The UAE announced new laws governing the payment of taxes this week.
Elsewhere in the country, motorists were braced for an update on petrol prices, holidaymakers started looking ahead to the Eid Al Adha 2023 holiday and the results of a study into three-day weekends for schools was released.
It has been a busy week in the Middle East. An airport in Saudi Arabia has revealed certain types of luggage is banned for passengers and Egypt announced it will build a river longer than the Nile.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s dramatic start to life in the Middle East continued amid reports his Al Nassr club’s chairman resigned.
A cash-smuggling gang in Dubai, new speed limits and a first look at a UAE casino were also making headlines.
If you missed it all, Arabian Business editors pick out the 10 biggest news stories of the week.
UAE announces major new tax law implementation
The Ministry of Finance unveiled a new decision by the UAE Cabinet new relating to Qualifying Public Benefit Entities.
It is designed to ensure that organisations operating for the wider public benefit don’t have to pay the tax.
UAE to announce new petrol prices for May 2023
The UAE will announce petrol prices for the month of May at the end of April.
The prices for petrol had decreased in January and February this year, compared to November and December 2022. After prices rising once again in March, petrol prices saw a fall in April.
Currently, motoring in the UAE is just 2.36 percent cheaper than last month.
Saudi airport bans certain luggage types
An airport in Saudi Arabia has issued advice on banned luggage types for all passengers.
Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz International Airport has informed passengers not to travel with certain baggage.
The airport shared the advice on social media, informing passengers which luggage would not be allowed on planes. The list includes:
- Bags tied with rope
- Cloth-wrapped bags
- Round and irregularly shaped baggage
- Baggage exceeding ticket weight restrictions
- Cloth luggage
- Baggage with long straps
UAE studies 3-day weekend for schools
The Sharjah Private Education Authority (SPEA) recently completed an extensive study to evaluate the impact of the government of Sharjah’s decision to implement a four-day working week and a three-day weekend.
The study was conducted with the assistance of 31,198 families of students from 70 different nationalities, 7,000 teachers and administrators, and 127 schools.
Egypt plans to build world’s longest artificial river: Report
Egypt has announced plans to build an artificial river, spanning 114km in length. The project, which is valued at EGP160bn ($5.25bn), will be the longest of its kind in the world.
The national project, titled the ‘New Delta,’ will include two individual projects as well – ‘Egypt’s Futrue’ and the ‘South of El-Dabaa Axis’.
This will help in the expansion for the cultivation of strategic crops, which will thus reduce bill imports, which worsened due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
UAE Eid Al Adha holiday 2023: How to get 9 days off with just 1 of annual leave
The UAE has announced prospective holiday dates for occasions such as Eid Al Adha, the Islamic New Year and National Day.
Every UAE employee is entitled to at least two days of paid leave for each month working in the country. That’s 24 days of paid annual leave. By booking annual leave strategically, it will be possible to nine consecutive days out of the office using just one day of annual leave.
Gang smuggled $130m into Dubai hidden inside suitcases on business class flights
The UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) announced that eleven couriers have been convicted in a massive criminal network from the UK smuggled £104m ($130m) in cash into Dubai.
UAE authorities supported the UK’s NCA to help secure the convictions against cash smugglers. The couriers, were paid around $3,700 for each trip and travelled on business class flights due to the extra luggage allowance.
New UAE speed limit begins May 1, fines for slow drivers
The UAE is set to introduce a new minimum speed limit on a major road from May 1, 2023.
The Abu Dhabi Police will implement a minimum speed limit in both directions of the Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Road from May 1, 2023, after the warning period for violation ends.
The maximum speed limit will be 140 kilometres per hour (kph), while the minimum speed limit will be 120 kph for the first two lanes from the left side. Motorists caught driving slower than the minimum speed will be fined AED400.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr chairman resigns: reports
Musalli Al Muammar unveiled sporting icon Ronaldo as a star signing for the Saudi club in January alongside then manager Rudi Garcia.
According to local media in the Kingdom, Al Muammar submitted his resignation from the club to Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of sports. The news follows a run of disappointing results for the Saudi side.
UAE Casino: First look at Wynn Al Marjan Island in Ras Al Khaimah
Wynn Resorts has announced the highly anticipated resort coming to Ras Al Khaimah will be called Wynn Al Marjan Island.
The global hospitality giant also unveiled the design vision of its first-ever beachfront resort, which is inspired by the tranquil seascape of Al Marjan Island, a group of four islands.
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