The world’s fair site has sparkled with lights since Diwali celebrations began across Expo 2020 Dubai.
Festivities started on Friday and will continue throughout the week, with plans to attract millions of Indians who live and work in the UAE to join in with the outdoor entertainment on offer.
Stunning sound and light projection shows at Al Wasl dome have been organised for Diwali, one of the biggest Hindu festivals.
We look forward to celebrating Diwali, the festival of lights, to ensure visitors at Expo 2020 Dubai get to experience the festival
Dr Aman Puri,
consul general of India in Dubai
Dr Aman Puri, consul general of India in Dubai, said all visitors to the Expo were welcome to be part of the celebrations.
“Diwali is popular across the globe and the Expo has given us a platform to showcase India’s magnificence to the visitors,” he said.
“We look forward to celebrating Diwali, the festival of lights with great zeal to ensure that the visitors at the Expo 2020 Dubai get to experience the festival.”
The four-storey India pavilion has received more than 151,000 visitors since the Expo opened in October and additional digital installations will be beamed across a constantly moving facade.
“Given the large area dedicated to the India pavilion, we are happy to see the enormous turnout and are prepared to host enthusiastic visitors who are eager to get a glimpse of the pavilion in coming days,” Dr Puri said.
Traditional dances, storytelling sessions, rangoli displays – colourful designs drawn out across the floor – and performances by leading Indian artists are scheduled for each day.
An interactive musical LED that matches rhythm with colour will be activated inside the pavilion. When visitors step on sensors, the software beams a series of bright designs that indicate happiness and prosperity.
Parades and cultural performances with hundreds of dancers are being held at the Dubai Millennium Amphitheatre at the Expo to mark the festival.
Headline acts that will perform include popular Dubai-based bands Rooh and Dhurv, siblings Salim and Sulaiman Merchant and Bollywood playback singer Vipul Mehta.
The Jubilee Stage will also feature singers and indie-folk musicians on November 4 and 5.
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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
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