Dubai International Airport reopened its Concourse A at Terminal 3 on Wednesday, taking the airport close to 100 per cent of capacity after 20 months of reduced operations because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Flight EK659, which arrived from Maldives, was the first to land on Concourse A since the section was closed on March 25, 2020 as part of measures taken by the UAE authorities to control the spread of coronavirus.
The airport is something of a bellwether in the emirate, both as a major employer and the gateway for tourists coming into the country.
Concourse A was the world's first purpose-built A380 terminal and serves Emirates Airline, with an annual capacity of 19 million passengers.
The area will reopen in phases over the coming weeks, to enable the airport to maintain service levels while accommodating the rush of seasonal travellers in December.
After the peak of the pandemic, Emirates Airline has restored 90 per cent of its network and is on track to reach 70 per cent of its pre-Covid-19 capacity by the end of 2021.
In October, the airline announced plans to hire 6,000 workers in six months, as travel demand rebounds.
Airport staff rehired
This week Dubai Duty Free, which runs many of the shops at the airport, also announced it was rehiring nearly 1,400 workers who were laid off during the pandemic, in several tranches.
The company laid off 2,508 people in total during the coronavirus pandemic, and 800 people resigned.
Ramesh Cidambi, the chief operating officer of Dubai Duty Free described the first half of 2020 as "catastrophic" for the business.
"We were closed in April and May of last year so the sales was zero, and in June sales were about five per cent of what we would have normally done," Mr Cidambi told Dubai Eye radio station.
"Sales started to pick up gradually during the course of last year. We finished the year with just under $3 billion and sales normally would have done about $7.4bn.
"This year now we are on target to do about $3.5bn in sales in comparison to $7.4bn in 2019."
The reopening of concourse D at Dubai International Airport spurred the rehiring of 600 people in August, and then in October, another round of recruitment for 1,000 people was announced.
Out of the 2,508 people that were laid off about 1,600 in total have been requested to come back.
Mr Cidambi suggested travellers' spending habits have changed since the pandemic.
"People are spending $10 to $15 more per person, but more importantly, more of the passengers are spending money in shops, and that is a trend that we have seen consistently from June of last year.
"That's the reason that we are able to stay 10 to 15 percentage points higher than the passenger numbers."
Last week, Dubai's airport operator raised its forecast for annual passenger traffic this year by an additional two million.
"We're projecting 57 million for next year at the moment and 28.7 million for this year," Paul Griffiths, the chief executive of Dubai Airports, told The National.
However, pre-pandemic passenger numbers are not expected to return until 2024.
Dubai Duty Free rehires workers - in pictures
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Tips for taking the metro
- set out well ahead of time
- make sure you have at least Dh15 on you Nol card, as there could be big queues for top-up machines
- enter the right cabin. The train may be too busy to move between carriages once you're on
- don't carry too much luggage and tuck it under a seat to make room for fellow passengers
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How to turn your property into a holiday home
- Ensure decoration and styling – and portal photography – quality is high to achieve maximum rates.
- Research equivalent Airbnb homes in your location to ensure competitiveness.
- Post on all relevant platforms to reach the widest audience; whether you let personally or via an agency know your potential guest profile – aiming for the wrong demographic may leave your property empty.
- Factor in costs when working out if holiday letting is beneficial. The annual DCTM fee runs from Dh370 for a one-bedroom flat to Dh1,200. Tourism tax is Dh10-15 per bedroom, per night.
- Check your management company has a physical office, a valid DTCM licence and is licencing your property and paying tourism taxes. For transparency, regularly view your booking calendar.
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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A little about CVRL
Founded in 1985 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory (CVRL) is a government diagnostic centre that provides testing and research facilities to the UAE and neighbouring countries.
One of its main goals is to provide permanent treatment solutions for veterinary related diseases.
The taxidermy centre was established 12 years ago and is headed by Dr Ulrich Wernery.
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