NEWS & INSIGHTS

Saudi Arabia’s Shura Council – the king’s consultative assembly – has proposed taxing the remittances being sent home by millions of expatriates working in the country. According to a report in the Arab News, the council’s 150 members, all of […]

Expatriates in Saudi Arabia and their Saudi employers alike voiced unease about a proposal the government is studying to impose income tax on foreign workers to make up for falling oil revenues. Around a third of the 30 million inhabitants […]

Dubai: Running from unpaid debt in the UAE, even as far back as 10 years ago — whether intentional or not — can come back to haunt residents. Philippine Consul-General Paul Raymund Cortes gave this warning to his compatriots after […]

Oman is reportedly considering opening up more areas of its housing market to expatriates. Times of Oman cited a Ministry of Housing official as saying Oman Real Estate Association is pushing for reforms to make more areas of the country […]

What does the change mean? Among the proposals related to immigration, the government would introduce sector-based special zones, including a financial special zone with visa exemptions, and would build a more robust tourism sector with improved visa procedures for visitors. […]

Employment visa (entry permit) applicants from certain countries will soon have to process their immigration applications through designated UAE consular service centers in their home country before entering the UAE, according to an announcement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs […]

EU member states gave the green light on Tuesday for the European Commission to pursue air traffic agreements with the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Turkey and countries in southeast Asia to try to support its airlines. Europe’s aviation industry, which […]

House prices in Dubai are reaching a plateau as the city’s real estate market shows more signs of bottoming out, a new report shows. The May 2016 ValuStrat Price Index (VPI) showed that there’s a “clear trend of a plateau” […]

Saudi Arabia is considering a plan to tax millions of foreign residents to raise revenue from non-oil sources. Bloomberg’s Claudia Maedler reports on “Bloomberg Markets Middle East.” Source

Dubai: Every expatriate wants to go home richer after years of working abroad. But with the cost of living on the rise and financial responsibilities piling up, saving for the future often takes a back seat. Depending on your income […]

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Millions of Muslims around the world on Monday marked the start of Ramadan, a month of intense prayer, dawn-to-dusk fasting and nightly feasts. Others will begin fasting a day later, Tuesday, due to a moon-sighting […]

Dubai’s biggest bank on Tuesday announced a collaboration with Uber, the US-based taxi-hailing service, which will offer customers free rides during Ramadan. Emirates NBD said in a statement that cardholders will get free rides during the holy month as part […]