The deadline for homeowners to install smoke and fire detectors, and subscribe to the UAE e-alert system is January 1.
Originally reported as September 1, the Ministry of Interior clarified that the initial cabinet order from September 2020 only took effect the following January when it was published in the official gazette, therefore starting the three-year implementation period from the beginning of 2021.
This means residents who own villas now have four months to make the required upgrades.
“We urge homeowners to register in the Hassantuk programme and install fire detectors to protect their homes. Homeowners have until January 1 to comply with the cabinet order,” the ministry told The National.
The order applies only to villas, as apartment complexes have the required fire detection systems in place. The law also refers only to owners of villas, meaning landlords would need to arrange installation and subscribe to Hassantuk for each villa they rent out.
"The homeowner is responsible to install the fire alarm system at homes, not the tenants," a ministry official confirmed.
In September 2020, the government approved a fire safety scheme for all existing and planned homes. The decision came after a number of incidents, including an eight-month-old baby who died in a Dubai house fire in July 2019.
Between 2017 and 2019, fires in homes caused 68 deaths and accounted for 66 per cent of building and facility fires in 2019.
More recently, in May, a fire at a villa in Abu Dhabi killed six people and injured seven. The victims were inside when the blaze broke out in the Al Moazaz area, south-east of Abu Dhabi city.
Sharp rise in installations
The ministry said 43,000 detectors had been installed in villas across the country by mid-August. The figures do not include Dubai.
Abdulla Al Ahmed, senior vice president of government sales at etisalat by e&, told The National there has been a surge of interest in Hassantuk as the deadline approaches.
“There is about an increase by 500 per cent of orders received every month from villa owners. This is due to availability of unique features such a native mobile app and enforcement of the Hassantuk mandate by Abu Dhabi municipality as part of the NOC process,” Mr Al Ahmed said.
Etisalat by e& are also offering a Bukhoor mode, so customers can enjoy incense without triggering alarms.
“Etisalat by e& has continued to deliver Hassantuk nationwide across all the Emirates and will cross 50,000 homes installed in the coming month,” Mr Al Ahmed added.
Nazia Mustafa, sales manager of Red Blue Flame Fire Safety and Security Systems, told The National it was receiving between 120 and 150 requests to install fire alarm systems from villa owners every month.
“We install fire alarm systems in all buildings including villas. We are receiving many requests from villa owners across the country,” she said.
“There are a variety of devices used in the system that people can choose. Prices can start from Dh2,000 depending on size of the villa and brands too."
What is Hassantuk?
Owners must sign up to an e-alert system known as Hassantuk that will send notifications of fires to the civil defence.
The system has many functions, including verifying the alarm and providing firefighters with the exact location and fastest road route to the fire.
As more homeowners install fire detectors before the deadline, the civil defence authority is working to reduce the firefighters' response time from six minutes to four.
Signing up to the scheme is mandatory now for new-build properties, but owners of existing homes have until January 1.
Hassantuk was introduced in 2018 and initially subscription was optional.
Now, the basic plan starts from just over Dh233 a month for 24 months or there is a one-time payment for Dh5,903, according to the Ministry of Interior website.
The website also allows tailored pricing depending on how many rooms the villa has.
However, a new set of fire alarm detectors is being tested to give homeowners a range of options and prices, reports of a lecture presented by UAE civil defence earlier this year stated.
Federal and local governments will install the e-alert system devices at no charge for low-income households receiving benefits from the Ministry of Community Development and people with villas under the Sharjah housing programme.
Federal and local authorities must ensure alarms are installed and the owner is subscribed to the e-alert system before granting building completion certificates.
Hassantuk uses a radio network with wireless sensors to ensure installation without the need for wiring.
Homeowners can visit the Hassantuk website to apply for the service or call 800 222 20.
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
Company Profile
Company name: Yeepeey
Started: Soft launch in November, 2020
Founders: Sagar Chandiramani, Jatin Sharma and Monish Chandiramani
Based: Dubai
Industry: E-grocery
Initial investment: $150,000
Future plan: Raise $1.5m and enter Saudi Arabia next year
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Meydan racecard:
6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 (PA) Group 1 | US$75,000 (Dirt) | 2,200 metres
7.05pm: UAE 1000 Guineas (TB) Listed | $250,000 (D) | 1,600m
7.40pm: Meydan Classic Trial (TB) Conditions | $100,000 (Turf) | 1,400m
8.15pm: Al Shindagha Sprint (TB) Group 3 | $200,000 (D) | 1,200m
8.50pm: Handicap (TB) | $175,000 (D) | 1,600m
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) | $175,000 (T) | 2,000m
10pm: Handicap (TB) | $135,000 (T) | 1,600m
The Africa Institute 101
Housed on the same site as the original Africa Hall, which first hosted an Arab-African Symposium in 1976, the newly renovated building will be home to a think tank and postgraduate studies hub (it will offer master’s and PhD programmes). The centre will focus on both the historical and contemporary links between Africa and the Gulf, and will serve as a meeting place for conferences, symposia, lectures, film screenings, plays, musical performances and more. In fact, today it is hosting a symposium – 5-plus-1: Rethinking Abstraction that will look at the six decades of Frank Bowling’s career, as well as those of his contemporaries that invested social, cultural and personal meaning into abstraction.
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
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Short-term let permits explained
Homeowners and tenants are allowed to list their properties for rental by registering through the Dubai Tourism website to obtain a permit.
Tenants also require a letter of no objection from their landlord before being allowed to list the property.
There is a cost of Dh1,590 before starting the process, with an additional licence fee of Dh300 per bedroom being rented in your home for the duration of the rental, which ranges from three months to a year.
Anyone hoping to list a property for rental must also provide a copy of their title deeds and Ejari, as well as their Emirates ID.
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
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Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
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