The Passover, a major Jewish holiday also known as Pesach, is a week-long festival celebrating the Biblical story of the Israelites' escape from slavery in Egypt.
Although it has deeply religious connotations, the festival also marks the arrival of spring and the beginning of the agricultural season.
Families gather for festive meals called seders, during which they retell the story of the exodus and partake in symbolic foods for the occasion. Additionally, the holiday encourages reflection on liberation, redemption, and renewal.
Why is the Passover celebrated?
The Passover gets its name from the Biblical story from the book of Exodus in the Old Testament, which recounts the freeing of Israelites from slavery in Egypt.
It tells of how the prophet Moses was chosen by God to lead his people from slavery. Each time the pharaoh, King Ramses II, rejects Moses's appeal to free his people, God sends a plague on Egypt, inflicting it with everything from lice to boils and cattle disease.
The 10th plague, in which God killed every firstborn in Egypt, was the deadliest. To escape the coming catastrophe, God instructed Israelites to mark their doors with lamb's blood so the angel of death would pass over their homes.
It's after this untold grief spreads across Egypt, that the pharaoh allowed Moses to lead his people to freedom.
How is it celebrated?
While a joyous time for family gatherings, the Passover is still a deeply religious festival. Traditions include the Passover seder, a ritual that blends food, song and storytelling.
Usually held on the first night, the Passover seder is set around a dinner table where families gather to eat, pray, drink, sing religious hymns and read the Haggadah, a Jewish text that sets the order of the seder and tells the story of the Passover.
A seder plate is usually placed on the table, which consists of up to six food items each symbolising the journey of the Israelites.
The items include bitter herbs, which represents the bitterness of enslavement; charoset or a sweet, brown mixture representing the mortar and bricks used to build Egyptian structures; vegetables for hope and renewal; a lamb shank to represent the lamb's blood used to mark the doors; and matzo or unleavened bread.
There are varying accounts of why the sixth item, an egg, is included in the seder plate, but many believe it to represent the circle of life — of birth, reproduction and death.
During Passover, Jewish people also only eat unleavened bread. It is believed that in their hasty escape from Egypt, the Israelites did not have time to let their bread rise and therefore only took unleavened bread for sustenance on their journey.
When does the Passover holiday fall this year?
The book of Exodus prescribes that Passover be celebrated "from the evening of the 14th day of the first month" of spring. In the Hebrew calendar, that falls on the 14th day of Nisan, or the month of spring, which changes every year on the Gregorian calendar.
This year, it begins on the evening of April 22 and goes on until April 30.
How to greet someone on Passover?
"Happy Passover" and "Happy Pesach" are the most popular greetings for Passover. "Pesach" is Hebrew for “Passover”. Other popular greetings are “chag sameach", which translates to “happy festival”, or "chag Pesach samech", to make it more Passover specific.
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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
Top investing tips for UAE residents in 2021
Build an emergency fund: Make sure you have enough cash to cover six months of expenses as a buffer against unexpected problems before you begin investing, advises Steve Cronin, the founder of DeadSimpleSaving.com.
Think long-term: When you invest, you need to have a long-term mindset, so don’t worry about momentary ups and downs in the stock market.
Invest worldwide: Diversify your investments globally, ideally by way of a global stock index fund.
Is your money tied up: Avoid anything where you cannot get your money back in full within a month at any time without any penalty.
Skip past the promises: “If an investment product is offering more than 10 per cent return per year, it is either extremely risky or a scam,” Mr Cronin says.
Choose plans with low fees: Make sure that any funds you buy do not charge more than 1 per cent in fees, Mr Cronin says. “If you invest by yourself, you can easily stay below this figure.” Managed funds and commissionable investments often come with higher fees.
Be sceptical about recommendations: If someone suggests an investment to you, ask if they stand to gain, advises Mr Cronin. “If they are receiving commission, they are unlikely to recommend an investment that’s best for you.”
Get financially independent: Mr Cronin advises UAE residents to pursue financial independence. Start with a Google search and improve your knowledge via expat investing websites or Facebook groups such as SimplyFI.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Dubai World Cup draw
1. Gunnevera
2. Capezzano
3. North America
4. Audible
5. Seeking The Soul
6. Pavel
7. Gronkowski
8. Axelrod
9. New Trails
10. Yoshida
11. K T Brave
12. Thunder Snow
13. Dolkong
