From a desert border town to the shores of the Indian Ocean, people across the UAE marked an Eid Al Fitr unlike any other.
Mosques and prayer grounds were empty on Sunday as worshippers performed Eid prayers in unison from their homes.
Residents were urged to cocoon for Eid Al Fitr to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
But for some, the holiday offered a break from two long months at home.
At Mall of the Emirates in Dubai, a firm favourite among families, shoppers trickled through the doors on the first day of Eid Al Fitr.
Although the popular shopping destination was not as busy as previous years, the mood was high as everyone enjoyed a socially distanced outing.
Shoppers in colourful outfits donned mandatory face masks and gloves and greeted passers-by with wide smiles.
Security guards patrolling the mall wished visitors and colleagues Eid Mubarak.
On Sunday, twins Aditya and Atulya Pradhan, 30, made their first trip to the mall in three months.
Aditya wanted to buy a new phone for Eid.
"Because of all the lockdown measures these past months, I saved some money so I'm going to treat myself to a phone today," the Indian chef told The National.
“It’s definitely different and difficult shopping in a face mask, but it’s what we have to do to be safe.”
While people queued outside some shops before being permitted entry by security staff, friends and family joked together, patiently waiting their turn.
Some clutched bags from confectionery shops brimming with Eid sweet treats including dates, baklawah assiyeh and nougat.
Others pushed shopping carts full of groceries and purchases from clothes to bedding and electronics.
For Kristine Ann Rabago, from the Philippines, an outing to the mall was a surreal experience after so long at home.
It's Eid time and we had to do something today. So, we dressed up in our Eid clothes and came to the mall just to have a look and maybe go to a restaurant
“I’m not actually out to buy anything really, I just wanted to spend some time on my day off with some friends and get out of the house,” said Ms Robago, 28.
“All my time has been spent at work or indoors so it’s nice to see people out celebrating Eid. It’s like a sense of normality again.”
The crowd picked up after 2pm at Ibn Battuta Mall.
The mall is usually packed at Eid Al Fitr as children’s shows, new Bollywood releases and irresistible sales draw crowds.
This year, the cinema and most shops remained empty and, families stayed at the mall for short periods to take photographs of themselves in new Eid outfits and grab a quick bite.
Muhammad Usman wore his traditional shalwar kameez to celebrate his Pakistani heritage.
“We are definitely scared of getting infected but we were also getting bored of staying indoors,” said Mr Usman, 26, an office administrator who had come with his brother.
“We wanted to go out for a bit to celebrate Eid. It didn’t feel right staying at home.
"We go out each year to watch a new movie and dine together as a family at a restaurant.”
Tayyaba Gull, 28, wore a sparkling shalwar kameez and wandered through the mall with her brother-in-law, Saqib Khan.
The film director arrived in Dubai from Pakistan three months ago in search for a job.
“I can’t go back to Pakistan so I’m trying to make the best of my time here,” she said.
“It’s Eid time and we had to do something today. So we dressed up in our Eid clothes and came to the mall just to have a look and maybe go to a restaurant.”
In Ajman, Umaima Taha and her husband Syed Taha hosted two relatives for a small Eid lunch at their flat.
During Ramadan, the couple dedicated themselves to helping neighbours in need and they will forgo Eid celebrations to continue this work.
“Our religion taught us to help others in crucial times and this is the time of pandemic, so instead of thinking about my problems I should think about others, especially those who are in need,” said Mrs Taha, who is from Pakistan.
“We are not celebrating this Eid as in past years.”
Instead of preparing henna, new clothes or grand feasts for Eid, the couple spent the final days of Ramadan delivering groceries to families suffering from the economic fallout of the pandemic.
For them, service is the best way to spend Eid.
“My faith in Allah is very strong after this Ramadan,” Mr Taha said.
“I had never done that type of work before. Tomorrow we will start again. I cannot stay home and take a rest.”
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Navdeep Suri, India's Ambassador to the UAE
There has been a longstanding need from the Indian community to have a religious premises where they can practise their beliefs. Currently there is a very, very small temple in Bur Dubai and the community has outgrown this. So this will be a major temple and open to all denominations and a place should reflect India’s diversity.
It fits so well into the UAE’s own commitment to tolerance and pluralism and coming in the year of tolerance gives it that extra dimension.
What we will see on April 20 is the foundation ceremony and we expect a pretty broad cross section of the Indian community to be present, both from the UAE and abroad. The Hindu group that is building the temple will have their holiest leader attending – and we expect very senior representation from the leadership of the UAE.
When the designs were taken to the leadership, there were two clear options. There was a New Jersey model with a rectangular structure with the temple recessed inside so it was not too visible from the outside and another was the Neasden temple in London with the spires in its classical shape. And they said: look we said we wanted a temple so it should look like a temple. So this should be a classical style temple in all its glory.
It is beautifully located - 30 minutes outside of Abu Dhabi and barely 45 minutes to Dubai so it serves the needs of both communities.
This is going to be the big temple where I expect people to come from across the country at major festivals and occasions.
It is hugely important – it will take a couple of years to complete given the scale. It is going to be remarkable and will contribute something not just to the landscape in terms of visual architecture but also to the ethos. Here will be a real representation of UAE’s pluralism.
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
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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
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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