ABU DHABI // While the number of smokers in Europe and the US continues to fall, health experts claimed on Tuesday that smoking is on the increase in the UAE and across the Middle East.
At the World Conference on Tobacco or Health at Adnec, it was revealed the growing popularity of shisha in the region was a major reason for the increase.
Dr Wael Al Mahmeed, conference president, said: “The prevalence of tobacco smoking in UAE is about 25-30 per cent among the men. It’s quite a large number of people. In Europe and US, we have seen the numbers going down. Right now, the numbers in the Middle East are rising.”
He said unless measures were taken, the country was unlikely to see a fall in the number of smokers.
Dr Farida Al Hosani, director of public health for Health Authority Abu Dhabi, said the widespread use of shisha was a major problem.
“There are many misconceptions about shisha here and people think it may be less harmful to use,” she said. “There is a multi-disciplinary effort to inform people about different kinds of smoking.”
The conference heard that other countries in the Middle East were also finding it challenging to curb tobacco use.
Princess Dina Mired of Jordan, director general of the King Hussein Cancer Foundation, said 32 per cent in her country were smokers and that “shisha has invaded our shores”.
“In general, I find that the conversation about smoking is not even there,” she said. “We have seen a massive attack from the tobacco industry. Now that they have been ousted from Europe and the US, they are coming to our shores.”
Another challenge the authority was facing was the emirates’ multinational population.
Dr Al Hosani said: “We are influenced by different nationalities coming here. We need a unified and consistent message. We cannot stop and ask, so we have a continuous campaign.”
Edouard d’Espaignet, a coordinator for tobacco control at the World Health Organisation, said: “Six million people are dying every year because of tobacco use. That is one person every six seconds.
“It is a number that if you do not do anything to change, I project we will be looking at 8 million people dying due to this by 2030 and 1 billion people this century.”
Dr Al Mahmeed called for proper research into tobacco use as well as more effective warning campaigns.
“Other countries have done research and have the data, but we don’t have that data here in UAE.
“People are desensitised to the fact that smoking causes cancer and heart disease. Young people feel this does not affect them.
“The scaremongering has not worked well for smokers or non-smokers. We have to find new ways to increase awareness in a way that people listen to us.”
He believed increasing the price of cigarettes, plain packaging and outright bans on smoking in public places would also be effective.
Dr Al Hosani, director of public health for Health Authority Abu Dhabi, said a raft of measures had been introduced to encourage people to quit, including cessation clinics and implementing a ban in some public places.
But more measures were planned, including increasing the price of tobacco.
“The price of cigarettes has been doubled and we are looking to increase it even more. This has been seen to work,” said Dr Hosani.
“We are looking into the prevalence of tobacco use in the community. It is widely prevalent here,” she said.
arizvi2@thenational.ae
How to get exposure to gold
Although you can buy gold easily on the Dubai markets, the problem with buying physical bars, coins or jewellery is that you then have storage, security and insurance issues.
A far easier option is to invest in a low-cost exchange traded fund (ETF) that invests in the precious metal instead, for example, ETFS Physical Gold (PHAU) and iShares Physical Gold (SGLN) both track physical gold. The VanEck Vectors Gold Miners ETF invests directly in mining companies.
Alternatively, BlackRock Gold & General seeks to achieve long-term capital growth primarily through an actively managed portfolio of gold mining, commodity and precious-metal related shares. Its largest portfolio holdings include gold miners Newcrest Mining, Barrick Gold Corp, Agnico Eagle Mines and the NewMont Goldcorp.
Brave investors could take on the added risk of buying individual gold mining stocks, many of which have performed wonderfully well lately.
London-listed Centamin is up more than 70 per cent in just three months, although in a sign of its volatility, it is down 5 per cent on two years ago. Trans-Siberian Gold, listed on London's alternative investment market (AIM) for small stocks, has seen its share price almost quadruple from 34p to 124p over the same period, but do not assume this kind of runaway growth can continue for long
However, buying individual equities like these is highly risky, as their share prices can crash just as quickly, which isn't what what you want from a supposedly safe haven.
Company%20profile%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EElggo%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20August%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Luma%20Makari%20and%20Mirna%20Mneimneh%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Education%20technology%20%2F%20health%20technology%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESize%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Four%20employees%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Pre-seed%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
MATCH RESULT
Liverpool 4 Brighton and Hove Albion 0
Liverpool: Salah (26'), Lovren (40'), Solanke (53'), Robertson (85')
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
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
EA Sports FC 26
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Match info
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Croatia 1 (Kramaric 57')
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UFC Fight Night 2
1am – Early prelims
2am – Prelims
4am-7am – Main card
7:30am-9am – press cons
