As neighbouring emirates transform what was once desert hinterland into bustling metropolises, Fujairah has reached a crossroads.
With its beautiful terrain and easy-going, tradition-minded residents, the emirate so far has been spared some of the side effects of rapid economic growth that have afflicted other parts of the country.
Yet now is the time to push for modernisation, says Saif al Afham, the general manager of Fujairah Municipality. The difficult task is doing it while preserving the emirate's charm and protecting its cultural identity.
"Everybody wants to be like Dubai, but in Fujairah we don't," says Mr Afham, 39. "We are trying to improve but not make it too crowded for people. We need a development plan that is realistic for our needs, but also unique to fit the character of our people."
His solution requires a balancing act: almost doubling the population in less than a decade, promoting industry and tourism while protecting the environment, and managing people's concern about abrupt cultural change.
On a recent workday, The National followed Mr Afham as he spoke with dozens of people who crowded outside his office, which is modelled after a traditional majlis, with black couches arranged in front of his desk.
The municipal building has been fitted with kiosks to which residents can go with their questions and problems, but Mr Afham still makes himself available for face-to-face meetings. As he walked the municipality corridors, he individually greeted and listened to the people who gathered at his side.
"Mudir!" - Boss! - several people shouted as Mr Afham walked past a line of labourers.
Getting from his office to the car park can take an hour, he says.
"We're a small community here. We all know each other," says Mr Afham, the father of four daughters. "People know your family, and they come up to you like they're your neighbour.
"Sometimes if people come to my office, I listen to their concerns and consult them. Then I tell them about how the customer-care systems downstairs can help them. I tell them they don't always need to come straight to me, but I'm here if they need me."
Mr Afham, originally from the coastal town of Dibba and an electrical-engineering graduate of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in the US, was promoted from deputy to general manager of the municipality in June after a series of problems dogged his predecessor, Rashid Hamdan.
Dozens of rock quarries that scar the nearby Hajjar Mountains emit choking dust that doctors have blamed for the high rate of respiratory problems among residents. Oil slicks from ships blanket beaches and have caused significant damage to marine life and the hotel industry.
In September, Mr Afham began periodically closing rock quarries to reduce pollution. He has proposed building an alternative route for lorries to minimise dust on roads and ease traffic congestion. He is considering different ways to meet energy needs, such as using solid waste to produce electricity. Last month, he became the first Fujairah official to fine a vessel for illegally dumping oil into the emirate's waters.
Mr Afham envisions a Fujairah that would attract tourists and promote industries such as shipping.
"If you look at Fujairah, with its mountains and its proximity to the ocean, it looks like Nice or Cannes," he says. "It's a tourist place, so we have to work on this path. And we have access to the Indian Ocean, so this gives us other options like using our port."
Yet he is sceptical of grandiosity: "We need realistic solutions here." His plan includes relatively small projects that will bring in visitors and businesses without the congestion like that in Dubai and Sharjah.
One example is Al Hilal City, a residential and business development next to the Port of Fujairah that will include 20- and 30-storey towers, shopping malls and movie theatres. Although it will add 70,000 to the emirate's population of 100,000, it will be significantly smaller than Al Raha Beach in Abu Dhabi or the Palm Islands, which are expected to increase Dubai's population by more than a million.
With the completion of the Dubai-Fujairah motorway in 2010, Mr Afham believes Al Hilal City could be an alternative for people who want to work in Dubai but live in scenic Fujairah. "Once the road is complete, people can leave their homes here and be at work in Dubai in 45 minutes," says Mr Afham, standing over a model of Al Hilal City, which is expected to be finished within seven years.
Mr Afham and other officials are trying to decide whether to line city streets with 40-storey high-rise buildings or smaller ones that might better blend in with mountains and beaches.
"The problem with high-rises is that you feel enclosed," he says, pointing to a few that have already been built. "You want to see the beauty around you."
