Question: We plan to leave Dubai next year to move back to Scotland. We own an apartment and were thinking about selling it but now, I think we will keep it and rent it out. My question is if we will have to pay any tax in the UK if we make any money from it.
We thought we’d just leave the money in a bank account in the UAE and use it when we visit. Do we have to tell anyone in the UK about it? JT, Dubai
Answer: Tax issues are complex so I can only provide a brief overview here. Personal advice should always be obtained.
Someone who is UK resident for tax purposes is subject to UK income tax on their worldwide income. That means that any rental income from a property in the UAE will be taxable in the UK, no matter where it is paid. It does not have to be sent to the UK to be subject to UK tax.
If someone has income in addition to that from employment, it must legally be disclosed to HMRC, His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, by way of a self-assessment tax return.
Failure to disclose income, from any source, is tax evasion, which is a crime and subject to substantial penalties.
The amount of rental profit can be reduced by offsetting certain expenses such as agency and management fees and some maintenance and repairs. Proper records must be kept as evidence may be requested.
In addition, JT should be aware that if the property is sold when he is resident in the UK, any profit will be subject to capital gains tax. A few expenses can be deducted and there is a small annual exemption of £3,000 ($3,845) per person. Above this, the rates of tax for capital gains are 18 per cent for basic rate taxpayers and 24 per cent for higher rate taxpayers, which also applies if the capital gain pushes a person into a higher rate tax band.
There are numerous tax considerations if anyone is leaving the UAE, or the wider GCC, to move to the UK, so expert advice should always be sought.
Q: I have a full-time job but I have been working on my hobby and doing a bit of paid work on the side. My boss knows about this and my hobby has no connection to the company, so there is no issue with competition.
My question is whether my bank is likely to cause a problem if I receive payments that are not through the WPS (Wages Protection System) from my employer? LB, Dubai
A: There is no reason why the bank should have a problem with the additional payments but banks will sometimes ask about the source of funds for compliance reasons.
The UAE Central Bank has procedures in relation to anti-money-laundering regulations but any questions should be simply to confirm the legality of the payments and the source. Ad hoc small payments are unlikely to raise suspicion but if questioned, it will be as part of standard checks and LB should simply answer honestly.
To run any kind of business in the UAE, a suitable trade licence is required. As LB already has a Dubai visa, and is simply selling a service or consulting, the easiest and cheapest option will be a DED (Department of Economic Development) e-trader licence. This has an annual fee of Dh1,070 ($290).
An application can be made online via https://dedcafe.ae/service/e-trader-license/or in person at the DED cafe in Palm Strip Mall, Jumeirah Beach Road, Jumeirah 1.
Provided the total gross income is less than Dh375,000 a year, LB does not need to register for VAT or complete quarterly returns.
Q: Is there a minimum salary in the UAE? I heard that’s the case but can’t find any information. I worked in Qatar before and there was a minimum salary there, but now I am looking to apply for a job in the UAE. CK, The Philippines
A: While there has been discussion about introducing a minimum salary in the UAE, labour law does not stipulate an amount. The UAE government expectation is “that salaries must cover basic needs of the employees”.
In 2013, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation set out guidelines for different types of workers.
These are: Dh12,000 ($3,270) for university graduates, Dh7,000 for skilled technicians and a minimum wage of Dh5,000 for skilled labourers with a secondary school certificate. These sums are not enforced but companies are expected to follow the guidelines.
There are also agreements between a few foreign governments and the UAE. For example, the Filipino and UAE governments have set the minimum monthly salary for overseas foreign workers at $400.
Qatar has a minimum wage that, for 2024, is set at 1,000 rials ($274.72) per month plus a housing allowance of 500 rials and 300 rials for food.
Keren Bobker is an independent financial adviser and senior partner with Holborn Assets in Dubai, with more than 30 years’ experience. Contact her at keren@holbornassets.comor at www.financialuae.com
The advice provided in our columns does not constitute legal advice and is provided for information only
THE%20SPECS
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
More on Quran memorisation:
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
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Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
Getting there
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly to Johannesburg or Cape Town daily. Flights cost from about Dh3,325, with a flying time of 8hours and 15 minutes. From there, fly South African Airlines or Air Namibia to Namibia’s Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport, for about Dh850. Flying time is 2 hours.
The stay
Wilderness Little Kulala offers stays from £460 (Dh2,135) per person, per night. It is one of seven Wilderness Safari lodges in Namibia; www.wilderness-safaris.com.
Skeleton Coast Safaris’ four-day adventure involves joining a very small group in a private plane, flying to some of the remotest areas in the world, with each night spent at a different camp. It costs from US$8,335.30 (Dh30,611); www.skeletoncoastsafaris.com
2.0
Director: S Shankar
Producer: Lyca Productions; presented by Dharma Films
Cast: Rajnikanth, Akshay Kumar, Amy Jackson, Sudhanshu Pandey
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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RESULTS
4pm: Al Bastakiya Listed US$250,000 (Dirt) 1,900m
Winner: Yulong Warrior, Richard Mullen (jockey), Satish Seemar (trainer)
4.35pm: Mahab Al Shimaal Group 3 $200,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Jordan Sport, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass
5.10pm: Nad Al Sheba Conditions $200,000 (Turf) 1,200m
Winner: Jungle Cat, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
5.45pm: Burj Nahaar Group 3 $200,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Kimbear, Patrick Dobbs, Doug Watson
6.20pm: Jebel Hatta Group 1 $300,000 (T) 1,800m
Winner: Blair House, James Doyle, Charlie Appleby
6.55pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-3 Group 1 $400,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: North America, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
7.30pm: Dubai City of Gold Group 2 $250,000 (T) 2,410m
Winner: Hawkbill, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.
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Company%20profile
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The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre V6
Power: 295hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 355Nm at 5,200rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.7L/100km
Price: Dh179,999-plus
On sale: now
The specs: 2018 Opel Mokka X
Price, as tested: Dh84,000
Engine: 1.4L, four-cylinder turbo
Transmission: Six-speed auto
Power: 142hp at 4,900rpm
Torque: 200Nm at 1,850rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L / 100km
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Museum of the Future in numbers
- 78 metres is the height of the museum
- 30,000 square metres is its total area
- 17,000 square metres is the length of the stainless steel facade
- 14 kilometres is the length of LED lights used on the facade
- 1,024 individual pieces make up the exterior
- 7 floors in all, with one for administrative offices
- 2,400 diagonally intersecting steel members frame the torus shape
- 100 species of trees and plants dot the gardens
- Dh145 is the price of a ticket
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EGrowdash%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJuly%202022%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESean%20Trevaskis%20and%20Enver%20Sorkun%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%2C%20UAE%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERestaurant%20technology%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%20so%20far%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%24750%2C000%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFlat6Labs%2C%20Plus%20VC%2C%20Judah%20VC%2C%20TPN%20Investments%20and%20angel%20investors%2C%20including%20former%20Talabat%20chief%20executive%20Abdulhamid%20Alomar%2C%20and%20entrepreneur%20Zeid%20Husban%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
