New Dubai-Sharjah ferry proves a hit with passengers

A new ferry service will reduce travel times between Dubai and Sharjah, while allowing customers a stress-free journey, said passengers embarking on one of its first journeys.

Travellers believe the sea route will cut notoriously high traffic levels on the roads between the two emirates.

The vessels are to run 42 times daily between Al Ghubaiba on the Creek to Aquarium Marine Station in Sharjah and will have the capacity to serve 1.3 million passengers a year, Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority said.

A journey takes 35 minutes and costs Dh15 in silver class and Dh25 for gold class. Children under the age of five and people with disabilities travel free. Each ferry has capacity for 125 passengers.

The National joined commuters yesterday morning and, while the vessel was largely empty - the new service was only announced on Saturday - those who made the trip were delighted they had.

“This is brilliant. There’s nothing worse than being stuck in traffic for ages,” said Joy Gisho, 38, who regularly travels from his home in Sharjah to Dubai.

You can park your car for free in Sharjah, get the ferry over and then you can jump on a metro or bus and come back in the evening

“It’s going to make such a difference as you can park your car for free in Sharjah, get the ferry over and then you can jump on a metro or bus and come back in the evening.

“It is going to completely open up Dubai for people that travel from Sharjah.”

The Indian national, who works as an HR consultant, said the presence of the nearby Al Ghubaiba bus and metro stations would be key to making it an attractive prospect for commuters.

To get from the station at Al Ghubaiba to BurJuman, Dubai’s busiest stop on the metro line, takes roughly seven minutes.

The ferry departs every 30 minutes from 5am to 9am and from 4pm to 8.30pm from Saturday to Sunday. The service interval will be 90 minutes during off-peak times.

The new ferry was a hit with other passengers as well.

“It was really fun. It was so much better than being stuck on a bus for ages,” said student Abdusselam Sabic, 20, from Bosnia.

“It is going to significantly reduce waiting times. My family lives in Sharjah and sometimes it takes more than an hour to get from there to Dubai on the bus.”

“It’s a very quick service and it’s so much more convenient than being stuck on a bus or car,” said his sister Jihada Sabic, 19, also a student.

“We would regularly have to take the car to get to Dubai from Sharjah but we would definitely consider taking the ferry each day. “It is just so much easier.”

The new route was also backed by Indian student Afra Yakhoob, 18. “It is such a good idea when it comes to reducing travelling times,” she said.

“My family lives in Sharjah and it would take me at least half an hour to drive from Dubai to see them, maybe twice that if the traffic was really heavy.”

For other passengers, the ferry represented an opportunity to have a relaxed day of bonding with family members.

Asha Krishnam, 44, was on her way from Sharjah to spend time with her daughter, Ashwati, before she started university this year in India.

“It’s a great opportunity to experience Dubai and Sharjah in a new way,” said Ashwati, 20.

Her mother, who works for an oil and gas company in Sharjah, added her voice to those predicting it would have a positive effect on road traffic.

“Why wouldn’t you take the ferry when it saves you so much time?” she said.

An RTA employee told The National that the service had not been busy yet but he expected that to change as word of mouth reports spread and gain traction.

“It has been quiet so far with not many passengers but those I have spoken to like the service,” he said.

“People have told us it would be a nice day out for a family as you can travel from Dubai on a boat that drops you directly at Sharjah Aquarium Marine. Children are going to love it.”

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

HOW TO WATCH

Facebook: TheNationalNews

Twitter: @thenationalnews

Instagram: @thenationalnews.com

TikTok: @thenationalnews

3%20Body%20Problem

%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECreators%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20David%20Benioff%2C%20D%20B%20Weiss%2C%20Alexander%20Woo%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBenedict%20Wong%2C%20Jess%20Hong%2C%20Jovan%20Adepo%2C%20Eiza%20Gonzalez%2C%20John%20Bradley%2C%20Alex%20Sharp%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?

George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.

Hunting park to luxury living

Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds

Mica

Director: Ismael Ferroukhi

Stars: Zakaria Inan, Sabrina Ouazani

3 stars

The Perfect Couple

Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor

Creator: Jenna Lamia

Rating: 3/5

Game Of Thrones Season Seven: A Bluffers Guide

Want to sound on message about the biggest show on television without actually watching it? Best not to get locked into the labyrinthine tales of revenge and royalty: as Isaac Hempstead Wright put it, all you really need to know from now on is that there’s going to be a huge fight between humans and the armies of undead White Walkers.

The season ended with a dragon captured by the Night King blowing apart the huge wall of ice that separates the human world from its less appealing counterpart. Not that some of the humans in Westeros have been particularly appealing, either.

Anyway, the White Walkers are now free to cause any kind of havoc they wish, and as Liam Cunningham told us: “Westeros may be zombie land after the Night King has finished.” If the various human factions don’t put aside their differences in season 8, we could be looking at The Walking Dead: The Medieval Years.

Avatar: Fire and Ash

Director: James Cameron

Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana

Rating: 4.5/5

MATCH INFO

England 241-3 (20 ovs)

Malan 130 no, Morgan 91

New Zealand 165 all out (16.5ovs)

Southee 39, Parkinson 4-47

England win by 76 runs

Series level at 2-2

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat