SHARJAH // Residents have been enjoying the new Dh100 million waterfront development in Ajman, – and have been full of praise for it.
The development, running to 1.5 kilometres, will include walking and running tracks, restaurants and children’s play areas when completed.
Ayman Mahmoud said the new beach was within walking distance for most people from low-income areas and was ideal for families.
“This beach is very beautiful and the sky-blue colours of its amenities and tiles are so fitting,” Mr Mahmoud said.
A cafeteria owner in the area told of how he had previously been asked to relocate to make way for a Dh3 billion residential project, but that was scrapped in 2009 in favour of the current project.
“Now with this alternative project of the marina and beach, we are not being moved and we are instead hopeful of receiving more customers from among the beachgoers,” he said.
Hasib Abdullah, who was on the new beach with two friends on Wednesday night, said it was beautiful but there were still some issues to be resolved.
Mr Abdullah said there was a lack of parking and that “the beach also does not seem to have amenities like public toilets and benches where the elderly and weak people could sit.
“Most people just stop here for a few minutes just to admire how it looks and they move on.”
Yahya Al Reyaysa, director general of the Department of Municipality and Planning in Ajman, said work was continuing to complete services and facilities, which would also include cycling and skating tracks and a designated car park.
Mr Al Reyaysa added that the department’s plan was in line with the Ajman Government’s focus on providing a sustainable environment and modern infrastructure for its residents.
At present, the emirate’s Corniche is the main relaxation and entertainment area. Work to redevelop and expand it is also continuing.
Ajman Corniche already has several restaurants and three five-star hotels, with another two to be added this year.
Other big projects in the emirate include the Al Nuaimiyah and Mushairif bridges, which are due to open this week, and paving works.
ykakande@thenational.ae
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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
Specs
Engine: 3.0L twin-turbo V6
Gearbox: 10-speed automatic
Power: 405hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 562Nm at 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 11.2L/100km
Price: From Dh292,845 (Reserve); from Dh320,145 (Presidential)
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- 4.5 billion years ago: Mars-sized object smashes into the newly-formed Earth, creating debris that coalesces to form the Moon
- 66 million years ago: 10km-wide asteroid crashes into the Gulf of Mexico, wiping out over 70 per cent of living species – including the dinosaurs.
- 50,000 years ago: 50m-wide iron meteor crashes in Arizona with the violence of 10 megatonne hydrogen bomb, creating the famous 1.2km-wide Barringer Crater
- 1490: Meteor storm over Shansi Province, north-east China when large stones “fell like rain”, reportedly leading to thousands of deaths.
- 1908: 100-metre meteor from the Taurid Complex explodes near the Tunguska river in Siberia with the force of 1,000 Hiroshima-type bombs, devastating 2,000 square kilometres of forest.
- 1998: Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 breaks apart and crashes into Jupiter in series of impacts that would have annihilated life on Earth.
-2013: 10,000-tonne meteor burns up over the southern Urals region of Russia, releasing a pressure blast and flash that left over 1600 people injured.
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