DUBAI // A road-safety expert has again called on parents to buckle up their children while driving in an attempt to reverse the trend of child deaths in traffic accidents.
Thomas Edelmann, founder of the website roadsafetyuae.com, said it is common sense that everyone should wear a seat belt in the UAE.
“Road traffic-related incidents are the number one killers of children under the age of 14 in the UAE,” said Mr Edelmann.
“Sixty-five per cent of injuries happening to children younger than 14 are related to road accidents.”
He said the law stated that children under the age of 12 were not allowed to ride in the front seat of the car and that passengers in the front seat must wear their seat belts. Yet that was not always the case.
According to Mr Edelmann, wearing a seat belt was the cheapest form of insurance.
“It’s free and every car has seat belts.
“People should buckle up whether they’re in the front or back seats,” he said, adding: “Seat belts, irrespective of one’s age, improve a person’s chances of survival by 40 to 60 per cent in a fatal accident.”
Police recorded 8,547 cases of people not wearing seat belts in January and February this year.
Rhia Sanshez, 29, a personal trainer and mother, said she regularly saw people with children riding in the front seat.
“I always notice people sitting in the front seat with their children on their laps. I am on Jumeirah Road almost every day, and every day there are children on the laps of their mothers riding in the passenger seat while someone else drives the car,” she said.
“My son is almost three years old. He is always in the car seat in the back, especially if we’re going on a long trip. You never know what will happen on the road.”
Ms Sanshez, however, said she did sometimes allow her son to sit in the back seat unbuckled.
“I live in Discovery Gardens and, on a few occasions, when I’m going to Ibn Battuta Mall, which is very close to my home, I would allow my son to sit normally in the back, but only if my mother-in-law was in the back with him.”
Sara Abdallah and Rebecca Kanaan, both 23, said they always wore their seat belts. “I always wear my seat belt even if it’s to a nearby destination. However, as soon as I enter a parking lot of a mall, for example, I take it off. I think it’s just a habit,” said Ms Abdallah.
Ms Kanaan said she has had a number of parking offences and speeding tickets.
“I wear my seat belt whether I’m going to a nearby market or a farther destination. However, I have been driving in the UAE for about five months and, so far, I have five parking tickets and two speeding tickets,” she said.
“I don’t usually speed, but it just so happened that I was going a little over the speed limit on Al Khail Road, and both times I got caught by mobile radars.”
Traffic police chief Col Saif Al Mazroui has said that speeding remained the leading cause of fatal traffic accidents.
His officers recorded 494,760 offences in just the first two months of this year, 308,690 of them for speeding.
“I am surprised despite the continuous awareness campaigns and warnings about the dangers of speeding,” Col Al Mazroui said.
“The campaigns that Dubai Police organises are not just limited to raising the awareness of the drivers but also apply to the patrols charged with monitoring the speed of vehicles and offences, especially those that affect public safety.”
dmoukhallati@thenational.ae
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The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
The biog
Name: Ayisha Abdulrahman Gareb
Age: 57
From: Kalba
Occupation: Mukrema, though she washes bodies without charge
Favourite things to do: Visiting patients at the hospital and give them the support they need.
Role model: Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women's Union, Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation and President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood.
VEZEETA PROFILE
Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
Size: 300 employees
Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
The Birkin bag is made by Hermès.
It is named after actress and singer Jane Birkin
Noone from Hermès will go on record to say how much a new Birkin costs, how long one would have to wait to get one, and how many bags are actually made each year.
Credit Score explained
What is a credit score?
In the UAE your credit score is a number generated by the Al Etihad Credit Bureau (AECB), which represents your credit worthiness – in other words, your risk of defaulting on any debt repayments. In this country, the number is between 300 and 900. A low score indicates a higher risk of default, while a high score indicates you are a lower risk.
Why is it important?
Financial institutions will use it to decide whether or not you are a credit risk. Those with better scores may also receive preferential interest rates or terms on products such as loans, credit cards and mortgages.
How is it calculated?
The AECB collects information on your payment behaviour from banks as well as utilitiy and telecoms providers.
How can I improve my score?
By paying your bills on time and not missing any repayments, particularly your loan, credit card and mortgage payments. It is also wise to limit the number of credit card and loan applications you make and to reduce your outstanding balances.
How do I know if my score is low or high?
By checking it. Visit one of AECB’s Customer Happiness Centres with an original and valid Emirates ID, passport copy and valid email address. Liv. customers can also access the score directly from the banking app.
How much does it cost?
A credit report costs Dh100 while a report with the score included costs Dh150. Those only wanting the credit score pay Dh60. VAT is payable on top.
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
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
