The UAE has been included in the Global Entry Programme after the Ministry of Interior signed a pact with the US Department of Homeland Security to add the Gulf country to the list of eligible member states.
Membership allows travellers quicker and easier entry through busy US airports, allowing them to skip long queues.
The National takes a look at what this move means for UAE citizens travelling to the US.
What is the Global Entry Programme?
Global Entry is a US government-run programme that expedites customs checks on arrival in the US for preapproved and low-risk travellers.
The programme, which screens the security background of applicants before travel, will allow members to immediately check in at a Global Entry kiosk at a US airport.
This will allow UAE citizens to avoid long queues and paperwork on arrival in the US as the process will be automated. All participants in the programme must still have a valid US visa to enter the country.
When does it start?
The membership for UAE citizens will take effect next month, as part of joint UAE-US efforts to enhance security relations and facilitate trade and travel between the two countries.
The move came during a visit by President Sheikh Mohamed to the US this week, where he held talks with US President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, as well as other business leaders.
The UAE and the US this week emphasised areas of collaboration, with a focus on business, climate, foreign policy and space exploration.
How does the application process work?
To qualify for the programme, applicants must create a Trusted Traveller Programs (TTP) account, pay a non-refundable application fee of $100 and schedule an interview.
Applicants who are conditionally approved can complete their interviews either on arrival in the US at an enrolment on arrival location or by scheduling an appointment at the nearest enrolment centre in their home country. The Global Entry programme website does not list a centre in the UAE.
Applicants must bring their valid passport and one other form of identification to the interview. The application-vetting process normally happens within two weeks after the submission of the application.
If an additional review of the application is needed after vetting, a manual review is undertaken, which could take between 12 and 24 months to complete.
Once accepted, the Global Entry membership will last five years.
At select US airports, at separate Global Entry lanes, members have their photo taken, which confirms their identity, before they briefly meet a customs and border patrol officer.
Who is eligible?
All Emirati citizens with a valid US visa can apply for the programme’s services.
The benefits include no processing lines, no paperwork, expedited entry into the US and reduced waiting times. The service is available at major US airports.
It also offers TSA pre-check eligibility, which expedites traveller screening through participating TSA security checkpoints.
Global Entry processing is available in more than 70 US and international airports, including Abu Dhabi International Airport, Dublin Airport and Shannon Airport in Ireland, among others.
Which other countries are included in the programme?
The UAE is one of the latest countries to join the programme that is available to US citizens, permanent residents of the US and citizens of 15 other countries:
- Argentina
- Brazil
- Bahrain
- Dominican Republic
- India
- Colombia
- UK
- Germany
- The Netherlands
- Panama
- Singapore
- South Korea
- Switzerland
- Taiwan
- Mexico
French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
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
Founders: Abdulmajeed Alsukhan, Turki Bin Zarah and Abdulmohsen Albabtain.
Based: Riyadh
Offices: UAE, Vietnam and Germany
Founded: September, 2020
Number of employees: 70
Sector: FinTech, online payment solutions
Funding to date: $116m in two funding rounds
Investors: Checkout.com, Impact46, Vision Ventures, Wealth Well, Seedra, Khwarizmi, Hala Ventures, Nama Ventures and family offices
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LIGUE 1 FIXTURES
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Friday
Nice v Angers (9pm)
Lille v Monaco (10.45pm)
Saturday
Montpellier v Paris Saint-Germain (7pm)
Bordeaux v Guingamp (10pm)
Caen v Amiens (10pm)
Lyon v Dijon (10pm)
Metz v Troyes (10pm)
Sunday
Saint-Etienne v Rennes (5pm)
Strasbourg v Nantes (7pm)
Marseille v Toulouse (11pm)
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
Asian Cup 2019
Quarter-final
UAE v Australia, Friday, 8pm, Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
SQUADS
UAE
Mohammed Naveed (captain), Mohamed Usman (vice-captain), Ashfaq Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Boota, Ghulam Shabber, Imran Haider, Tahir Mughal, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed, Fahad Nawaz, Abdul Shakoor, Sultan Ahmed, CP Rizwan
Nepal
Paras Khadka (captain), Gyanendra Malla, Dipendra Singh Airee, Pradeep Airee, Binod Bhandari, Avinash Bohara, Sundeep Jora, Sompal Kami, Karan KC, Rohit Paudel, Sandeep Lamichhane, Lalit Rajbanshi, Basant Regmi, Pawan Sarraf, Bhim Sharki, Aarif Sheikh
'The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas are Setting up a Generation for Failure'
Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt, Penguin Randomhouse
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