Mr Afham hopes that more cultural events and a planned media zone, called Creative City, will draw a cosmopolitan mix. But such projects will change the lifestyles of Fujairah's residents, which he acknowledges might offend more traditional elements of society. There is rising concern that Emiratis are losing their identity as more foreign nationals and customs come into the country. Already a number of foreign families have moved to Fujairah to work at the airport or shipping industry, their children speaking English at school and play.
"Change is happening whether we like it or not. The problem is that a lot of people think they can hold on to their cultural and societal beliefs and still become modern. This is very hard.
"But some forms of change are good and we can embrace them."
hnaylor@thenational.ae
Company profile
Name: Thndr
Started: October 2020
Founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: pre-seed of $800,000
Funding stage: series A; $20 million
Investors: Tiger Global, Beco Capital, Prosus Ventures, Y Combinator, Global Ventures, Abdul Latif Jameel, Endure Capital, 4DX Ventures, Plus VC, Rabacap and MSA Capital
The biog
Marital status: Separated with two young daughters
Education: Master's degree from American Univeristy of Cairo
Favourite book: That Is How They Defeat Despair by Salwa Aladian
Favourite Motto: Their happiness is your happiness
Goal: For Nefsy to become his legacy long after he is gon
Anghami
Started: December 2011
Co-founders: Elie Habib, Eddy Maroun
Based: Beirut and Dubai
Sector: Entertainment
Size: 85 employees
Stage: Series C
Investors: MEVP, du, Mobily, MBC, Samena Capital
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Fines for littering
In Dubai:
Dh200 for littering or spitting in the Dubai Metro
Dh500 for throwing cigarette butts or chewing gum on the floor, or littering from a vehicle.
Dh1,000 for littering on a beach, spitting in public places, throwing a cigarette butt from a vehicle
In Sharjah and other emirates
Dh500 for littering - including cigarette butts and chewing gum - in public places and beaches in Sharjah
Dh2,000 for littering in Sharjah deserts
Dh500 for littering from a vehicle in Ras Al Khaimah
Dh1,000 for littering from a car in Abu Dhabi
Dh1,000 to Dh100,000 for dumping waste in residential or public areas in Al Ain
Dh10,000 for littering at Ajman's beaches
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now
Results
2.30pm: Dubai Creek Tower – Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (Dirt) 1,200m; Winner: Marmara Xm, Gary Sanchez (jockey), Abdelkhir Adam (trainer)
3pm: Al Yasmeen – Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,700m; Winner: AS Hajez, Jesus Rosales, Khalifa Al Neyadi
3.30pm: Al Ferdous – Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,700m; Winner: Soukainah, Sebastien Martino, Jean-Claude Pecout
4pm: The Crown Prince Of Sharjah – Prestige (PA) Dh200,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: AF Thayer, Ray Dawson, Ernst Oertel
4.30pm: Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Cup – Handicap (TB) Dh200,000 (D) 2,000m; Winner: George Villiers, Antonio Fresu, Bhupat Seemar
5pm: Palma Spring – Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 2,000m; Winner: Es Abu Mousa, Antonio Fresu, Abubakar Daud
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
Slow loris biog
From: Lonely Loris is a Sunda slow loris, one of nine species of the animal native to Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore
Status: Critically endangered, and listed as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature red list due to growing demand in the global exotic pet trade. It is one of the most popular primate species found at Indonesian pet markets
Likes: Sleeping, which they do for up to 18 hours a day. When they are awake, they like to eat fruit, insects, small birds and reptiles and some types of vegetation
Dislikes: Sunlight. Being a nocturnal animal, the slow loris wakes around sunset and is active throughout the night
Superpowers: His dangerous elbows. The slow loris’s doe eyes may make it look cute, but it is also deadly. The only known venomous primate, it hisses and clasps its paws and can produce a venom from its elbow that can cause anaphylactic shock and even death in humans
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 247hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm from 1,500-3,500rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 7.8L/100km
Price: from Dh94,900
On sale: now
