Live updates: Follow the latest news on Modi's visit to the UAE
More than 60,000 Indians will pack into the Zayed Sports City Stadium on Tuesday to hear Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi address the expatriate community in the UAE.
Organisers of the Ahlan Modi event said registrations to attend were now closed due to the significant demand.
Mr Modi will be in the UAE for two days and is scheduled to attend the World Governments Summit in Dubai.
The Indian Prime Minister will also inaugurate the capital’s first Hindu temple on Wednesday.
We want the whole programme to reflect the spirit of India-UAE friendship
Dr Nishi Singh,
Ahlan Modi organising committee
The stadium gates will open at noon on Tuesday and all attendees must be seated by 4pm. Gates will shut at 5pm and Mr Modi is expected to arrive after 6pm.
The following evening Mr Modi will inaugurate the Baps Hindu temple after a morning prayer ceremony during which the place of worship will be consecrated and blessed.
He is expected to arrive at the temple in Abu Dhabi at 5pm and will be taken on a tour of the site, after which he is expected to speak to people in an amphitheatre within the temple complex.
Preparations are gathering pace with more than 700 local artistes readying to entertain the crowds at the Abu Dhabi stadium.
“We want to make the cultural procession and the stage performance like a true celebration of Indo-UAE relations,” Dr Nishi Singh, communication director of the Ahlan Modi organising committee, told The National.
“This will be a joyous event. We want the whole programme to reflect the spirit of India-UAE friendship.
“We need to come together and we wanted this to be a celebration much like the Prime Minister’s call and vision for India to be a vishwamitra [friend of the world].”
Hundreds of community groups from across the country have registered to be part of the February 13 event.
“We have schools, colleges, blue-collar workers and women’s groups coming in large numbers,” said Dr Singh, a consultant virologist who has lived in the UAE for more than three decades.
“The best thing is that the talent will be all local, we have more than 700 performers for the cultural procession and stage performances – all UAE-based artists and singers.”
More than 1,500 volunteers from the UAE have been part of the organising and planning process of the large-scale stadium gathering.
Excitement building
Over the last month, performers have met in homes and schools to practise. There will be rehearsals at the stadium in Abu Dhabi this weekend.
Shilpa Nair, the head of the cultural event, described the excitement building in the Indian community. “We are trying to make this a magical evening for everyone,” said Ms Nair, who also headed the programme during Mr Modi’s 2015 visit.
Tens of thousands of people gathered at Dubai International Cricket Stadium to see Mr Modi when he visited the UAE in August 2015, the first visit by an Indian prime minister to the Emirates in 34 years.
“When he visited us in 2015, it was more of a celebration for us that a prime minister was visiting us after so long.
“This time it is our tribute for what he has done over all these years.
“Using song, dance and performances, we will showcase the cultural heritage of both countries, the strong bond and the development taking place over the years.”
Mr Modi’s gatherings around the world at which he addresses Indian expatriates often draw large numbers. The most recent was in Sydney in May.
The visit comes amid strengthening of ties between the countries, frequent visits by heads of state, senior government ministers and major trade deals signed.
Agreements have recently been signed to expand investment in the food processing, health care and renewable energy industries.
How to book
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Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
Stage result
1. Jasper Philipsen (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix 4:42:34
2. Sam Bennett (Irl) Bora-Hansgrohe
3. Elia Viviani (Ita) Ineos Grenadiers
4. Dylan Groenewegen (Ned) BikeExchange-Jayco
5. Emils Liepins (Lat) Trek-Segafredo
6. Arnaud Demare (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
7. Max Kanter (Ger) Movistar Team
8. Olav Kooij (Ned) Jumbo-Visma
9. Tom Devriendt (Bel) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
10. Pascal Ackermann (Ger) UAE Team Emirate
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Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants
Seven tips from Emirates NBD
1. Never respond to e-mails, calls or messages asking for account, card or internet banking details
2. Never store a card PIN (personal identification number) in your mobile or in your wallet
3. Ensure online shopping websites are secure and verified before providing card details
4. Change passwords periodically as a precautionary measure
5. Never share authentication data such as passwords, card PINs and OTPs (one-time passwords) with third parties
6. Track bank notifications regarding transaction discrepancies
7. Report lost or stolen debit and credit cards immediately
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More on Quran memorisation:
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
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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Kat Wightman's tips on how to create zones in large spaces
- Area carpets or rugs are the easiest way to segregate spaces while also unifying them.
- Lighting can help define areas. Try pendant lighting over dining tables, and side and floor lamps in living areas.
- Keep the colour palette the same in a room, but combine different tones and textures in different zone. A common accent colour dotted throughout the space brings it together.
- Don’t be afraid to use furniture to break up the space. For example, if you have a sofa placed in the middle of the room, a console unit behind it will give good punctuation.
- Use a considered collection of prints and artworks that work together to form a cohesive journey.
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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."
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Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
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Tailors and retailers miss out on back-to-school rush
Tailors and retailers across the city said it was an ominous start to what is usually a busy season for sales.
With many parents opting to continue home learning for their children, the usual rush to buy school uniforms was muted this year.
“So far we have taken about 70 to 80 orders for items like shirts and trousers,” said Vikram Attrai, manager at Stallion Bespoke Tailors in Dubai.
“Last year in the same period we had about 200 orders and lots of demand.
“We custom fit uniform pieces and use materials such as cotton, wool and cashmere.
“Depending on size, a white shirt with logo is priced at about Dh100 to Dh150 and shorts, trousers, skirts and dresses cost between Dh150 to Dh250 a piece.”
A spokesman for Threads, a uniform shop based in Times Square Centre Dubai, said customer footfall had slowed down dramatically over the past few months.
“Now parents have the option to keep children doing online learning they don’t need uniforms so it has quietened down.”
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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