Prince William's tour of Expo 2020 Dubai on Thursday helped to boost visit numbers by one million, organisers say.
Visit numbers reached 13,457,400 since the site opened more than 19 weeks ago.
The Duke of Cambridge's first official visit to the UAE was marked by a series of high-level engagements, including a meeting with Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, a tour of the Abu Dhabi mangroves and a visit to Dubai’s Jebel Ali Port to see how it tackles the illegal wildlife trade.
His visit to Expo included an impromptu walkabout outside the UK pavilion, where the future King of England spoke with families who had been queuing for hours to meet him.
The Philippines also celebrated its national day on Friday, which included a concert in Jubilee Park by Filipino American pop icon Bamboo, as well as a cultural performance by Daluyong ng Diwa.
Thousands of Filipinos gathered and waved national flags outside the country’s pavilion.
Organisers' original goal was 25 million visits by the end of Expo in March.
The weekend also saw Grammy-nominated South African DJ, producer and songwriter Black Coffee showcase Expo’s latest venue – the Dubai Exhibition Centre Arena – while musical ensemble Thaikkudam Bridge and Bollywood superstar Ranbir Kapoor attracted thousands of Indian fans to the Jubilee Stage.
Organisers said the spurt in numbers was also down to people embracing the urgency of the ‘now or never, before it’s gone forever’ message.
"With just six weeks to go, I think people are really getting that and realising that time is running out and to come and join in things," said Sconaid McGeachin, senior vice president of communications.
She said in keeping with previous expos, she expects high visitation numbers for the remainder of the event.
"I think typically you do see expos get busier towards the end, and people realise that, like we believe has been the case in this last week, that time is running out. We obviously have so many different activities that we expect to have high visitation for the remainder of the expo."
With schools in the UAE enjoying half-term break this week, organisers are also expecting more families to visit the site, with family-friendly shows and a raft of activities and workshops for kids dotted around the site.
"Even though it's half term this week for many schools, we still actually have some schools that are at school and I know today we're looking to have between 11,000 to 15,000 schoolchildren on site, as well as obviously those who are enjoying the holiday time as well," Ms McGeachin said.
Expo 2020 Dubai’s virtual visitation numbers reached more than 121 million, which is set to soar even further with tonight’s performance by British band Coldplay.
Almost 10,000 free passes have been allocated for the inner and outer gardens of Al Wasl Plaza, with extra outdoor screens made available across the Expo site and a further 4,000-plus bookings in the DEC Arena.
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
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
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Scoreline
Man Utd 2 Pogba 27', Martial 49'
Everton 1 Sigurdsson 77'
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
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Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Trailblazer
Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000
Engine 3.6L V6
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power 275hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 350Nm @ 3,700rpm
Fuel economy combined 12.2L / 100km
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