Thousands of people are set to descend on Downtown Dubai on Saturday to watch a breathtaking Burj Khalifa light show and fireworks display.
The world's tallest building is gearing up for a towering demonstration of pyrotechnics to usher in the New Year in stunning style.
The Burj Khalifa show is an annual highlight of the UAE's New Year's Eve festivities, drawing in vast crowds from within Dubai and beyond.
Members of the public are advised to get to Downtown Dubai early to make sure of a good spot to watch the entertainment unfold.
How to watch at home
Those who can't make the trip can still watch the action from home.
Emaar, the developer of Burj Khalifa, is broadcasting a live stream of the fireworks on its YouTube channel.
The stream started at 8.30pm.
According to Emaar, the New Year's Eve celebrations will be seen on television by a billion viewers around the world.
The light show aims to set a new world record for the largest laser display, while the light beams are set to travel the longest distance yet recorded.
How to watch in person
People are advised to make their way to Downtown Dubai early, with road closures in place from 4pm.
Al Asayel Street, Burj Khalifa Street, Financial Centre Street Lower Deck and Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard were closed at 4pm.
Parts of Al Mustaqbal Street were closed gradually from 4pm.
Al Sukook Street was closed at 8pm.
From 9pm, Financial Centre Street Upper Deck will also close to motorists.
Dubai's water canal elevators and pedestrian bridges will be closed in Al Safa and Business Bay areas.
The Executive Committee for Securing International and Local Events announced the fireworks displays would be in 32 locations in various areas of Dubai, to reduce overcrowding.
Getting to the Burj Khalifa
The committee identified three paths for members of the public to use to get to the Burj Khalifa area from nearby metro stations.
The first path is from Burj Khalifa station and will be divided into two parts, a section for families to the Al Jazeera Park area and the area behind the "Burj View". The second section will be for other groups and will lead to the "South Ridge", the area designated for watching fireworks.
The second path will be from Financial Centre station, where a section will be allocated for families heading to the Boulevard area, while the second section will be for other groups going to the South Edge area.
See how Burj Khalifa has been preparing for New Year's Eve
The third path will be for those coming from Business Bay station.
Burj Khalifa station and the metro bridge that connects to the Dubai Mall were set to be closed at 5pm, or when the numbers exceeded the capacity of the station.
The metro's green line will start operating at 5am on December 31 until midnight on January 2.
Dubai Tram will be in service from 6am on Saturday until 1am on Monday.
Free buses
To ease congestion and facilitate movement, authorities are providing 210 buses free of charge to transport people from events to nearby parking areas and metro stations.
- Sheikh Zayed Road in the direction of the Financial Centre to take the public from Burj Khalifa metro station to Al Wasl Club, MAX Fashion metro station, and Deira City Centre
- Sheikh Zayed Road heading to Abu Dhabi to take riders from Burj Khalifa metro station to Al Safa metro station
- Financial Centre Road to the parking area of Al Wasl Club, Deira City Centre and the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs
- Burj Khalifa Street heading to Deira City Centre metro station
- Business Bay metro station along Sheikh Zayed Road to Deira City Centre metro station
Bundesliga fixtures
Saturday, May 16 (kick-offs UAE time)
Borussia Dortmund v Schalke (4.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Freiburg (4.30pm)
Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin (4.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Paderborn (4.30pm)
Augsburg v Wolfsburg (4.30pm)
Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Monchengladbach (7.30pm)
Sunday, May 17
Cologne v Mainz (4.30pm),
Union Berlin v Bayern Munich (7pm)
Monday, May 18
Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen (9.30pm)
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Rohan Mustafa, Ahmed Raza, Mohammed Usman, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Boota, Sultan Ahmed, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmed, Zawar Farid
Part time contracts
Aryan Lakra, Ansh Tandon, Karthik Meiyappan, Rahul Bhatia, Alishan Sharafu, CP Rizwaan, Basil Hameed, Matiullah, Fahad Nawaz, Sanchit Sharma
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Name: Mariam Ketait
Emirate: Dubai
