ABU DHABI // Many Nepalis in the UAE are returning home to help families stricken by the earthquake on Saturday.
On Sunday they went to Nepal’s embassy in the capital to obtain emergency travel documents.
“My two-storey house has collapsed and my relatives were injured as they fled the quake,” said Purna Bahadur, 31, a supermarket employee who has been working in Abu Dhabi for four years.
“I talked to my family briefly today, but their mobile phone batteries are drained. They can’t recharge them because of the power cuts. I am travelling home to see my wife and two children. I came to the embassy to get my passport, which I had submitted for renewal.”
Mr Bahadur said his home in Nepal cost more than Dh18,000 to construct and it would need to be rebuilt.
That is a daunting task for him because he earns Dh1,400 a month.
When the earthquake struck, all his family members were not at home in Dhading district, a journey of two hours from Kathmandu.
“If it happened during the night, nobody would have survived,” he said.
Like Mr Bahadur, Prem Sherpa’s home was also destroyed by the earthquake.
“I talked to my wife. She had to spend the night outside,” said the 41-year-old cook, who lives in Dubai.
“The electricity was cut. My phone calls don’t go through. We are traumatised and desperate for answers.
“I have to rebuild my house. Building a home in Nepal is a very expensive affair. A simple house in the suburbs costs up to 3 million Nepalese rupees (Dh108,190).”
Krishna Bhusal, head of the Non-Resident Nepali Association in Abu Dhabi, has formed a committee to advise Nepali and find help for their families in need.
Dhananjay Jha, Nepal’s ambassador to the UAE, said some Nepalis who approached the mission knew their relatives were killed in the disaster.
He said the embassy was ready to provide any assistance it could.
As many as 3,000 Nepali expatriates may have been affected, said the ambassador.
The UAE is home to about 300,000 Nepalis.
Mr Jha said his home in Kathmandu was damaged and his family was forced to sleep in the open.
“My daughter told me that windows were broken and walls were cracked,” he said.
Many people offered to help Nepal, including a UAE businessman who donated Dh100,000 to the aid effort, said Mr Jha.
Members of the public can donate to the Prime Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund, or contact the Nepalese embassy at +971 2634 4385.
Facebook has enabled its users to track the whereabouts of their friends and family who were in the area struck by the earthquake. The safety check feature can be found here.
In the UAE, telecoms company du gave its customers three free minutes to call Nepal.
Messaging and calling app Viber also offered free calls to its users.
anwar@thenational.ae
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
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
Poacher
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Tips for entertaining with ease
· Set the table the night before. It’s a small job but it will make you feel more organised once done.
· As the host, your mood sets the tone. If people arrive to find you red-faced and harried, they’re not going to relax until you do. Take a deep breath and try to exude calm energy.
· Guests tend to turn up thirsty. Fill a big jug with iced water and lemon or lime slices and encourage people to help themselves.
· Have some background music on to help create a bit of ambience and fill any initial lulls in conversations.
· The meal certainly doesn’t need to be ready the moment your guests step through the door, but if there’s a nibble or two that can be passed around it will ward off hunger pangs and buy you a bit more time in the kitchen.
· You absolutely don’t have to make every element of the brunch from scratch. Take inspiration from our ideas for ready-made extras and by all means pick up a store-bought dessert.
