These are the faces that built the nation, remembered and revisited decades after the birth of the UAE.
A unique exhibition of photographs will recreate the historic period that led up to the foundation of the country on December 2, 1971.
The March exhibition will include portraits of Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid, the two Rulers who worked tirelessly together to make the union possible, along with scenes from the moment when the seven emirates became one country.
An unmissable insight into the importance of photographs as records of the role of Emirati and British leaders at a momentous time in the UAE's history
When it goes on display at Dubai's Etihad Museum, which houses the historic building in which the federation document was signed, Photographs in Dialogue will be a reflection of the long relationship between the UAE and the United Kingdom.
It will focus on the crucial period from the mid-1960s, as the two countries redefined a connection that stretched back more than a century.
The seven emirates were once among several Arabian Gulf states bound to Britain and its empire by a series of treaties from the 19th century.
With the status of protectorates, their relations with other countries, as well as with each other, were governed by Britain, which in turn guaranteed their sovereignty against more powerful neighbours.
This changed when Britain’s dwindling economic power led its government to announce that it was withdrawing its military from east of the Suez Canal in 1968.
The Trucial States were told they would have to go it alone at the end of 1971.
Photographs in the exhibition, along with artefacts and archival material, will tell the story of what happened.
The material brings together images from the National Portrait Gallery in London, along with those from local collections.
They include a 1968 portrait of Queen Elizabeth II – who has twice visited the UAE – taken by Cecil Beaton, a chronicler of high society and one of the most distinguished portrait photographers of the 20th century.
Also on display will be a rare series of images of Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum taken in 1961 by Rex Coleman, for the official photograph studio of the British royal family.
One image in particular captures the drama of that December morning when the UAE flag was first raised.
It was taken in Union House in Dubai and shows Sheikh Zayed, the Founding Father, watching calmly as Sir Geoffrey Archer, Britain’s official representative in the Gulf, signs a new Treaty of Friendship with the UAE that recognised the Emirates as "a sovereign and independent state".
They are watched by members of the new Emirati government, including Ahmed Al Suwaidi, the first foreign minister. Moments later he would read an official statement, announcing to the world the founding of the United Arab Emirates.
The exhibition, which is supported by the British Council, is the first collaboration by the National Portrait Gallery in the Middle East, and is the first international collaboration on an exhibition by the Etihad Museum.
Hala Badri, director general of Dubai Culture, said the exhibition would reflect "the strong cultural relations that already exist between the UAE and the UK".
Nicholas Cullinan, director of the National Portrait Gallery, described the exhibition as "an unmissable insight into the importance of photographs as records of the role of Emirati and British leaders at a momentous time in the UAE’s history".
Photographs in Dialogue will be on display at the Etihad Museum, Dubai, from March 17 to December 12, 2020.
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Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Gulf Under 19s final
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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
Dubai Rugby Sevens, December 5 -7
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