ABU DHABI // Children are being given the chance to learn about the country’s heritage through craft activities at the Qasr Al Hosn Festival.
The Family Workshop opened its doors to children to teach them how to weave telli, mould pottery, and print sadu patterns, with young Emirati men and women helping to teach them about their history.
Hamda Rashed taught young girls how to weave colourful telli, which can later be used on women’s clothing.
Telli is created by intertwining six strings of cotton around the “khoos” ribbon to create lines of colourful embroidery on a cylindrical pillow, which is placed on a stool called “kajuja” to keep it in place.
“I learnt 15 years ago, my mother taught me,” said Ms Rashed. “I know how to weave and sew in general. I was taught and now I teach.”
She said telli was used for traditional Emirati dresses.
“We use them in all colours – red, yellow, green. We can be creative with them,” Ms Rashed said.
Her colleague, Fatima Al Mehairbi, said more than 30 children had come to the telli section each day.
“They are mostly 10 or 12 years old or older and many expats also enjoy the craft. The place is almost always full,” she said.
Hind Obaid, 26, was at the festival to help children to print traditional sadu patterns on to shopping bags. “Sadu was the pattern used long ago on cushions. The patterns are carved on to a block, the children choose the colour they wish to use and paint the block. Then they stamp it on to the bag,” she said.
Children were also taught how to make a barma bowl from clay.
Mohammed Al Hendi explained to the children how to mould the vessels.
“A barma is a small bowl which was used to drink water from in the old days. It will take us about 30 to 45 minutes to make,” he said.
Mr Al Hendi said the pottery was the most popular activity with more than 200 children attending the class daily.
Children were given the opportunity to show off their creations in the workshop area or take them home.
The festival will run until Saturday and is open from 4pm to 11pm.
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PROFILE OF SWVL
Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
Size: 450 employees
Investment: approximately $80 million
Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani
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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
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
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
Expert input
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