After an unavoidable slump last year as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, 2021 is shaping up to be the year of the comeback wedding – even if a little smaller than planned.
As global lockdowns were enforced in 2020, thousands of people were forced to put their weddings on hold.
People lost large deposits, scrapped guest lists and cancelled or downsized their ceremonies – some even got hitched on Zoom.
But as the economy shifts into rebound mode and nations push forward with vaccination campaigns, a wedding boom is on the horizon.
I'm getting a lot of couples looking to get married the end of this year or beginning of 2022. They are using the wedding not only as a celebration but also as a reunion party
Wedding planners are rescheduling again and many couples have set new dates for their big day.
Natalie Hodgson, founder of Dream Asia Wedding, a destination wedding service, said enquiries had picked up over the past month.
"I've been getting a lot of organic enquiries for couples looking to get married at the end of this year or beginning of 2022," she told The National.
“I’m finding that they are using the wedding not only as a celebration of getting married but also as a reunion party.
“Most couples will have friends and family gathering from around the world, but with the travel restrictions in place most haven’t seen people for a long time.”
She said she has had interest in bookings for big getaways to places such as Thailand and the Seychelles.
And because people have not travelled abroad for so long, couples were able to "save more and in turn have more disposable income for big celebrations".
With her nuptials rapidly approaching, bride-to-be Angeline D'Souza, 45, is scheduled to exchange vows with her fiance on May 22.
The couple had originally set dates for November last year and February this year, but had to postpone both because of travel and guest-capacity restrictions.
“We got engaged in December 2019 and decided to wait a few months to make concrete plans,” the banking executive said.
“Then bang, March 2020 struck. Planning was so tough because I’m from India and my partner is from the UK and we wanted two ceremonies in both countries, but the travel restrictions just made that impossible.
“We rescheduled for February this year but in December the new Covid-19 variant was announced and not long after the UAE was put on the UK travel red list.
"A raft of new health and safety restrictions were also introduced which meant we couldn't have as many guests at our wedding as we hoped."
Not wishing to force family members to hotel quarantine if they did travel overseas, the couple settled on a date in May.
“Planning has been tough but we are remaining positive that all will go ahead for May,” she said.
“I had booked hotel accommodation for my family members who were due to visit in February, but I had managed to save my deposit by switching the dates.”
The National spoke to a number of hotels in Dubai that said deposits for venues or catering packages could be transferred to new dates if couples have to reschedule because of issues related to Covid-19. The majority requested a three-month notice period for date changes.
At the start of the year, Makenzie Landeros, 24, got engaged to her partner Taz Kheriwala, 28.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding Covid-19, they are planning to say “I do” in January next year.
“Taz is Indian and I am from the US. Traditionally, Indian weddings last several days but we have decided to cut it to two days, the first being the western celebration and the second an Indian one, so we are cutting back,” said Ms Landeros, owner of an entertainment company in Dubai.
“Taz wants to do the ceremony in Bali and I want to do it here in Dubai.
“My main concern is that Bali is still closed due to corona and it will be difficult trying to plan and pay for things from afar.
“We did think about putting it off for later next year but decided against it.
“Planning isn’t straightforward. If we are talking to venues we have to be conscious that they are flexible with things like deposits, just in case we do have to reschedule.”
In October, Dubai's government declared wedding receptions of up to 200 people would be permitted, opening up the opportunity for newlyweds to celebrate with a larger group of friends and family.
But in January, Dubai’s disaster committee issued a new decision for weddings, social events and private parties.
The guest capacity for weddings was reduced to 10 people and was limited to only first-degree relatives.
Rhiannon Downie-Hurst, founder of brideclubme.com, a wedding website, said her business is still affected by the pandemic, so she has had to find ways to adapt and evolve.
“There has been a definite increase in demand for smaller, more intimate wedding spaces and off-the-beaten-track venues,” she said.
“Due to the number of restrictions [that remain], yes, guest numbers have been a lot smaller.
“It is much easier for, say, British expats to organise and arrange smaller weddings, than, say, Indian destination-wedding couples, who tend to have a three-day wedding event with hundreds and sometimes thousands of guests in attendance.
“We have noticed that for Indian and Arab couples, many have been moving their weddings over to Ras Al Khaimah, as up until recently they were allowing any number of guests, so long as it was capped at 50 per cent capacity of the venue.”
In terms of destinations popular with Dubai couples, Ms Downie-Hurst said the Seychelles was been a top choice for those wanting to elope or have a "small and legal beach wedding".
Georgia also recently opened up and is a popular choice, because flights are only a few hours long.
Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Read more about the coronavirus
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
FIXTURES (all times UAE)
Sunday
Brescia v Lazio (3.30pm)
SPAL v Verona (6pm)
Genoa v Sassuolo (9pm)
AS Roma v Torino (11.45pm)
Monday
Bologna v Fiorentina (3.30pm)
AC Milan v Sampdoria (6pm)
Juventus v Cagliari (6pm)
Atalanta v Parma (6pm)
Lecce v Udinese (9pm)
Napoli v Inter Milan (11.45pm)
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
The drill
Recharge as needed, says Mat Dryden: “We try to make it a rule that every two to three months, even if it’s for four days, we get away, get some time together, recharge, refresh.” The couple take an hour a day to check into their businesses and that’s it.
Stick to the schedule, says Mike Addo: “We have an entire wall known as ‘The Lab,’ covered with colour-coded Post-it notes dedicated to our joint weekly planner, content board, marketing strategy, trends, ideas and upcoming meetings.”
Be a team, suggests Addo: “When training together, you have to trust in each other’s abilities. Otherwise working out together very quickly becomes one person training the other.”
Pull your weight, says Thuymi Do: “To do what we do, there definitely can be no lazy member of the team.”
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
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Defending champions
World Series: South Africa
Women’s World Series: Australia
Gulf Men’s League: Dubai Exiles
Gulf Men’s Social: Mediclinic Barrelhouse Warriors
Gulf Vets: Jebel Ali Dragons Veterans
Gulf Women: Dubai Sports City Eagles
Gulf Under 19: British School Al Khubairat
Gulf Under 19 Girls: Dubai Exiles
UAE National Schools: Al Safa School
International Invitational: Speranza 22
International Vets: Joining Jack
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
Reading List
Practitioners of mindful eating recommend the following books to get you started:
Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life by Thich Nhat Hanh and Dr Lilian Cheung
How to Eat by Thich Nhat Hanh
The Mindful Diet by Dr Ruth Wolever
Mindful Eating by Dr Jan Bays
How to Raise a Mindful Eaterby Maryann Jacobsen
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
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
