Dubai, one of the most expensive cities to drink in the world, recently abolished its tax on alcohol sales in a move to help the Gulf emirate retain its edge amid growing competition in the region. According to sources, the hefty 30% tax and the fee for the license that individuals needed to buy alcohol were scrapped.
The development comes in the wake of the opening up of the economy and the loosening of regulations by its neighbouring countries to lure more tourists and businesses to their future-ready cities. The alcohol tax was introduced in June 2021 to help Dubai diversify its income sources and tide over the economic challenges brought in by Covid.
It applies to the sale of alcoholic beverages in hotels, restaurants, and shops; and is estimated to bring an additional USD 200 million to the government’s coffers annually. Tax or no tax, Dubai is one of the world’s most sought-after party destinations.
Over 4.3K solo women from India for Hajj
In a bold and groundbreaking move, over 4,300 Indian women have applied to undertake the Hajj pilgrimage without the traditional requirement of a male guardian. The development comes in the wake of an order by the Saudi Arabian government, which abolished the mandatory male escort rule for women seeking to undertake the annual Islamic pilgrimage.
Riyadh ‘smarter’ than Paris, Berlin
In a dazzling rise, Riyadh outshines Paris, Berlin, and Madrid in global Smart City rankings. Vaulting from 55th in 2019 to 30th, Riyadh is the third-highest Arab city, while Abu Dhabi and Dubai lead the Arab waltz at 13th and 17th. A siren call for quality of life, the index exposes the dearth of American and African cities in the top 20. The top-ranked city is Zurich in Switzerland, followed by Olso in Norway, and Canberra in Australia.
Starting today, we bring you every Monday a weekly round-up of happenings in West Asia
Kuwait mulls cap on expats
The Kuwait government grapples with a pressing demographic challenge as a swelling expat population strains public resources and infrastructure. A recent advisory report underscores the need for a recalibration of this demographic equation. It advocates reducing the influx of unskilled expats while enhancing the quality of those employed. It proposes nationality quotas, capping the expat count at 25% of Kuwaitis.
Iran installs cameras to trace, penalise unveiled women
To quell the rising tide of women rejecting the compulsory dress code, Iran has begun installing cameras in public to identify and penalise them. The police statement reveals that once unveiled women are identified, a text message will be sent to them detailing the likely consequence of their actions.
Number plate sold for Rs 122 cr
A car number plate ‘P7’ was sold for a whopping AED 55 million (aproximately Rs122.6 crore), a Guinness World Record, at ‘The Most Noble Number’ charity auction on Saturday in Dubai. The proceeds will go to the ‘1 Billion Meals Endowment’ campaign, launched by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to create solutions to fight hunger and malnutrition in underprivileged communities.