The mystery had everyone scratching their heads and asking: "Why is the lake pink?"
This week, photos emerged on social media of a pink lake in Ras Al Khaimah and quickly caught the attention of residents across the UAE.
Now scientists have an answer for the natural oddity.
Environmental experts analysed samples from the small pool to find what turned the water pink.
Dr Saif Al Ghais, director general of the Environment Protection and Development Authority in Ras Al Khaimah, told the The National red algae caused the water discolouration.
He said the salinity levels were extremely high too, almost four times that of seawater.
Drone images of the unusually fluorescent mini lake were first shared on social media by student Ammar Al Farsi.
Located just a stone's throw from the shoreline at Al Rams beach on Saraya Islands, the water appeared bright pink against the beige sands.
“We took samples from the lake [on Wednesday] and received the results this morning,” Dr Al Ghais said.
"The salinity of the water measures 208, while seawater levels usually sit between 38 and 39.
"It is very saline water which is why the algae is growing in it and feeding off the nutrients."
This has not happened as a result of pollution or an oil spill, it is a natural phenomenon.
He said they were still uncertain as to the exact species of algae because there are more than 4,000 in existence.
Before the laboratory results were concluded, Dr Al Ghais said the colour change was probably related to red algae, which is a bloom of algae that usually occurs in coastal areas when there is magnesium in the water.
In this latest discovery, the salt-heavy waterbed formed as a result of evaporation, which is often recorded in areas of low and high tides, called sabkhas.
A term typically used by Earth scientists, a sabkha is a coastal sandflat in which saline minerals accumulate as the result of the arid climate.
“In most cases, the bloom stays for only a short period of time until it consumes all the nutrients from the water then starts to die off," Dr Al Ghais said.
"When we visited yesterday you could see a change in the water colour, which shows it is already dying off.
"This kind of marine growth is typically recorded once a year in areas like Al Rams.
"This has not happened as a result of pollution or an oil spill, it is a natural phenomenon."
Any time the authority is alerted to something like this, he said, they immediately dispatch a team to the site to test the water and surrounding environment.
Such formations have been recorded in the lakes in the Al Muzahmi protected area before.
On Wednesday, The National visited the site at Al Rams beach, which was about 20 metres wide and 50 metres long.
Local resident Mohammed Ahmed, 21, said since the image of the lake went viral, many people had visited the beach.
“This collection of water has been here for a long time but I never thought to take a picture and share it on social media,” he said.
“If you get down close to the water you can see a layer of sea salt under the pink-looking water.
“I don’t know what caused the colour change, some say algae, some say pollution maybe, but as someone who lives near by it will be good to know the results, because I visit the beach a lot.”
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
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Name: Steppi
Founders: Joe Franklin and Milos Savic
Launched: February 2020
Size: 10,000 users by the end of July and a goal of 200,000 users by the end of the year
Employees: Five
Based: Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai
Financing stage: Two seed rounds – the first sourced from angel investors and the founders' personal savings
Second round raised Dh720,000 from silent investors in June this year
Takreem Awards winners 2021
Corporate Leadership: Carl Bistany (Lebanon)
Cultural Excellence: Hoor Al Qasimi (UAE)
Environmental Development and Sustainability: Bkerzay (Lebanon)
Environmental Development and Sustainability: Raya Ani (Iraq)
Humanitarian and Civic Services: Women’s Programs Association (Lebanon)
Humanitarian and Civic Services: Osamah Al Thini (Libya)
Excellence in Education: World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) (Qatar)
Outstanding Arab Woman: Balghis Badri (Sudan)
Scientific and Technological Achievement: Mohamed Slim Alouini (KSA)
Young Entrepreneur: Omar Itani (Lebanon)
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Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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Golden Boy - best young player: Ali Saleh (Al Wasl)
Best Fans of the Year: Sharjah
Goal of the Year: Michael Ortega (Baniyas)
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Start-up hopes to end Japan's love affair with cash
Across most of Asia, people pay for taxi rides, restaurant meals and merchandise with smartphone-readable barcodes — except in Japan, where cash still rules. Now, as the country’s biggest web companies race to dominate the payments market, one Tokyo-based startup says it has a fighting chance to win with its QR app.
Origami had a head start when it introduced a QR-code payment service in late 2015 and has since signed up fast-food chain KFC, Tokyo’s largest cab company Nihon Kotsu and convenience store operator Lawson. The company raised $66 million in September to expand nationwide and plans to more than double its staff of about 100 employees, says founder Yoshiki Yasui.
Origami is betting that stores, which until now relied on direct mail and email newsletters, will pay for the ability to reach customers on their smartphones. For example, a hair salon using Origami’s payment app would be able to send a message to past customers with a coupon for their next haircut.
Quick Response codes, the dotted squares that can be read by smartphone cameras, were invented in the 1990s by a unit of Toyota Motor to track automotive parts. But when the Japanese pioneered digital payments almost two decades ago with contactless cards for train fares, they chose the so-called near-field communications technology. The high cost of rolling out NFC payments, convenient ATMs and a culture where lost wallets are often returned have all been cited as reasons why cash remains king in the archipelago. In China, however, QR codes dominate.
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