The UAE's Chinese community ushered in the Lunar New Year with family feasts and musical shows as they gave a nod to tradition while hoping for brighter times to come.
The Year of the Tiger was welcomed in style as hundreds gathered at Expo 2020 Dubai to marvel at an array of colourful cultural performances and dazzling costume displays.
Others stayed at home for quiet celebrations as they reflected on challenging times and contemplated what the future might hold.
The events brought cheer and offered hope to many Chinese residents unable to visit their home country for the past two years because of strict travel restrictions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
After two years of suffering, I hope the tiger will eat up the virus
Li Dongxia,
Chinese resident in Dubai
The Lunar New year – which began on Tuesday – is one of the most important dates on the Chinese calendar.
It is also celebrated as the Spring Festival with festivities to usher in luck and prosperity.
Families observe traditions such as crafting short Chinese couplets that are placed on the front door, hanging sparkling lights across the house and leaving money for children in bright red envelopes.
New Year cheer
Dubai resident Liu Yanhui and her staff at the Confucius Institute have been coaching a group of young children to sing songs in Mandarin.
“This is an opportunity for everyone to better understand Chinese culture,” she said while watching the children, aged four to seven, sing outside the Chinese pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai.
Dressed in gold and red outfits decorated with dragons and tigers, the children sang songs wishing people a happy new year.
“Starting the new year in harmony can bring people a year full of prosperity and happiness.
“This is meant to bring cheer, joy, happiness and excitement.”
Ms Yanhui has been in the UAE since 2015 and describes Dubai as home.
“When I came here, I could hardly have imagined that people can live happy lives with high standards in such harsh living conditions,” she said.
“The UAE welcomes people from other countries and allows all celebrations so we don’t feel we are outsiders but that we belong to Dubai.
“I really love this country – it is my second home.”
Time for family reunions
In Chinese homes across the country, mothers were busy cooking up meals of fish, rice and chicken dumplings to be served for their families.
For Jiawei Chen, the day is about spending time with her three children and husband.
Her Dubai home was decorated with lanterns and paper decorations to signify good luck.
“It is a time for reunion so families can talk about what happened in the past year and think of their wish for the new year,” said Ms Chen, known by her nickname Daisy, who has been living in the UAE for 15 years.
Before the Covid-19 pandemic, relatives from China often spent the new year in Dubai. Like many other expatriates, her family did not made the journey owing to travel restrictions to stem the spread of the virus.
“I wish in the new year that coronavirus will go away and that everybody is healthy.”
Celebrating traditions
Residents such as Li Dongxia celebrated with family and visited the Expo site to be part of events this week.
The calligraphy artist demonstrated the intricate and delicate art to visitors at the China pavilion.
“In the year of the tiger, I hope the worldwide suffering of human beings from the virus will stop,” said the long-time UAE resident – she has lived in the Emirates for the past 22 years
“I hope whenever we feel weak, we remember this image of a brave and strong tiger.
“After two years of suffering, I hope the tiger will eat up the virus.”
She organises an annual Spring Gala concert with song-and-dance shows by Chinese performers and people from other nationalities.
“These gatherings are important for overseas Chinese,” she said.
“This country has become the most important place in our lives but expats miss home and relatives in the motherland.
“So it feels like a special big family when we get to share thousands of years of Chinese culture with everyone and learn about their history.”
Living in the Emirates makes people compassionate and brings people together, she said.
“If everyone’s culture can be communicated like it is here, then the world can have more peace,” Ms Dongxia said.
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Moral education needed in a 'rapidly changing world'
Moral education lessons for young people is needed in a rapidly changing world, the head of the programme said.
Alanood Al Kaabi, head of programmes at the Education Affairs Office of the Crown Price Court - Abu Dhabi, said: "The Crown Price Court is fully behind this initiative and have already seen the curriculum succeed in empowering young people and providing them with the necessary tools to succeed in building the future of the nation at all levels.
"Moral education touches on every aspect and subject that children engage in.
"It is not just limited to science or maths but it is involved in all subjects and it is helping children to adapt to integral moral practises.
"The moral education programme has been designed to develop children holistically in a world being rapidly transformed by technology and globalisation."
ACL Elite (West) - fixtures
Monday, Sept 30
Al Sadd v Esteghlal (8pm)
Persepolis v Pakhtakor (8pm)
Al Wasl v Al Ahli (8pm)
Al Nassr v Al Rayyan (10pm)
Tuesday, Oct 1
Al Hilal v Al Shorta (10pm)
Al Gharafa v Al Ain (10pm)
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EEducatly%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2020%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EUAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMohmmed%20El%20Sonbaty%2C%20Joan%20Manuel%20and%20Abdelrahman%20Ayman%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EEducation%20technology%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%20size%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%242%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EEnterprise%20Ireland%2C%20Egypt%20venture%2C%20Plus%20VC%2C%20HBAN%2C%20Falak%20Startups%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
Director: Scott Cooper
Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Odessa Young, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 4/5
How to help
Call the hotline on 0502955999 or send "thenational" to the following numbers:
2289 - Dh10
2252 - Dh50
6025 - Dh20
6027 - Dh100
6026 - Dh200
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
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
Teaching in coronavirus times
2021 World Triathlon Championship Series
May 15: Yokohama, Japan
June 5: Leeds, UK
June 24: Montreal, Canada
July 10: Hamburg, Germany
Aug 17-22: Edmonton, Canada (World Triathlon Championship Final)
Nov 5-6 : Abu Dhabi, UAE
Date TBC: Chengdu, China
