WELLINGTON, New Zealand // The weather forecast for the seven-week Rugby World Cup is "unsettled". A week from the opening match, the outlook for the tournament itself is murky, too.
As the 20 teams arrive, fanning out to bases around New Zealand, questions remain about how the nation of four million will cope with staging an event billed as the fourth most-watched in world sport.
New Zealand expects to receive as many as 95,000 international visitors during the World Cup and is counting on the event to help its fragile economy recover from the effects of a global recession and devastating earthquakes that killed 181 people in the southern city of Christchurch.
New Zealand desperately needs the World Cup to succeed and organisers are confident the tournament will be the showpiece rugby expects, but a week from the start, there are still muted concerns.
Of the targeted ticket sales, 170,000 seats remain unsold. Organisers remain confident the pace of sales will increase in the week before the opening match, and say the experience of other major sports events is that demand becomes greatest when the games begin.
But Mike Miller, the International Rugby Board (IRB) chief executive, chided New Zealanders, for being slow to support the World Cup.
"My main concern is that you're not going to get [the] Rugby World Cup back here for a long time," Miller said. "There are lots of countries around the world that want to host the Rugby World Cup, so people should take advantage of it while it's here."
New Zealanders have expressed concern that, for several reasons, they have been unable to participate in the World Cup as fully as they would have liked. Ticket prices start at around NZ$25 (Dh78) for pool matches but rise to $402 for prime seats at quarter-finals, $650 for semi-finals and $1,050 for the final at the 60,000-seated Eden Park.
The average wage in New Zealand is about $42,500, pricing prime tickets beyond the reach of most Kiwis. High hotel prices also have discouraged many from travelling to the games.
Organisers have counted on New Zealand's nearest neighbour, Australia, to provide the largest share of visitors, but travel agents say, despite extensive marketing campaigns, Australians are wary.
Michael Jones, the general manager of Australia's Total Sports Travel, said high hotel prices had deterred many Australians.
"People do question that they feel it's overpriced because most Australians have been to New Zealand at some time or another and at normal times they can go for a lot cheaper," Jones told the New Zealand Herald. "The hotels haven't been exactly kind in some of their rates. There's been a lot of greed. Not in all cases, but there have been some examples of price-gouging, so to speak."
A New Zealand Herald survey in June showed Auckland hotels would be charging, on average, three times their usual rates for a room during finals weekend, though some rooms were being let at up to 15 times normal rates.
Maestro
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Nancy 9 (Hassa Beek)
Nancy Ajram
(In2Musica)
THE LIGHT
Director: Tom Tykwer
Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger
Rating: 3/5
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Women%E2%80%99s%20T20%20World%20Cup%20Qualifier
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RESULTS
2pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (Dirt) 1,000m
Winner: AF Mozhell, Saif Al Balushi (jockey), Khalifa Al Neyadi (trainer)
2.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Majdi, Szczepan Mazur, Abdallah Al Hammadi.
3pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,700m
Winner: AF Athabeh, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel.
3.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,700m
Winner: AF Eshaar, Bernardo Pinheiro, Khalifa Al Neyadi
4pm: Gulf Cup presented by Longines Prestige (PA) Dh150,000 (D) 1,700m
Winner: Al Roba’a Al Khali, Al Moatasem Al Balushi, Younis Al Kalbani
4.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh40,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Apolo Kid, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muahiri
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
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Company%20profile
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THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
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
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Disposing of non-recycleable masks
Use your ‘black bag’ bin at home
Do not put them in a recycling bin
Take them home with you if there is no litter bin
- No need to bag the mask
