Police in Dubai pride themselves on being quick off the mark in the fight against crime.
The force spares no expense in the effort to assemble a super-charged fleet of vehicles to stay a step ahead of offenders.
As well as being able to get officers swiftly to a crime scene, the remarkable roster of vehicles catches the eye too.
Dubai Police have a Ferrari and a Bugatti Veyron, plus several Porsches, Bentleys and McLarens in their fleet.
A Dubai Police sports car plucked from the force's luxury fleet was flown to Italy to take part in the famous Mille Miglia – Thousand Miles – race this week.
The National put together a picture gallery of some of the magnificent motors purring in the police garage.
Style and strength on show

In May, Dubai Police unveiled a striking addition to their luxury fleet of patrol cars helping to drive down crime and keep streets safe in the emirate.
The 2021 model Genesis GV80, part of Hyundai's premium brand of vehicles, packs plenty of power and will provide a burly presence on Dubai's roads.
The SUV has a standard turbocharged four-cylinder or twin-turbo 3.5 litre V6 engine, allowing it to easily keep pace with offenders seeking to evade the law.
In March, the Toyota 2021 GR Supra was added to the high-octane ranks.
The vehicle can accelerate to 100 kilometres per hour in 4.1 seconds and is capable of an electronically limited top speed of 250kph.
High-powered cars are a hit
Brig Mohammad Al Razooqi, director of transport and rescue at Dubai Police, said the force aimed to secure the most efficient, flexible and up-to-date models of vehicles to assist in protecting the public.
He previously said Dubai Police's collection had plenty of substance to go with the style.
"We are constantly looking for ways to connect with the public," he said.
The addition "of high-powered supercars to the department’s fleet is due to the positive feedback from citizens and the media", he said.
"We're not trying to show off with these cars. Rather, we want to show tourists and residents alike how friendly the police are across the city."
Dubai Police car revs up for classic race
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The Dubai Police V8 Mercedes Benz SLS AMG was flown to Milan in Italy by Emirates SkyCargo, to take part in the Mille Miglia tour. Courtesy Dubai Police -

A version of the historic Mille Miglia race is coming to the UAE to mark the nation's jubilee year in 2022. Courtesy: MM -

Classic cars race tour the streets of Italy in the Mille Miglia grand tour from Brescia to Rome. Courtesy: MM -

A total of 100 classic cars will be invited to take part in the first UAE tour of the classic Mille Miglia race. Courtesy: MM -

The Brescia sealing ceremony of the Italian Mille Miglia classic car race coming to the UAE in February 2022.Courtesy: MM -

One of Stirling Moss’ iconic racing cars that competed in the famous Italian road race “Eldorado Ice Cream” Maserati Tipo 420/M/58 on view in Modena at the Maserati motorsport museum. The Mille Miglia classic car race will take place in the UAE in February. Nicholas Webster / The National -

Cars will now line up for the pan-Emirate celebration of motoring on Friday, February 18, with the first leg now taking place from Dubai to Al Ain. Antonie Robertson / The National. -

Classic cars will descend on the UAE in February for the Mille Miglia race. A fleet of classic Maseratis that competed in the race's original format are on show in Modena, Italy. Nicholas Webster / The National -

The UAE project has been three years in the making and will see design meet art on the nation’s roads with 50 cars from the world touring alongside 50 cars from the Arabian Peninsula. Antonie Robertson / The National. -

A fleet of classic cars that competed in Italy's Mille Miglia race are displayed at the Maserati museum in Modena. The race is coming to the UAE in February. Nicholas Webster / The National -

The Mille Miglia was announced at a press conference at the House Of Wisdom in Sharjah. Antonie Robertson / The National. -

The Mille Miglia will take in each of the seven emirates. Antonie Robertson / The National. -

The Mille Miglia, an open-road, motorsport endurance race established in 1927, could become an annual event in the UAE. Antonie Robertson / The National.
Fixtures
Wednesday
4.15pm: Japan v Spain (Group A)
5.30pm: UAE v Italy (Group A)
6.45pm: Russia v Mexico (Group B)
8pm: Iran v Egypt (Group B)
if you go
The flights
Fly direct to Kutaisi with Flydubai from Dh925 return, including taxes. The flight takes 3.5 hours. From there, Svaneti is a four-hour drive. The driving time from Tbilisi is eight hours.
The trip
The cost of the Svaneti trip is US$2,000 (Dh7,345) for 10 days, including food, guiding, accommodation and transfers from and to Tbilisi or Kutaisi. This summer the TCT is also offering a 5-day hike in Armenia for $1,200 (Dh4,407) per person. For further information, visit www.transcaucasiantrail.org/en/hike/
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Essentials
The flights
Whether you trek after mountain gorillas in Rwanda, Uganda or the Congo, the most convenient international airport is in Rwanda’s capital city, Kigali. There are direct flights from Dubai a couple of days a week with RwandAir. Otherwise, an indirect route is available via Nairobi with Kenya Airways. Flydubai flies to Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo, via Entebbe in Uganda. Expect to pay from US$350 (Dh1,286) return, including taxes.
The tours
Superb ape-watching tours that take in all three gorilla countries mentioned above are run by Natural World Safaris. In September, the company will be operating a unique Ugandan ape safari guided by well-known primatologist Ben Garrod.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, local operator Kivu Travel can organise pretty much any kind of safari throughout the Virunga National Park and elsewhere in eastern Congo.
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
While you're here
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Results
2pm: Maiden (TB) Dh60,000 (Dirt) 1,200m, Winner: Mouheeb, Tom Marquand (jockey), Nicholas Bachalard (trainer)
2.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh68,000 (D) 1,200m, Winner: Honourable Justice, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
3pm: Handicap (TB) Dh84,000 (D) 1,200m, Winner: Dahawi, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
3.30pm: Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (D) 1,200m, Winner: Dark Silver, Fernando Jara, Ahmad bin Harmash
4pm: Maiden (TB) Dh60,000 (D) 1,600m, Winner: Dark Of Night. Antonio Fresu, Al Muhairi.
4.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh68,000 (D) 1,600m, Winner: Habah, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
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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