ABU DHABI // Former members of the national service will be targeted in a recruitment drive for Emirati ambulance staff, particularly in the Northern Emirates.
The National Ambulance service is hoping to increase the number of nationals working as first responders by offering a free nine-month training course leading to a career as a paramedic.
Candidates will be given a test at a new national training centre in Sharjah. At present, fewer than 1 per cent of ambulance service personnel are Emirati.
“Becoming a paramedic is about training yourself for the day when a patient grabs your hand to save him,” said Ahmed Al Hajeri, deputy chief executive of National Ambulance.
“We call on Emiratis to join this field as the health sector’s demand for paramedics is growing.
“A total of 34 Emirati paramedics work in Abu Dhabi and 56 in Dubai, while there are none in the Northern Emirates.”
Mr Al Hajeri said that working as a paramedic was an important way for young Emiratis to give back to their country.
The training programme will be open to Emiratis who have at least a general secondary school certificate, a driving licence and have completed national service.
Classes will start in September and run until the start of next year at the University of Sharjah’s College of Medicine. Emiratis will learn the skills needed to provide the full range of emergency care.
Last year, National Ambulance’s 50 vehicles responded to more than 66,000 emergency calls in the Northern Emirates – 2,019 in Umm Al Quwain, 6,561 in Fujairah, 9,997 in Ras Al Khaimah, 11,557 in Ajman and 36,126 calls in Sharjah.
“The training programme includes modules designed to build students’ knowledge and skills in providing pre-hospital emergency care,” said Prof Qutayba Hamid, vice chancellor of medical and health sciences at the university.
Students will be tutored by working paramedics from National Ambulance and taught classes based on the curriculum from Charles Sturt University in Australia.
“Academic staff from our internationally renowned paramedicine programme have worked closely with National Ambulance,” said Rod Hill, the university’s head of biomedical sciences.
The programme is part of the Government’s efforts to accelerate Emiratisation in health care.
“This is part of many programmes that will serve the Northern Emirates and the UAE as a whole,” said Prof Hamid.
National Ambulance was launched on February 24, 2014 and operates around the clock, 365 days a year. It handles public medical emergencies and provides pre-hospital care to people across the Northern Emirates.
Last year, the service launched a smartphone app for requesting ambulances direct from the National Ambulance’s Communications Centre at the touch of a button.
Trained staff send an ambulance directly to the scene using GPS tracking.
nramahi@thenational.ae
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Women finals: 48kg - Urantsetseg Munkhbat (MGL) bt Distria Krasniqi (KOS); 52kg - Odette Guiffrida (ITA) bt Majlinda Kelmendi (KOS); 57kg - Nora Gjakova (KOS) bt Anastasiia Konkina (Rus)
Men’s finals: 60kg - Amiran Papinashvili (GEO) bt Francisco Garrigos (ESP); 66kg - Vazha Margvelashvili (Geo) bt Yerlan Serikzhanov (KAZ)
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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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