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MORNINGS

Wednesday, September 16, 2026
What happened. What it means. What to do.
 

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THE LEAD
Get your international driving permit at DXB Terminal 3 in five minutes, any hour
If you've ever landed somewhere, walked up to the rental desk and been asked for an international driving permit you forgot to sort, this one is for you. Dubai now issues the permit at the airport itself. A Customer Happiness Centre in the Terminal 3 arrivals building at Dubai International issues it on the spot, and the counter runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The whole thing takes about five minutes.
The service is a joint effort between GDRFA Dubai, the Roads and Transport Authority, the Emirates Automobile and Touring Club and the Amer service centres. Their systems are linked, so the application is checked and approved instantly instead of being passed between offices. Bring four things: your Emirates ID, your valid UAE driving licence, a copy of your passport and a personal photograph. It's open to UAE citizens and residents travelling through the airport.
This is built for the traveller who remembers the permit shortly before departure, after the flight is booked and the car is reserved. Instead of a separate errand earlier in the week, the stop now sits on the way to your gate. Two things the announcement doesn't say: what the permit costs at the counter, and how long it stays valid. Ask at the desk, and don't assume it's free.
WHAT TO DO

Before your next trip where you plan to drive, put your Emirates ID, UAE licence, a passport copy and a photo in your hand luggage and stop at the Customer Happiness Centre in Terminal 3 arrivals at DXB; the permit takes about five minutes and the counter is open around the clock.
   
QUICK 3
1 Corporate Tax is due 30 September, even if you owe nothing
The Federal Tax Authority is reminding businesses with a 31 December year-end to file their Corporate Tax return and pay anything owed by 30 September, or face administrative penalties. The part that trips up freelancers and small firms: Small Business Relief, for annual revenue up to Dh3 million, doesn't file itself. You still have to submit the return on time and actively elect the relief inside it, because "no tax due" is not "nothing to file." If you run a December-year-end licence, get it done in the next two weeks while the portal is quiet.
 
2Another tanker hit in the Strait of Hormuz; oil climbs
Oman's maritime authority says two sailors are missing and 23 were rescued after the tanker El Gaia was attacked in the Strait of Hormuz, about 1.3 nautical miles north of Musandam; accounts of the cause differ. The International Maritime Organization now counts 79 incidents and at least 22 seafarers killed in the strait and the wider region since late February. Brent touched a session high of $108.43 before easing to about $105.74 on 15 September, with a Saudi pipeline that normally routes around Hormuz still offline; the US energy secretary said it will reopen within days. For anyone flying to or from India this week, the disruption is mostly operational, not the conflict: two SpiceJet Delhi-Dubai flights ran more than 24 hours late after an aircraft was grounded, so check your flight status before you leave for the airport.
 
3Thailand halved visa-free stays to 30 days: check before you book
Thailand has cut its visa-free stay from 60 days to 30 for more than 60 nationalities, UAE passport holders included. A standard two-week holiday isn't affected. Anyone planning a month-plus stay, a multi-country loop or a winter working from Phuket now needs either the one-time 30-day extension, 1,900 baht at an immigration officer's discretion, or a proper visa arranged before departure. Sort it when you book rather than at the Suvarnabhumi immigration desk.
   
WHAT IT MEANS
Dubai just switched the outdoor season back on
The calendar quietly flipped this week. The midday outdoor-work ban that runs through the peak summer months ended on 15 September, the official signal that the punishing stretch of the year is behind us. It's easy to miss because nothing gets announced with fanfare, but it changes how the city actually behaves.
For anyone in JLT or Business Bay who's spent three months sprinting between the car and the mall, this is the turn. The evening runs come back, the terrace tables fill up after sunset, the school-run drop-off stops feeling like a furnace. Global Village setting a 14 October date is the same shift from a different angle, the first real anchor on the autumn calendar. If you've been parking the outdoor plans since June, the next few weeks are when Dubai becomes worth being outside in again.
Dh3 million
SMALL BUSINESS RELIEF CEILING

The annual-revenue ceiling for UAE Small Business Relief, available for tax periods ending on or before 31 December 2029 under Ministerial Decision No. 131. Sit under it and you may owe no Corporate Tax, but you must still file the return by 30 September and tick the election inside it. Eligibility doesn't file it for you.
TOOL OF THE DAY
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That's the morning. Tomorrow I'm watching whether the Strait of Hormuz pressure and that Saudi pipeline outage keep crude elevated as the month-end pricing window opens, which is the practical read on what October could do to a Dubai household budget. Enjoy the first cool evening you get. Stephan
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Dubai Mornings provides general information only. Nothing here constitutes legal, financial, visa, or real estate advice. Verify all claims with official UAE sources before acting.
SOURCES

·  International Driving Permit issued in five minutes at DXB Terminal 3 arrivals, 24/7: Gulf News (Sep 14)
·  Thailand visa-free stay cut from 60 to 30 days, 1,900-baht extension: The National (Sep 15)
·  UAE Corporate Tax 30 September filing deadline: Gulf News (Sep 15)
·  Small Business Relief Dh3m threshold, Ministerial Decision No. 131: Gulf News (Sep 15)
·  Small Business Relief must be filed and elected even if no tax is due: Gulf News (Sep 15)
·  El Gaia tanker attacked in Strait of Hormuz, 2 missing and 23 rescued: BBC (Sep 15)
·  IMO count of 79 incidents and 22 seafarers killed since late February: BBC (Sep 15)
·  Brent session high $108.43, about $105.74 at 1301 GMT: Khaleej Times (Sep 15)
·  Saudi East-West crude link to reopen within days: The National (Sep 15)
·  SpiceJet Delhi-Dubai flights delayed beyond 24 hours (operational): Gulf News (Sep 15)
·  Global Village Season 31 opens 14 October, Dh25/Dh30 tickets: The National (Sep 14)
·  Midday outdoor-work ban ended 15 September (annual, 22nd year): Gulf News (Sep 15)

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