Relocating your life can be an overwhelming task to say the least.
Thankfully I'd chosen Dubai as the city to relocate to, a place I had visited a number of times before, for work and holidays. Coming to the UAE several times over the past decade, I've seen the city grow, and with that witnessed the improvements in immigration, travel and accommodation, as well as the lifestyle that the country offers.
My relocation to Dubai was drawn out over a 12-month process. The first thing I did was spend six weeks here last summer, a time I chose deliberately to see if I could cope with the extreme heat after spending most of my life in England. The excellent air conditioning in most places helped me make up my mind that a summer here was possible.
During my initial six-weeks research mission in Dubai, I tested all parts of the city, trying to take as much of a residents' approach as I could, rather than living like a tourist. I visited as many malls and restaurants as I could; travelled using the metro, taxis and a hired car; and explored the local job market. This helped me gain an understanding of where I would want to live and the type of employment opportunities available in the country.
From London, I did extensive research on what needs to be done to migrate to the UAE. This included researching different types of visas, accommodation, vehicles, cost of living, how to get an Emirates ID, job sites to apply for employment and social things to do in your spare time.
Expect to move a few times
Much of the moving admin seemed straightforward, but finding accommodation is where things can get tricky. There are many types of accommodation, both long and short term, with something to fit every budget.
Don’t assume that a long-term stay at a hotel in Downtown Dubai will fit your budget – there is better value for money to be found. After many evenings scanning property and travel websites, I ended up booking a one-bedroom apartment. It was a five-minute walk from the Discovery Gardens Metro station and not far from Dubai Marina, an area I knew I liked.
The apartment was well maintained, had a large living room, a guest bathroom and an en-suite bedroom, with lots of wardrobe space in the bedroom and a large balcony with a desert and Dubai Marina view. I booked the apartment for two months, checking out on December 31.
Fast forward to the end of December, and after finding out we couldn't extend into January, my wife and I had a stressful Christmas scrambling to find a new apartment to move into. We soon found a short-term lease in Dubai Marina. Here we learnt another lesson, when signing a lease of any kind – whether short term or long term – there are fees you have to pay in addition to the rent.
It didn't take long for me to learn that the traffic in Dubai Marina can be heavy, adding at times an extra 45 minutes to my one-hour commute to Abu Dhabi. This is a major piece of advice I have for any UAE newcomers: when moving somewhere, check the traffic in the area, if it's a popular and busy place, you could spend many hours in your car in traffic.
Making a house a home
Towards the end of Ramadan, we moved for the third time in five months. Then it was time to take on the task of making a house a home. The place was an empty shell and we had to buy a house worth of goods, including kitchen appliances, living and dining furniture, beds, white goods and curtains. I recommend shopping around and agreeing delivery dates firmly in advance for the large items.
When shopping for second-hand pieces, there is no shame in haggling. And in shops there is often a sale on, whether advertised or not. My wife and I went to many malls, outlets, factory furniture stores, Ikea, and shopped online too. There are bargains everywhere in the UAE, you just have to take the time to find them and try to strike a deal.
When moving into your place, and once your Dewa is activated, check all electrical and water outlets as well as the drainage, we faced a few snagging issues.
Then comes time for the digital necessities. Check which internet provider offers the best cover in your area, factoring in television and film packages. And when they install the Wi-Fi, be sure to check the coverage is strong enough for the whole property; chances are you will require a signal booster. Internet providers can typically organise this for a fee, I’d recommend using them to carry out this work, unless you're technical enough to do it yourself.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
What is the definition of an SME?
SMEs in the UAE are defined by the number of employees, annual turnover and sector. For example, a “small company” in the services industry has six to 50 employees with a turnover of more than Dh2 million up to Dh20m, while in the manufacturing industry the requirements are 10 to 100 employees with a turnover of more than Dh3m up to Dh50m, according to Dubai SME, an agency of the Department of Economic Development.
A “medium-sized company” can either have staff of 51 to 200 employees or 101 to 250 employees, and a turnover less than or equal to Dh200m or Dh250m, again depending on whether the business is in the trading, manufacturing or services sectors.
Venom
Director: Ruben Fleischer
Cast: Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, Riz Ahmed
Rating: 1.5/5
Evacuations to France hit by controversy
- Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
- Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
- The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
- Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
- It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
- Since the start of the Gaza war, it has also included 45 Gazan beneficiaries
- Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
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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
