DUBAI // Laura King is one of the most familiar faces on the UAE horse-racing scene.
As a producer and broadcaster for Dubai Racing Channel, the Briton keeps the public up to speed on all of the country’s competitive horses.
“That’s my job so I try to,” she said. “There are probably a few pure-bred Arabians that we don’t see that often that I’m not quite as informed on as I should be perhaps but that’s the aim. I’d like to think that I’ve got tabs on most of them.”
When King isn’t anchoring the broadcasts of Dubai Racing she can be found at Meydan Racecourse talking to key figures in the country’s racing scene, including Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, on several occasions.
“I was so lucky to work for him and for him to speak to us is absolutely amazing. We’re very lucky he is so passionate about racing and also that he is quite approachable for a man with such a huge standing in the world.”
King originally moved to Dubai 10 years ago. After landing her first job she thought she would try it out for six months.
A decade later she is still here.
“I remember seeing Cigar winning the first Dubai World Cup [in 1996], and I’d wanted to come here ever since. I was quite young when that happened. I thought I’d come for six months and see what happens and I never wanted to leave. I’ve been very lucky. It’s been very good to me.
“Everyone is watching us here. You can’t beat that. You can’t beat the atmosphere on World Cup night when the eyes of the world are on Meydan and I’m in the centre of it. That’s fantastic.”
Despite a decade of experience, King insists she still has more to learn, and more people to meet.
“I’m still getting to know people. My favourite part of my job is interviewing people, getting to know owners, getting to know work riders, vets, farriers. I love doing all that.”
During her time in the Middle East, King says she has seen the UAE racing industry transformed into a global player.
“It’s absolutely huge, I mean you can go back 20, 30 years. The Maktoum family have been supporting racing in England and elsewhere, France, America, not only through sponsorship but through breeding and ownership. Abu Dhabi is getting more involved, the Sheikh Mansoor festival is taking Arabian racing to a whole new scale, taking it to places it has never been before.
“We’re lucky to have that kind of support and that the people behind it are willing to extend that outside of the UAE, not just keep it all here. They’re really willing to take the UAE name out there.”
Now that the local season is over, King will be covering UAE horses as they compete around the world – most notably at the Kentucky Derby, which UAE audiences will tune in to early on Sunday.
“What’s really focusing my attention is the Kentucky Derby. We’ve got a horse going from here, owned by Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa, Mubtaahij. [That’s] the one I’m really looking forward to at the moment because it would be a terrific story for the UAE.” No horse from the UAE has yet won the Kentucky Derby.
nalremeithi@thenational.ae
Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
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
'My Son'
Director: Christian Carion
Starring: James McAvoy, Claire Foy, Tom Cullen, Gary Lewis
Rating: 2/5
Tom Fletcher on 'soft power'
The biog
Born November 11, 1948
Education: BA, English Language and Literature, Cairo University
Family: Four brothers, seven sisters, two daughters, 42 and 39, two sons, 43 and 35, and 15 grandchildren
Hobbies: Reading and traveling
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, last-16, second leg (first-leg scores in brackets):
PSG (2) v Manchester United (0)
Midnight (Thursday), BeIN Sports
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Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill
Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Dengue%20fever%20symptoms
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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.
The years Ramadan fell in May
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
