UAE Business Pulse.

Issue 13 · 02–08 November 2026

Six staff costs recover VAT, prices rose at a record pace, and drivers get a nine-hour cap

FTA Decision No. 17 of 2026 allows input VAT recovery on six categories of employee expense. These include transport, temporary housing for new recruits for up to 30 days, work phones and business parking. Only the VAT component is recoverable, and generally only where a contract or documented policy provides the item free of charge. The UAE PMI eased to 54.8 from 55.3, with output prices rising at the fastest rate since 2009 and input costs at the fastest since June 2022. DIP Holding priced at AED 1.12 for an offering of about AED 1.9 billion. Dubai Investments sold 20 per cent and takes the proceeds, and we are not investment advisers. Emaar's nine-month revenue rose 13 per cent to AED 37.5 billion on a backlog of AED 158.8 billion, while UAE hotel occupancy averaged 63 per cent against 80 per cent a year earlier. Dubai REST recorded AED 15.98 billion across 4,236 transactions from 02 to 06 November. Emirates Group made AED 4.1 billion before tax as passengers fell 22 per cent and cargo revenue rose 52 per cent. Dubai Access Club pairs an invitation-only membership with a five-year multiple-entry tourist visa, which does not permit work for a UAE establishment. A nine-hour driving cap applies to all drivers from 01 January 2027. DIFC hosts more than 600 wealth and asset managers, and Dubai Chambers puts Dubai-Africa non-oil trade at US$146 billion. Ten developments with our advisory perspective on each.

17 min read · VAT · Economy · Markets · Property · Aviation · Visas · Employers · Financial centres · Africa