As more people in the UAE return to offices and many schools continue with online-only classes, parents may be wondering if their young children can be left home alone.
The pandemic has resulted in major changes to people's working lives and hours.
While some parents in the country have the option of working from home, others do not.
Some employees have returned to the office full-time, while others work from home a few days per week. Many schools have not opened fully and offer distance learning or a hybrid model, where only some pupils are allowed on campus each day.
Authorities in Abu Dhabi have said students in grades 6 to 8, also known as years 7 to 9 in the British school system, will continue remote learning "for the foreseeable future".
So far, 1,025 schools in the UAE are conducting distance learning while 212 schools are offering in-person classes, said officials during a media briefing on Tuesday.
That has put many parents without help at home in a predicament: what to do about their children’s care while they are at work?
At what age can children be home alone?
The UAE law is very clear on this point: it is illegal to leave children unattended at home.
Anyone who endangers the life of a child less than seven years of age can be imprisoned between one month to three years, or be fined up to Dh10,000.
Caregivers will be punished if a child is left without proper supervision.
A caregiver who leaves a child under 15 unattended can be imprisoned for two years if the child suffers permanent disability or death.
In 2011, Daniel Kuriakose, 12, a student at Delhi Private School in Sharjah, died alone after accidentally hanging himself on a karate belt. His mother was only minutes away from returning home.
His death came just 10 days after a five-year-old Dubai boy accidentally fell from an eighth-floor apartment, dying soon after. His distraught mother threw herself to her death from the same window moments later.
Have exceptions been made?
In May, police in Abu Dhabi dispatched a patrol car to be stationed outside a family’s building 24-hours a day after a mother, her husband and in-laws were admitted to hospital with the coronavirus.
They were forced to leave their children, aged between three and 13 home alone.
Police found out about the situation and Asma Al Jasmi, a civilian administrative staff officer, arranged for food from a nearby restaurant and provisions from a supermarket to be delivered to the children for 17 days until their family returned.
Police visited often to check on the children and delivered food three times a day.
What can parents do if they have to return to work full-time and do not have childcare?
Abu Dhabi and Dubai government employees with children enrolled in distance learning programmes have been offered the option to work remotely.
Employees must provide a letter from the school confirming that their children are enrolled in distance learning for the first school semester, to be able to work remotely.
Women government employees who have disabled children or pupils in grades 6 and below are also allowed to work from home.
Anyone working for a private company would either have to negotiate on work from home terms with their employer or employ someone from an agency to look after their children while they are at work.
It is illegal to hire a maid or a nanny who is not under your sponsorship.
Residents who hire illegal housemaids can be fined up to Dh50,000.
The Birkin bag is made by Hermès.
It is named after actress and singer Jane Birkin
Noone from Hermès will go on record to say how much a new Birkin costs, how long one would have to wait to get one, and how many bags are actually made each year.
Other ways to buy used products in the UAE
UAE insurance firm Al Wathba National Insurance Company (AWNIC) last year launched an e-commerce website with a facility enabling users to buy car wrecks.
Bidders and potential buyers register on the online salvage car auction portal to view vehicles, review condition reports, or arrange physical surveys, and then start bidding for motors they plan to restore or harvest for parts.
Physical salvage car auctions are a common method for insurers around the world to move on heavily damaged vehicles, but AWNIC is one of the few UAE insurers to offer such services online.
For cars and less sizeable items such as bicycles and furniture, Dubizzle is arguably the best-known marketplace for pre-loved.
Founded in 2005, in recent years it has been joined by a plethora of Facebook community pages for shifting used goods, including Abu Dhabi Marketplace, Flea Market UAE and Arabian Ranches Souq Market while sites such as The Luxury Closet and Riot deal largely in second-hand fashion.
At the high-end of the pre-used spectrum, resellers such as Timepiece360.ae, WatchBox Middle East and Watches Market Dubai deal in authenticated second-hand luxury timepieces from brands such as Rolex, Hublot and Tag Heuer, with a warranty.
Three ways to limit your social media use
Clinical psychologist, Dr Saliha Afridi at The Lighthouse Arabia suggests three easy things you can do every day to cut back on the time you spend online.
1. Put the social media app in a folder on the second or third screen of your phone so it has to remain a conscious decision to open, rather than something your fingers gravitate towards without consideration.
2. Schedule a time to use social media instead of consistently throughout the day. I recommend setting aside certain times of the day or week when you upload pictures or share information.
3. Take a mental snapshot rather than a photo on your phone. Instead of sharing it with your social world, try to absorb the moment, connect with your feeling, experience the moment with all five of your senses. You will have a memory of that moment more vividly and for far longer than if you take a picture of it.
Scoreline
Ireland 16 (Tries: Stockdale Cons: Sexton Pens: Sexton 3)
New Zealand 9 (Pens: Barrett 2 Drop Goal: Barrett)
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
AUSTRALIA SQUADS
ODI squad: Aaron Finch (captain), Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa
Twenty20 squad: Aaron Finch (captain), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa
if you go
The flights
Fly direct to Kutaisi with Flydubai from Dh925 return, including taxes. The flight takes 3.5 hours. From there, Svaneti is a four-hour drive. The driving time from Tbilisi is eight hours.
The trip
The cost of the Svaneti trip is US$2,000 (Dh7,345) for 10 days, including food, guiding, accommodation and transfers from and to Tbilisi or Kutaisi. This summer the TCT is also offering a 5-day hike in Armenia for $1,200 (Dh4,407) per person. For further information, visit www.transcaucasiantrail.org/en/hike/
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
War
Director: Siddharth Anand
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Tiger Shroff, Ashutosh Rana, Vaani Kapoor
Rating: Two out of five stars