Hobbies: I enjoy travelling, experiencing new things, painting, reading, flying, and the French language
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Group 1 (Purebred Arabian) 2000m Dubai Kahayla Classic - $750,000
Group 2 1,600m(Dirt) Godolphin Mile - $750,000
Group 2 3,200m (Turf) Dubai Gold Cup – $750,000
Group 1 1,200m (Turf) Al Quoz Sprint – $1,000,000
Group 2 1,900m(Dirt) UAE Derby – $750,000
Group 1 1,200m (Dirt) Dubai Golden Shaheen – $1,500,000
Group 1 1,800m (Turf) Dubai Turf – $4,000,000
Group 1 2,410m (Turf) Dubai Sheema Classic – $5,000,000
Group 1 2,000m (Dirt) Dubai World Cup– $12,000,000
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Leap of Faith
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Public Affairs
Dh67
Last 10 NBA champions
2017: Golden State bt Cleveland 4-1
2016: Cleveland bt Golden State 4-3
2015: Golden State bt Cleveland 4-2
2014: San Antonio bt Miami 4-1
2013: Miami bt San Antonio 4-3
2012: Miami bt Oklahoma City 4-1
2011: Dallas bt Miami 4-2
2010: Los Angeles Lakers bt Boston 4-3
2009: Los Angeles Lakers bt Orlando 4-1
2008: Boston bt Los Angeles Lakers 4-2
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- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
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- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
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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
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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.
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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.
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Roll of honour 2019-2020
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West Asia Premiership
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UAE Premiership
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UAE Division One
Winners: Abu Dhabi Saracens
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UAE Division Two
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Three-day coronation
Royal purification
The entire coronation ceremony extends over three days from May 4-6, but Saturday is the one to watch. At the time of 10:09am the royal purification ceremony begins. Wearing a white robe, the king will enter a pavilion at the Grand Palace, where he will be doused in sacred water from five rivers and four ponds in Thailand. In the distant past water was collected from specific rivers in India, reflecting the influential blend of Hindu and Buddhist cosmology on the coronation. Hindu Brahmins and the country's most senior Buddhist monks will be present. Coronation practices can be traced back thousands of years to ancient India.
The crown
Not long after royal purification rites, the king proceeds to the Baisal Daksin Throne Hall where he receives sacred water from eight directions. Symbolically that means he has received legitimacy from all directions of the kingdom. He ascends the Bhadrapitha Throne, where in regal robes he sits under a Nine-Tiered Umbrella of State. Brahmins will hand the monarch the royal regalia, including a wooden sceptre inlaid with gold, a precious stone-encrusted sword believed to have been found in a lake in northern Cambodia, slippers, and a whisk made from yak's hair.
The Great Crown of Victory is the centrepiece. Tiered, gold and weighing 7.3 kilograms, it has a diamond from India at the top. Vajiralongkorn will personally place the crown on his own head and then issues his first royal command.
The audience
On Saturday afternoon, the newly-crowned king is set to grant a "grand audience" to members of the royal family, the privy council, the cabinet and senior officials. Two hours later the king will visit the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, the most sacred space in Thailand, which on normal days is thronged with tourists. He then symbolically moves into the Royal Residence.
The procession
The main element of Sunday's ceremonies, streets across Bangkok's historic heart have been blocked off in preparation for this moment. The king will sit on a royal palanquin carried by soldiers dressed in colourful traditional garb. A 21-gun salute will start the procession. Some 200,000 people are expected to line the seven-kilometre route around the city.
Meet the people
On the last day of the ceremony Rama X will appear on the balcony of Suddhaisavarya Prasad Hall in the Grand Palace at 4:30pm "to receive the good wishes of the people". An hour later, diplomats will be given an audience at the Grand Palace. This is the only time during the ceremony that representatives of foreign governments will greet the king.
