emirates found the air was more polluted owing to an increase in concentrations of tiny particulate matter in the air in the east of the Arabian Peninsula, including the UAE.
That resulted from an unusually active period of dust storms caused by north-westerly winds.
What are sandstorms made of?
A lot more than sand. The storms can carry pollutants or even viruses and bacteria.
“You could have a sandstorm here and the impact on what is carried on the sand or in the sand is completely different,” Ruqaya Mohamed, section manager of air quality, noise and climate change at the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi, told The National.
“The sandstorm could have the same origin, but depending on where it passes, by the time it reaches your place or my place it carries all sorts of things along the way," she said.
Sandstorms typically contain silica crystals, as well as viruses, bacteria, dust mites, fungi and even plants. They have been blamed for spreading meningitis spores across Africa. The storms can also transmit viruses such as influenza, scientists have said.
Some experts have said the 2001 foot-and-mouth outbreak in the UK was caused by a large storm in North Africa, which may have carried the spores to the north of the UK a week before the first cases were reported.
Who is at risk of becoming ill?
The American Thoracic Society has said sand particles can be inhaled, but are usually too large to be deposited in the lungs, so they generally become trapped in the upper airway.
As a result, upper airway and mucus membrane irritation is the most common health problem.
People who suffer from allergies or asthma suffer most. Fifteen minutes of exposure to even small particles can increase the potential of suffering from asthma symptoms.
But anyone with a weakened immune system, including the elderly and pregnant women, are more at risk of being infected by viruses or bacteria contained in the dust.
What should I do in a sandstorm?
If you can, you should stay indoors until it passes. If not, wear a mask or use a wet towel to protect yourself against inhaling dust particles.
Running an air purifier indoors will help. Doctors say it is also important to stay hydrated.
Why do UAE sandstorms not look like the ones on TV?
The UAE's location and climate does not tend to expose it to the extreme winds found elsewhere.
Forecasters say most of the storms that reach the country originate from the dried-up marshlands of Kuwait or Iraq, but they usually blow themselves out before they reach the Emirates.
Instead of a fast-moving wall of air, as seen in Dubai in Hollywood film Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, the sand is suspended.
Can anything be done to improve air quality in the UAE?
Abu Dhabi has expanded a programme aimed at improving air quality in the emirate.
Experts from the environment agency have joined the World Health Organisation’s Global Air Pollution and Health Technical Advisory Group. They now sit on two working groups – one focused on dust, sand and health, and the other on policy interventions.
It is hoped the knowledge gained in the groups can help the emirate to continue to make strides to improve air quality.
MATCH INFO
Euro 2020 qualifier
Fixture: Liechtenstein v Italy, Tuesday, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match is shown on BeIN Sports
TOURNAMENT INFO
Fixtures
Sunday January 5 - Oman v UAE
Monday January 6 - UAE v Namibia
Wednesday January 8 - Oman v Namibia
Thursday January 9 - Oman v UAE
Saturday January 11 - UAE v Namibia
Sunday January 12 – Oman v Namibia
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Mohammed Usman, CP Rizwan, Waheed Ahmed, Zawar Farid, Darius D’Silva, Karthik Meiyappan, Jonathan Figy, Vriitya Aravind, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Basil Hameed, Chirag Suri
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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Zayed Sustainability Prize
Look north
BBC business reporters, like a new raft of government officials, are being removed from the national and international hub of London and surely the quality of their work must suffer.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 268hp at 5,600rpm
Torque: 380Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: CVT auto
Fuel consumption: 9.5L/100km
On sale: now
Price: from Dh195,000
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
- Pension support
- Mental well-being assistance
- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
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COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
