ABU DHABI // The emirate is looking to embark on a public transport revolution, but the big step is convincing commuters that they need to change the way they think about it, a senior official says.
The best way to do that is through the young, said Saeed Al Hameli, acting director of organisation at the Department of Transport.
Mr Al Hameli said reliance on cars must be reduced and easy access to public transport created.
“We are targeting the younger generation of road users,” he said. “The perception that public transport is not for rich people is wrong.
“About 11 per cent of the UAE population is Emirati. To put locals in public transport, you need to change their mindset and encourage them to use public transport at a young age.
“We see the high accident rates among children aged between 18 and 23. It would really make a difference if they delay car purchases for five years. It would ease congestion, reduce the amount of pollution and environmental damage, and reduce the risk of accidents.”
The department on Tuesday announced that Mr Al Hameli has been elected vice chairman of the International Association of Public Transport (UITP) Mena, a non-profit group for all parties involved in public transport.
It has 3,200 members from 92 states and aims to support and promote sustainable transport.
The post gives Mr Al Hameli a permanent seat on the policy board.
“When we sit on the policy board, we look at the developments, funding, policies, land use, infrastructure and choosing the best combination of transport modes,” he said.
“My position in the UITP Mena will give a chance for people in Abu Dhabi to learn more about public transport, the best expertise and international best practice to the sector.
“Although there have been a lot of developments here, there is a need for us to make the right decisions about what’s best for Abu Dhabi.”
The Department of Transport has been a member of UITP since 2007.
Among the problems the emirate has to face is its weather, Mr Al Hameli said.
“The heat and blowing sand and dust pose a big challenge in public transport use in the Gulf countries,” he said. “How can you expect people to leave their homes and reach the bus station?
“It’s highly unlikely for people to walk 100 metres to the bus station, and no one will walk from Bein Al Jessrain for half a kilometre to reach the metro station on Airport Road.
“This is a challenge for us in the Government, for the public transport systems to reach out to the residents.
“We need to come up with a solution that best suits the region but it also requires some level of commitment from the road users.”
The emirate’s transport sector is growing rapidly. To keep pace, authorities, service providers and public transport operators should seek ways to manage the future challenges of transport, its sustainability and the preservation of the environment, Mr Al Hameli said.
Other challenges include the UAE’s car culture and the pollution too many cars on the roads is producing.
“Public transport saves nearly five times the energy consumed by private vehicles and an efficient system contributes to the reduction by half of air pollution caused by private vehicles,” Mr Al Hameli said.
“There is a need for greater social responsibility. This doesn’t mean ditching our cars in favour of public transport.”
He suggested limiting the use of private cars to twice weekly, pooling in a household with more than one car, or walking or cycling.
In April, the department unveiled a walking and cycling master plan to make Abu Dhabi safer by doubling the number of dedicated paths by 2020.
Mr Al Hameli said at the time that encouraging people to think about alternatives to cars from a young age was the most important aspect of the plan.
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Match info
Manchester City 3 (Jesus 22', 50', Sterling 69')
Everton 1 (Calvert-Lewin 65')
The biog
Favourite book: Men are from Mars Women are from Venus
Favourite travel destination: Ooty, a hill station in South India
Hobbies: Cooking. Biryani, pepper crab are her signature dishes
Favourite place in UAE: Marjan Island
Mina Cup winners
Under 12 – Minerva Academy
Under 14 – Unam Pumas
Under 16 – Fursan Hispania
Under 18 – Madenat
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
How England have scored their set-piece goals in Russia
Three Penalties
v Panama, Group Stage (Harry Kane)
v Panama, Group Stage (Kane)
v Colombia, Last 16 (Kane)
Four Corners
v Tunisia, Group Stage (Kane, via John Stones header, from Ashley Young corner)
v Tunisia, Group Stage (Kane, via Harry Maguire header, from Kieran Trippier corner)
v Panama, Group Stage (Stones, header, from Trippier corner)
v Sweden, Quarter-Final (Maguire, header, from Young corner)
One Free-Kick
v Panama, Group Stage (Stones, via Jordan Henderson, Kane header, and Raheem Sterling, from Tripper free-kick)
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
FIXTURES
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Friday
Saint-Etienne v Montpellier (10.45pm)
Saturday
Monaco v Caen (7pm)
Amiens v Bordeaux (10pm)
Angers v Toulouse (10pm)
Metz v Dijon (10pm)
Nantes v Guingamp (10pm)
Rennes v Lille (10pm)
Sunday
Nice v Strasbourg (5pm)
Troyes v Lyon (7pm)
Marseille v Paris Saint-Germain (11pm)
The language of diplomacy in 1853
Treaty of Peace in Perpetuity Agreed Upon by the Chiefs of the Arabian Coast on Behalf of Themselves, Their Heirs and Successors Under the Mediation of the Resident of the Persian Gulf, 1853
(This treaty gave the region the name “Trucial States”.)
We, whose seals are hereunto affixed, Sheikh Sultan bin Suggar, Chief of Rassool-Kheimah, Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon, Chief of Aboo Dhebbee, Sheikh Saeed bin Buyte, Chief of Debay, Sheikh Hamid bin Rashed, Chief of Ejman, Sheikh Abdoola bin Rashed, Chief of Umm-ool-Keiweyn, having experienced for a series of years the benefits and advantages resulting from a maritime truce contracted amongst ourselves under the mediation of the Resident in the Persian Gulf and renewed from time to time up to the present period, and being fully impressed, therefore, with a sense of evil consequence formerly arising, from the prosecution of our feuds at sea, whereby our subjects and dependants were prevented from carrying on the pearl fishery in security, and were exposed to interruption and molestation when passing on their lawful occasions, accordingly, we, as aforesaid have determined, for ourselves, our heirs and successors, to conclude together a lasting and inviolable peace from this time forth in perpetuity.
Taken from Britain and Saudi Arabia, 1925-1939: the Imperial Oasis, by Clive Leatherdale
Try out the test yourself
Q1 Suppose you had $100 in a savings account and the interest rate was 2 per cent per year. After five years, how much do you think you would have in the account if you left the money to grow?
a) More than $102
b) Exactly $102
c) Less than $102
d) Do not know
e) Refuse to answer
Q2 Imagine that the interest rate on your savings account was 1 per cent per year and inflation was 2 per cent per year. After one year, how much would you be able to buy with the money in this account?
a) More than today
b) Exactly the same as today
c) Less than today
d) Do not know
e) Refuse to answer
Q4 Do you think that the following statement is true or false? “Buying a single company stock usually provides a safer return than a stock mutual fund.”
a) True
b) False
d) Do not know
e) Refuse to answer
The “Big Three” financial literacy questions were created by Professors Annamaria Lusardi of the George Washington School of Business and Olivia Mitchell, of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Answers: Q1 More than $102 (compound interest). Q2 Less than today (inflation). Q3 False (diversification).
