KALBA // Fishermen are questioning a decision to protect areas off the coast of Khor Kalba.
Boat captains who live in the area and fish the waters off the east coast, said the protected zone, set up in 2012, interfered with their livelihoods.
Restricted access to mangroves has halted crab fishing, but the most contentious issue for the fishermen is their exclusion from waters within a nautical mile of the coast.
“If these areas are shut off from our trade, and the ocean isn’t open for us, then of course it’s difficult. How can you block off an open area of water?” said fisherman Buhamdan.
“Of course we don’t catch as much. We used to have better yields,” said the Emirati who fishes with a crew of seven. “I’ll tell you, our ocean is open. Our fish are seasonal. There’s time when the fish will go to shallow water and other seasons where they goes out to sea. We’re missing out on an entire season of fishing. Imagine you have an opportunity to do something right in front of you and all you can do is watch.”
A 29-year-old Emirati said the rules were harder on older fishermen.
“Of course this has affected us, but we’re young we can change,” he said. “The people whose lives it has changed completely are the older men, they don’t and they can’t change now.”
Many older colleagues, he said, continued to use stationary nets in the shallows despite the ban.
“Yesterday we had an old fisherman, over 60 years old, the coastguard towed his boat in, saying ‘You know you’re not allowed to fish within the protected zone’. He told them, ‘Before the law, before you even existed, we’ve been going along fishing and knowing how to live. You come today and tell me to go, I can’t do it’.”
K M, in his 30s, said that a short distance away in Oman it was possible to fish without restrictions. “That’s Oman, grab your stuff, get in a boat and go. No one will tell you anything and they can fish as they please. So we want a better solution,” he said.
The Environment and Protected Areas Authority in Sharjah, which manages the protected area, were unavailable for comment.
vtodorova@theantional.ae
nalwasmi@thenational.ae
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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