ABU DHABI // Young drivers need to concentrate more on the road and not pick up their phones when behind the wheel.
That is the message youngsters hope to get across to their peers as part of Aqdar Drive Safely, a student-driven project launched on Monday by Sheikh Saif bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior.
Students taking part in the Khalifa Empowerment Student Programme, or Aqdar, partnered with Road Safety UAE and Nissan Middle East in a campaign to instil safety in young drivers.
This year’s theme is on the Use of Mobile Phones while Driving.
“Sheikh Saif’s presence today and his support is vital to the programme’s success,” said Samir Cherfan, managing director at Nissan Middle East.
Young drivers were responsible for more than half of all road accidents in the UAE in the last nine months of 2015, Ministry of Interior statistics show. This age group accounted for more than a quarter of fatalities.
Mobile phone use has been identified as a major cause of car accidents, especially serious ones, among this age group.
It is necessary to develop long-term programmes focused on the importance of complying with traffic safety rules, organisers said. “Manufacturers cannot do it alone, so government and professional support are key,” Mr Cherfan said.
Thomas Edelmann, founder of Road Safety UAE, said mobile phone use is dangerous because of its potential for causing distracted driving and accidents.
“About 92 per cent of UAE’s youth state that they are distracted by their own behaviour,” he said. “However, only about 38 per cent see the complete link between distracted driving and causing accidents, and this needs to be overcome,” he said, referring to a YouGov survey commissioned by Road Safety UAE and QIC Insured in August.
Almost three quarters of those polled admitted using their phones while driving.
As part of the Aqdar initiative, university students are invited to take part in a road safety competition. It has three categories: Road Safety Campaign of the Year, Road Safety Mobile Phone App of the Year, and Road Safety Sculpture of the Year.
The first-prize winner in each category receives Dh30,000, while the second and third-prize winners get Dh10,000 and Dh5,000 respectively.
Student submissions will be judged on sustainability, style, reach and effectiveness. The deadline for submissions is April 30. Guidelines can be found on aqdardrivesafely.com
To help encourage people into the scheme, Nissan is also encouraging the public to pledge to stop using phones while driving on the programme website or during their roadshows across the UAE. Pledgers will have their photos showcased on a fleet of Nissan vehicles participating in the roadshow.
rruiz@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.
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