Latest: Indian expats scramble to return to UAE ahead of midnight flight suspension
The UAE has clarified and updated its announcement on the suspension of flights from India starting Saturday midnight.
The National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA) said the decision included all national and overseas airlines.
The ruling did not include transit flights coming into the country and bound for India.
The authority confirmed that UAE citizens, diplomatic missions between the two countries, official delegations, business planes and golden residency holders are excluded from this decision.
"Those coming from India through other countries are required to have a period of stay in those countries of not less than 14 days in order to be allowed to enter the country, starting from 23:59pm on Saturday, April 24, for a period of 10 days, which can be extended with the continuation of cargo flights between the two countries," NCEMA said on Twitter.
The authority clarified that airlines would continue to operate flights between the two nations.
“Flights between the two countries will continue to operate allowing the transportation of passengers from the UAE to India. It will also allow the transfer of exempted groups from India to the UAE with the application of the precautionary measures,” Ncema said.
Diplomats, UAE citizens and those with golden visas and on chartered business flights must take a PCR test at the airport as well as on the fourth and eighth day after they enter the Emirates.
On Friday, India posted the world’s biggest one-day jump in confirmed coronavirus infections for the second consecutive day, with almost 332,730 new daily cases.
The country also recorded 2,263 deaths in the last 24 hours.
Daily numbers are believed to be a huge underestimate of the actual count, which could be substantially higher due to limited testing.
The surge is believed to be fuelled by complacency and a new variant of the virus, which doctors say is spreading faster than previous strains.
The ban came days after Dubai updated PCR testing rules for travellers from India, requiring a negative test result no more than 48 hours before travel.
The UAE-India airline corridor is one of the busiest in the world.
UK-based aviation data firm OAG calculated airlines flew almost 1.2 million seats between the two countries in March, making it the second-largest market in the world after Mexico-US.
Around 300 flights a week were operating between the UAE and India before the ban was announced.
That made it the largest of the 27 air bubble arrangements India had in place, Indian Ambassador to the UAE, Pavan Kapoor, said.
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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.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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