Passengers travelling to the United States from Dubai will have to undergo additional security measures, Emirates airline said on Wednesday.
The carrier said it received updated security guidelines from the US government and its flights will be subject to enhanced security screening measures beginning on October 26.
"The new directive requires passenger pre-screening interviews at the check-in counter for originating passengers and at the boarding gate for transfer and transit passengers," Emirates said. "These measures will work with the current additional screening measures conducted at the boarding gate, including those for electronic devices. Passengers should allow additional time to be checked-in and boarded if travelling to the US from Dubai International Airport."
Saj Ahmad, chief analyst at StrategicAero Research in the UK, said pre-screening interviews would most likely include some low-level questioning about people’s travel plans and duration of stay, rather than any formal interrogating.
“It’s likely the questioning would also be about how much money they have, or don’t have, and how they bought their ticket,” he said.
"Other lines of questioning may include details on a person's employment status, whether they are travelling alone or in a group, with family or friends and what the purpose of their travel is for."
Mr Ahmad said the downside would be a knock-on effect in terms of processing passengers, potentially adding to delays.
“So it’s perhaps advisable to get to the airport even earlier to mitigate against that,” he said.
Capt Darren Straker, former Chief Air Accident Investigator at the GCAA in the UAE and independent investigator at Straker System Safety, said security measures should be risk-based, outcome-focused and proportionate to the probable threat.
“There are similar initiatives for US flight pre-screening in other parts of the world,” he said. “The Airline concerns are that the profiling adds additional constraints to the screening and boarding processes and are regionally based.”
He said additional screening was not unusual.
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"Given the regional geopolitical concerns, these would be risk profile based and although intrusive, are based on generalised assessment criteria."
He said questions were typically about recent travel locations, affiliations to known organisations, reason for travelling to the US and the sourcing and integrity of any electronic devices.
"If assessed as a threat, additional screening can be applied to determine actual risk," Capt Straker added.
Etihad has not received such guidelines and the airline said operations were continuing as usual.
Abu Dhabi International Airport is equipped with a US customs border clearance gate.
Opened in January 2014 as the first of its kind in the Middle East, the gate is manned by US security officers who screen passengers before they board flights to the US, allowing them to bypass long immigration lines at the other end.
“It is likely that with these new rule changes, the likes of Dubai International will probably make a play for a US Pre-Clearance facility of its own like Abu Dhabi International has to help adjust to these new security measures and screening processes to better manage time and be efficient,” said Mr Ahmad.
Katie Spalding, who travels to the US regularly to visit her brother, said that although being interviewed about her trip would be annoying, it would not necessarily put her off flying there.
“I guess it depends on the questions and the length of those interviews,” she said. “I’m just wondering who will be conducting those interviews and what would be expected from them to extract exactly? Will they be intelligence agents or just the standard check-in airline clerks? Are they meant to identify potentially dangerous people or just enter a few answers into a system? And if so, why can’t we just answer these questions through an online form to save time?”
Marc D, who travels to the US at least once a month for work, said the added security measures might not change much for him at first. “It all depends how often I get asked questions,” he said. “It might start becoming a nuisance if it happens every month and I have to go much earlier than expected. Dubai Airport is busy enough as is and I’m not quite sure why they keep coming up with new security measures every few months.”
The US’ former restrictions on carry-on electronic devices on planes included 10 airports in eight countries in the Middle East and North Africa in response to unspecified security threats.
After lifting them in July, the Trump administration said it could reimpose measures on a case by case basis if airlines and airports did not boost security. Officials said at the time that airlines had 120 days to comply with the measures, including increased passenger screening. That deadline ends on October 26 with airlines having until late July to expand explosive trace detection testing.
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
ICC T20 Rankings
1. India - 270 ranking points
2. England - 265 points
3. Pakistan - 261 points
4. South Africa - 253 points
5. Australia - 251 points
6. New Zealand - 250 points
7. West Indies - 240 points
8. Bangladesh - 233 points
9. Sri Lanka - 230 points
10. Afghanistan - 226 points
Favourite book: ‘The Art of Learning’ by Josh Waitzkin
Favourite film: Marvel movies
Favourite parkour spot in Dubai: Residence towers in Jumeirah Beach Residence
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Should late investors consider cryptocurrencies?
Wealth managers recommend late investors to have a balanced portfolio that typically includes traditional assets such as cash, government and corporate bonds, equities, commodities and commercial property.
They do not usually recommend investing in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies due to the risk and volatility associated with them.
“It has produced eye-watering returns for some, whereas others have lost substantially as this has all depended purely on timing and when the buy-in was. If someone still has about 20 to 25 years until retirement, there isn’t any need to take such risks,” Rupert Connor of Abacus Financial Consultant says.
He adds that if a person is interested in owning a business or growing a property portfolio to increase their retirement income, this can be encouraged provided they keep in mind the overall risk profile of these assets.
Dengue%20fever%20symptoms
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Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill
Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
The bio
Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite travel destination: Maldives and south of France
Favourite pastime: Family and friends, meditation, discovering new cuisines
Favourite Movie: Joker (2019). I didn’t like it while I was watching it but then afterwards I loved it. I loved the psychology behind it.
Favourite Author: My father for sure
Favourite Artist: Damien Hurst
The specs: 2018 Ducati SuperSport S
Price, base / as tested: Dh74,900 / Dh85,900
Engine: 937cc
Transmission: Six-speed gearbox
Power: 110hp @ 9,000rpm
Torque: 93Nm @ 6,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 5.9L / 100km
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
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
Company%20profile
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Empty Words
By Mario Levrero
(Coffee House Press)
Company%20profile
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How it works
Each player begins with one of the great empires of history, from Julius Caesar's Rome to Ramses of Egypt, spread over Europe and the Middle East.
Round by round, the player expands their empire. The more land they have, the more money they can take from their coffers for each go.
As unruled land and soldiers are acquired, players must feed them. When a player comes up against land held by another army, they can choose to battle for supremacy.
A dice-based battle system is used and players can get the edge on their enemy with by deploying a renowned hero on the battlefield.
Players that lose battles and land will find their coffers dwindle and troops go hungry. The end goal? Global domination of course.
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
Five%20calorie-packed%20Ramadan%20drinks
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Jawan
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAtlee%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Shah%20Rukh%20Khan%2C%20Nayanthara%2C%20Vijay%20Sethupathi%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
