A young man infected with Covid-19 has encouraged others to get the booster shot, saying he should have booked one for himself earlier.
Khalifa Al Gaz, a 24-year-old government researcher in Deira, tested positive for the virus five days ago and has experienced moderate symptoms. As he was recovering from the infection, he said calls from Dubai Health Authority (DHA) had helped him mentally when he was feeling ill.
My case shows even young people can be hit hard by this virus and it is not easily overcome
Khalifa Al Ghaz,
24
“The symptoms were much worse than I expected, and it was pretty strong,” said Mr Khalifa, who had not yet received his booster vaccine, after two doses of Sinopharm in February.
“I had been with someone who had tested positive so I was waiting for it.
“Nothing came for a couple of days, then boom — I was knocked out by fever, loss of taste, delirious and all the usual symptoms.”
Patients recovering from Covid-19 have been similarly buoyed by regular check-up calls from DHA — now part of standard procedures in welfare protocols.
Those who have received follow-up calls from the health service posted on social media to recognise the level of care by DHA during the current wave of infections.
Mr Al Ghaz also had a persistent runny nose.
He is now at home with his family, but in isolation until he recovers.
“I wouldn’t wish it on anyone, it was really quite bad,” he said.
“After I took a PCR test to confirm the virus I have had antiviral treatments and been in regular contact with the DHA.
“They were so helpful and I’ve had daily calls since asking about my symptoms and how I am feeling.
“The DHA has even asked about how I have been doing emotionally — It was not something I expected bearing in mind how quickly the cases were rising.
“I would certainly encourage people to get their booster as soon as possible. I couldn’t make my original appointment and that is something I regret. My case shows even young people can be hit hard by this virus and it is not easily overcome.”
The DHA has issued an explanation graphic, posted on Instagram, to show who is eligible for a booster vaccine and to encourage more people to have one.
It shows when and who should be taking a booster shot, depending on the type of vaccination already taken.
Those over 18 with two does of Pfizer BioNTech, Oxford AstraZeneca, Moderna, Sputnik or a mix of Pfizer and AstraZeneca are eligible for a booster dose six months after receiving their second vaccine dose.
Anyone who has had a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine can receive a booster just two months after receiving their initial shot.
Residents over 16 who have had two shots of the Sinopharm or Sinovac vaccines can receive two doses of a booster vaccine three months after their second vaccine shot in the first round of their inoculation.
Anyone who has had two doses of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine, on top of two doses of Sinopharm or Sinovac, is not yet eligible for a booster shot.
A DHA spokeswoman said follow-up calls were now standard operating procedures of patient care during the pandemic, and encouraged people to sign up for boosters.
“This is protocol to call and check up on patients during their recovery,” she said.
“It is our standard procedure now.
“Everyone who is eligible for a booster should now be signing up for it.”
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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
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Sheikh Zayed's poem
When it is unveiled at Abu Dhabi Art, the Standing Tall exhibition will appear as an interplay of poetry and art. The 100 scarves are 100 fragments surrounding five, figurative, female sculptures, and both sculptures and scarves are hand-embroidered by a group of refugee women artisans, who used the Palestinian cross-stitch embroidery art of tatreez. Fragments of Sheikh Zayed’s poem Your Love is Ruling My Heart, written in Arabic as a love poem to his nation, are embroidered onto both the sculptures and the scarves. Here is the English translation.
Your love is ruling over my heart
Your love is ruling over my heart, even a mountain can’t bear all of it
Woe for my heart of such a love, if it befell it and made it its home
You came on me like a gleaming sun, you are the cure for my soul of its sickness
Be lenient on me, oh tender one, and have mercy on who because of you is in ruins
You are like the Ajeed Al-reem [leader of the gazelle herd] for my country, the source of all of its knowledge
You waddle even when you stand still, with feet white like the blooming of the dates of the palm
Oh, who wishes to deprive me of sleep, the night has ended and I still have not seen you
You are the cure for my sickness and my support, you dried my throat up let me go and damp it
Help me, oh children of mine, for in his love my life will pass me by.
The biog
Full name: Aisha Abdulqader Saeed
Age: 34
Emirate: Dubai
Favourite quote: "No one has ever become poor by giving"
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
RESULT
Brazil 2 Croatia 0
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Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
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Safety 'top priority' for rival hyperloop company
The chief operating officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Andres de Leon, said his company's hyperloop technology is “ready” and safe.
He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.
“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.
“Only once the system has been certified and approved will it move people,” he said.
HyperloopTT has begun designing and engineering processes for its Abu Dhabi projects and hopes to break ground soon.
With no delivery date yet announced, Mr de Leon said timelines had to be considered carefully, as government approval, permits, and regulations could create necessary delays.
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Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
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