Ramadan in the past meant shorter work days and a chance to get together with friends and family over Iftar or Suhoor. But gone are those days with the coronavirus outbreak sweeping the globe. This may be the first time in our lives where not only the majority of us would be working from home, but we will not to be able to fully engage in the holy month’s rituals from praying at the mosques to breaking our fast communally.
While in some ways I feel sad about this year’s Ramadan, as I will not be able to visit all of my family and friends or meet up with my colleagues, it does provide a great opportunity for us to develop on both spiritual and professional levels.
In an article published last week, Saeed Saeed, a journalist at The National discussed how this year's Ramadan could present a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us to focus on the holy month's meditative essence.
Working shorter hours from home means that we get to be more focused at work minus the office distractions. As we will not be commuting or spending time on the road as much as we did in Ramadan of yesteryear, fasting this year would be somehow easier.
With more time on our hands, we could utilise the extra hours to work on the administrative tasks we have been delaying for the past few months; such as renewing or cancelling subscriptions, updating software, cleaning up the drives clogging with needless data and touch base with our clients.
Ramadan is about performing our best on a spiritual level, but we could also extend that to our professional life. With our schedules lighter during the day because of the shorter working hours, we could dedicate an hour or so to learning a new skill, attending an online webinar, or joining a workshop. We may never get a chance like this again where we are spoiled for choice when it comes to e-learning. Engaging in an activity, where you are learning, or reading, could also take your mind off the thirst or hunger and make the fasting hours pass quicker.
I also make it a point to learn something different every Ramadan by reading books that are different than those I would usually pick. If you are not a fan of printed books go for audio books. They allow you to multitask so that you could exercise for instance and still listen to the book being recited in the backdrop.
There’s also no time like the present to give back to our community and support the government’s efforts. Now is the time to volunteer, spend your company’s corporate social responsibility budget to donate to a cause, or contribute to providing meals to the needy. The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company has announced support to volunteer initiatives across the country. More than 1,500 employees have already signed up as part of the the UAE volunteers drive managed by Emirates Foundation to help the government combat the spread of the Covid-19.
Now is the time to volunteer, spend your company's corporate social responsibility budget to donate to a cause, or contribute to providing meals to the needy.
You do not even need to leave the house in order to make a difference. You could help feed low-income families impacted by the coronavirus crisis from the comfort of your home. Last week, Dubai authorities launched the UAE’s largest food distribution campaign “10 Million Meals”, being managed by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives in collaboration with Social Solidarity Fund Against Covid-19. Businesses and individuals can donate via SMS message, bank transfer, directly through the programme's website, or they can donate packaged or canned food.
Finally, just because we cannot get together and hold our annual Ramadan Iftar or Suhoor gathering for friends and family or for our clients, does not mean we couldn’t move the celebration online. Arrange a call with your colleagues/clients over Zoom and use it as an opportunity to network and stay in touch with your contacts. From my personal experience, I find that when using an online conference tool, I am able to communicate with more people in a shorter span of time and able to move faster from one meeting to the next, hence saving me more time to focus on other tasks.
Ramadan Mubarak to you. I hope it’s your most productive one yet.
Manar Al Hinai is an award-winning Emirati journalist and entrepreneur, who manages her marketing and communications company in Abu Dhabi
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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Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
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Founders: Mansour Althani and Abdullah Althani
Based: Business Bay, with offices in Saudi Arabia, Egypt and India
Sector: Technology, digital marketing and e-commerce
Size: 70 employees
Revenue: On track to make Dh100 million in revenue this year since its 2015 launch
Funding: Self-funded to date
Name: Peter Dicce
Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics
Favourite sport: soccer
Favourite team: Bayern Munich
Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer
Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates
Company: Instabug
Founded: 2013
Based: Egypt, Cairo
Sector: IT
Employees: 100
Stage: Series A
Investors: Flat6Labs, Accel, Y Combinator and angel investors
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Sector: EdTech
Funding to date: $15 million
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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
