Travel agents do not expect a fall in numbers of pilgrims
ABU DHABI // Pilgrims have dismissed concerns about Mers in Saudi Arabia and are determined to travel there for the Haj.
The number of cases of the potentially fatal virus has increased in recent months – particularly in Saudi Arabia, where millions will gather in Mecca after Ramadan – but travel agents say they do not expect a drop in their customer numbers.
“We are not afraid. We have decided we will go to Mecca,” said Emirati Adil Al Awadi, from Ras Al Khaimah.
“I have been listening about it [Middle East Respiratory Syndrome] in the media but I have not found anyone who has cancelled a trip due to this coronavirus. All devout will travel to Mecca as usual to perform the Haj and nothing can stop them,” Mr Al Awadi said. “Precautions must be taken but we shouldn’t stop travelling or leave the place because of some disease.”
Dr Hamad Al Ameri, an Emirati from Abu Dhabi, agreed. “Muslims who believe in destiny and Allah would not feel afraid. Those who are determined to travel, will travel,” he said.
Mers coronavirus was first identified in 2012 and the number of laboratory-confirmed cases of infection stands at 261, including 93 deaths, according to the World Health Organisation.
But Saudi Arabia said on Friday the number of Mers deaths in the kingdom had risen to 107.
The UAE Ministry of Health has ruled out the prospect of any travel ban to Saudi Arabia for the Haj.
Heath Authority – Abu Dhabi (Haad) has provided several guidelines for preventing respiratory illnesses, which include: wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds; cover your nose and mouth when you sneeze; clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces; and wear masks at mass gatherings, such as the Haj.
Travel agents expect it to be business as usual this year.
“Last year there was much hue and cry about Mers but nothing happened – we received Haj pilgrims as usual,” said Ahmed Mustapha, manager at Aleetisam for Haj and Umrah, in Dubai.
“I don’t think this year there will be any change of mood. We have not even started receiving applications. We are awaiting dates from the Saudi Arabia embassy in the UAE for submitting applications for Haj visas.”
Faisal Khan, who works at Al Burj Haj and Umrah Travel and Tours, in Abu Dhabi, said it had not received any guidelines from health authorities yet.
However, Mr Khan ruled out any fear among applicants as a result of Mers and said travellers would also get the regular vaccines against influenza.
“Last year we had reports about this but nobody who travelled there was infected. They are administered with vaccines prescribed by the health authority. It is compulsory to take those vaccines before travel, otherwise they wouldn’t be allowed.”
Haad has said Mers was not a public-health concern and has urged people to remain calm.
Last year about 5,000 pilgrims from the UAE made the Haj, which this year is expected to fall during the first week of October.
anwar@thenational.ae
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Favourite piece of music: Verdi’s Requiem. It’s awe-inspiring.
Biggest inspiration: My father, as I grew up in a house where music was constantly played on a wind-up gramophone. I had amazing music teachers in primary and secondary school who inspired me to take my music further. They encouraged me to take up music as a profession and I follow in their footsteps, encouraging others to do the same.
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The biog
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Best movie: Avatar
Academic qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in media production from the Higher Colleges of Technology and diploma in production from the New York Film Academy
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More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
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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
if you go
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Hili 2: Unesco World Heritage site
The site is part of the Hili archaeological park in Al Ain. Excavations there have proved the existence of the earliest known agricultural communities in modern-day UAE. Some date to the Bronze Age but Hili 2 is an Iron Age site. The Iron Age witnessed the development of the falaj, a network of channels that funnelled water from natural springs in the area. Wells allowed settlements to be established, but falaj meant they could grow and thrive. Unesco, the UN's cultural body, awarded Al Ain's sites - including Hili 2 - world heritage status in 2011. Now the most recent dig at the site has revealed even more about the skilled people that lived and worked there.
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Dialysis is a way of cleaning your blood when your kidneys fail and can no longer do the job.
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Gender equality in the workplace still 200 years away
It will take centuries to achieve gender parity in workplaces around the globe, according to a December report from the World Economic Forum.
The WEF study said there had been some improvements in wage equality in 2018 compared to 2017, when the global gender gap widened for the first time in a decade.
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At current rates, the global gender gap across a range of areas will not close for another 108 years, while it is expected to take 202 years to close the workplace gap, WEF found.
The Geneva-based organisation's annual report tracked disparities between the sexes in 149 countries across four areas: education, health, economic opportunity and political empowerment.
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Only in the area of economic opportunity did the gender gap narrow somewhat, although there is not much to celebrate, with the global wage gap narrowing to nearly 51 per cent.
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At the same time, the report showed there are now proportionately fewer women than men participating in the workforce, suggesting that automation is having a disproportionate impact on jobs traditionally performed by women.
And women are significantly under-represented in growing areas of employment that require science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills, WEF said.
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