The UAE's Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure on Saturday launched a new initiative to further support seafarers.
The 'Salmeen' initiative was announced on the Day of the Seafarer, which is marked internationally on June 25 each year.
The programme is designed to provide quality medical care, maritime education, and training to people working on board marine vessels, the ministry said.
It also aims to identify and remove physical and social barriers through effective co-operation between the public and private sectors.
The initiative is being carried out to improve quality of life for people employed in the industry and to help tackle challenges they are facing because of the pandemic and related travel restrictions.
It will make companies and owners of ships responsible for supporting seafarers and providing them with full protection.
The ministry said it has put in place a monitoring system to ensure the rules are followed.
It has also announced several initiatives in the past to support sailors and protect their rights.
In August last year, the ministry introduced the Supporting Our Blue Army scheme, which gave seafarers the same consideration as front-line health workers.
Under the initiative, a Cabinet resolution was issued that obliges all ships in UAE waters or ports to guarantee the rights of seafarers.
An agreement has also been signed with the International Transport Workers' Federation to enhance co-operation in supporting sailors.
This ensures adequate material and moral support is given to seafarers in the UAE — including free medical treatment and Covid-19 vaccines and allowing crew replacements when required.
Operators of merchant tankers and other commercial vessels who abandon ships also face financial penalties.
More than 214,000 seafarers confined to ships were assisted in the replacement process and returned to their home countries during the pandemic.
The UAE is a logistics hub. It connects global shipping lines and receives the largest number of ships heading to the region's ports with more than 21,000 ships annually, said the ministry.
More than 27,000 local and international maritime companies operate in the UAE, with more than 17 million containers handled at the country's ports each year.
Crew of abandoned ship Mt Iba in 2021 before returning home — in pictures
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
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'Unrivaled: Why America Will Remain the World’s Sole Superpower'
Michael Beckley, Cornell Press
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Oscars in the UAE
The 90th Academy Awards will be aired in the UAE from 3.30am on Monday, March 5 on OSN, with the ceremony starting at 5am
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Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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
Correspondents
By Tim Murphy
(Grove Press)
Tank warfare
Lt Gen Erik Petersen, deputy chief of programs, US Army, has argued it took a “three decade holiday” on modernising tanks.
“There clearly remains a significant armoured heavy ground manoeuvre threat in this world and maintaining a world class armoured force is absolutely vital,” the general said in London last week.
“We are developing next generation capabilities to compete with and deter adversaries to prevent opportunism or miscalculation, and, if necessary, defeat any foe decisively.”
Without Remorse
Directed by: Stefano Sollima
Starring: Michael B Jordan
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