It is best known for its sunshine, beaches and theme parks, but Florida also has sparkling attractions for tourists with stars in their eyes.
Once the sole vestige of Nasa and the American government, space travel is beginning to open up to the wider public – albeit only members of the public who have deep pockets. Virgin Galactic, Blue Origin, SpaceX, Space Perspective, and Nasa itself are all shaking up space travel like never before.
On Florida's Space Coast, on the Atlantic less than an hour from Orlando, 72 orbital flights launched from Cape Canaveral and the Kennedy Space Centre in 2023. The privatisation of space travel means that a growing number of spectacular rocket launches are also taking place, giving visitors more opportunities to see one with their own eyes.
But the Sunshine State's Space Coast now has more to offer. There are lots of attractions to entertain the whole family. The Kennedy Space Centre Visitor Complex, America’s tribute to the world beyond our planet, attracts about 1.5 million visitors each year to marvel at how and why man goes into space.
In the early 1960s, the Apollo space programme was used by American politicians to demonstrate its technological advances and power to the world. The Soviet Union had previously led the way in space, including getting the first human, Yuri Gagarin, up there in 1961.
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
At the Apollo/Saturn V Centre, reached via a short bus ride, visitors can relive the tension and anticipation of the control room in December 1968, when the first manned space flight from the Kennedy Space Centre took place aboard the largest rocket ever flown, watched by the largest ever TV audience at the time.
The Saturn rockets – originally constructed for use as ballistic missiles in war – burnt millions of litres of liquid hydrogen fuel while carrying astronauts on dozens of missions throughout the 1960s, and several are on display at the visitor complex.
Riding simulators including one that 'transports' users to Mars, marvelling at rockets and hearing first-hand about life in space at the ‘meet an astronaut’ presentation, are some of the Kennedy Space Centre’s must-do activities. For families with younger kids, the indoor, air-conditioned play area is a winner and a welcome relief from the heat outside.
Off-limits to the public but viewable from a distance via a bus ride, the Vehicle Assembly Building here has the largest doors in the world, one quirk of being home to space rockets. The building is so large, according to tour guides, that it can form its own weather patterns and could even rain inside.
From space to surfing
Away from the space attractions, the Atlantic coast of mid-Florida has lots more to offer, with fantastic surfing, beach walks and airboat trips among some of the most popular activities.
At the School of Surf in Cocoa Beach, I decide it's time to try to catch a wave. My instructor, Seth, is what one might describe as an archetypal surfer dude: blonde hair, tall and lean, and totally chilled. My first concern, however, isn’t how to ‘pop’ or stand on a surfboard, or what to do if a rip current pulls me out to sea. I want reassurance about an issue a friend warned about the night before: sharks.
“Oh, don’t worry about the sharks,” Seth says. “If there are any, we’ll give them a wide berth and let them go on their way.”
It's not the most heartening shark advice, especially when, as if on cue, I think I see a small shark in knee-deep water in front of us while Seth runs through some instructions. But because he is chilled and is also going to be in the water alongside me, my chances of being bitten or eaten are halved. Or so I think.
Out on the surfboard on what feel like huge waves, I feel a rush of adrenalin taking over. After a while I get over thoughts of sharks and rip currents and start to focus on what I’m here for: trying to stand upright on the board. Each time, after riding a wave back to shore, Seth offers advice. “The board went up at the front because you were a bit too far back,” he says.
Over the course of an hour, I manage to stand upright on every attempt, though never for very long. At one point, I get clobbered by the board when on the wrong side of the wave, even though the training video warned about exactly that. But this exercise is all about learning.
Florida may not be a surprising new travel destination. But for a sun holiday with some science and space thrown in, it's a great place to visit.
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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Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
- Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
- Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
- The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
- Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
Mica
Director: Ismael Ferroukhi
Stars: Zakaria Inan, Sabrina Ouazani
3 stars
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
Game Of Thrones Season Seven: A Bluffers Guide
Want to sound on message about the biggest show on television without actually watching it? Best not to get locked into the labyrinthine tales of revenge and royalty: as Isaac Hempstead Wright put it, all you really need to know from now on is that there’s going to be a huge fight between humans and the armies of undead White Walkers.
The season ended with a dragon captured by the Night King blowing apart the huge wall of ice that separates the human world from its less appealing counterpart. Not that some of the humans in Westeros have been particularly appealing, either.
Anyway, the White Walkers are now free to cause any kind of havoc they wish, and as Liam Cunningham told us: “Westeros may be zombie land after the Night King has finished.” If the various human factions don’t put aside their differences in season 8, we could be looking at The Walking Dead: The Medieval Years.
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
MATCH INFO
England 241-3 (20 ovs)
Malan 130 no, Morgan 91
New Zealand 165 all out (16.5ovs)
Southee 39, Parkinson 4-47
England win by 76 runs
Series level at 2-2
The five pillars of Islam
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
