Emirates has unveiled its first Airbus A350-900 aircraft at an event in Dubai, displaying the cabin features of the newest model to join its fleet of wide-body planes.
The new plane will have faster Wi-Fi, a quieter cabin, Mercedes S Class-inspired leather seats in Business class and a “cinematic” in-flight entertainment system. The three-class configuration is split into 32 lie-flat seats in Business, 21 seats in Premium Economy and 259 in Economy.
"Today we're embarking on a new chapter that will once again elevate the travel experience – it's the next era of Fly Better with Emirates," Tim Clark, Emirates airline's president, said at the Emirates Engineering centre, where the aircraft was displayed.
“Emirates is rather demanding about customisation, so when it comes to our product and customer experience, an off-the-shelf or cookie-cutter approach is not for us. On the A350, we have customised the cabin design and layout and added many individual features to delight our customers and help our crew deliver better service."
A light colour palette makes for brighter interiors, with features including customised blue lighting, a new inflight entertainment system and automated window blinds.
“From the moment you step on-board the Emirates A350, you will notice the sense of space and light and see the many thoughtful features and luxury touches in all our cabins," Mr Clark said.
It offers Emirates the capacity and range that allows us to consider new destinations previously not considered viable
Tim Clark,
president, Emirates Airline
Emirates expects 64 more A350s to be delivered over the course of the next three and half years.
“These will accelerate the next phase of growth as they run off the Airbus line and into our fleet … it offers Emirates a versatile mix of capacity and range that allows us to consider new destinations previously not considered viable,” Mr Clark said.
The Emirates A350 will be delivered in two versions – one for regional routes and one for ultra long-haul routes.
"The first batch of A350 aircraft are designed for flight missions of about 12 hours and later on we will receive our ultra long-range version which will really take Emirates to new corners of the world, non-stop from Dubai to almost anywhere on the planet except Central America," Mr Clark said.
The A350 will give Emirates "the ability to unlock our new network growth, the ability to offer our latest product of the Premium Economy [class] to even more customers around the world and the opportunities to expand Dubai's air connectivity."
In pictures shared on social media on Wednesday, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, was seen inspecting the facilities of the wide-body aircraft.
The new model joins Emirates' all-wide-body fleet of Boeing 777s and Airbus A380s, both of which it is the largest operator globally. The A350 is the first new aircraft type to join Emirates’ fleet since 2008.
The A350 handover is Airbus's 175th delivery to Emirates since the first one 37 years ago in 1987, Phillipe Mhun, executive vice president of programmes and services for Airbus said at the event.
"The A350 will perfectly complement the A380... Now the A350 will enable new destinations to be served economically," he said.
Scheduled to enter service in January, the A350 will serve nine destinations across the Middle East, Gulf, West Asia and Europe, starting with its debut flight to Edinburgh on January 3.
The Dubai-based airline will introduce its A350 aircraft on routes including Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Kuwait, Bahrain, Colombo, Lyon, Muscat and Bologne – with more to follow, it said.
The new aircraft, registered as A6-EXA, is the first from an order of 65 A350s.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, inspected the aircraft at Dubai International Airport, taking a close look at its new design details and technologies, as well as the next-generation on-board products, the Dubai Media Office said in a statement.
Faster Wi-Fi
Emirates said its A350 will feature a high performance, new generation antennae that will significantly improve in-flight connectivity taking full advantage of ViaSat’s Global Xpress (GX) satellite network. Passengers can get faster Wi-Fi with uninterrupted connectivity across all destinations, including over the North Pole for flights going to the Americas.
At an investment of more than $2 million per aircraft, passengers will see an improved user portal with a faster sign in for new users and a faster log-in for Skywards customers. Improved Wireless Access Points on board will mean more flyers can connect at the same time with the potential to get up to 10 times the current total aircraft bandwidth, the airline said.
Inclusive in-flight entertainment
Emirates' in-flight entertainment system, ICE, has a new user interface that gives visually impaired passengers a better experience. It includes audio-cue navigation assistance, voice metadata feedback, touch and swipe gesturing support and a large selection of audio-descriptive content.
The A350 will introduce a next-generation version of ICE with new features designed to improve the customer experience. Offering a “cinematic display”, Emirates said the system includes the “best picture quality on any aircraft” with 4K and 4K HDR, ultra-responsive touchscreens for seamless navigation and a vast media selection – up to triple the current content capacity.
New features include “eye comfort mode” to reduce blue light exposure, the ability to skip credits and intros on videos, enhanced live TV, and simplified volume and brightness controls.
An improved search function is complemented by iceMoments, a new way to explore content in a short form video format. Children will get a new interface, while parents will have seat-side parental controls.
The plane features extra high ceilings and wider aisles in all classes.
Improvements in the cabin
With a colour palette of light-blue fabric seats and bronze-coloured armrests, the economy class has a bright and airy look and introduces a new six-way adjustable headrest.
Premium Economy class comes with a spacious galley area where passengers can get a snack on long-haul flights, better storage with larger overhead bins, a side cocktail table, calf and footrests and cream-coloured reclining leather seats.
Business class on the Emirates A350 will feature 32 leather seats inspired by the Mercedes S Class. The 1-2-1 seat configuration ensures a private experience with lie-flat seats, 4k screen, multiple sockets and charging ports including a wireless port, minibar, improved storage and inflight shopping.
Five films to watch
Castle in the Sky (1986)
Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
Only Yesterday (1991)
Pom Poki (1994)
The Tale of Princess Kaguya (2013)
Biog
Age: 50
Known as the UAE’s strongest man
Favourite dish: “Everything and sea food”
Hobbies: Drawing, basketball and poetry
Favourite car: Any classic car
Favourite superhero: The Hulk original
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
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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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
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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.”
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