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SERVICES46 October 2018 · AV I A T I O N B U S I N E S S http://www.aviationbusinessme.com
The UAE will begin implementing a new VAT refund system for millions of tourists
from November, according to local media reports.
Citing tourist refund scheme operator Planet, the Khaleej Times has reported that
the Federal Tax Authority (F TA) will initially make the VAT refund system available at
airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, and will eventually extend the scheme to 12
points exit in the UAE.
Additionally, the F TA has issued guidelines setting a minimum limit of AED 250 to
claim a VAT refund, which is available for non-UAE residents above the age of 18.
While the refunds will initially only be available at Dubai International, Abu Dhabi,
and Sharjah Airports, it will eventually be implemented at Al Maktoum Airport, Abu
Dhabi Port Zayed, Al Ain Airport, the Al Ain land border, Fujairah Airport, R AK Airport,
Dubai’s Mina Rashid Harbour and the Hatta and Al Ghuwaifat border crossings.
In July, F TA director general, Khalid Ali Al Bustani said the Authority conducted ex-
tensive studies to formulate an optimal tax refund system, discussing the results of this
research in successive board meetings before fi nally contracting with the international
system operator.
The move has also been welcomed by hoteliers and other hospitality professionals
in the UAE.
Government statistics show that the total contribution of the tourism sector to the
UAE’s GDP reached 11.3% in 2017, equivalent to AED 154.1bn ($41.9bn).VAT
Indian airport to
allow widebody
fl ights from UAE, KSA
Widebody fl ights from the UAE
and Saudi Arabia could soon land at
India’s Calicut International Airport
after the country’s civil aviation
authority granted approvals toward
the resumption of Boing 777 and
Airbus A330 fl ights on the airport’s
runway, according to reports.
“At any time, airline companies
can begin operation of fl ights af-
ter getting the schedule. Saudia
has already got approval from the
DGCA after meeting the safety as-
sessment and mitigation measures
for the operation of wide-bodied
aircraft,” Indian daily The Hindu
quoted Calicut International Airport
director K. Srinivasa Rao to say.
Calicut International Airport in
Kerala is India’s 12 busiest, and
Kerala’s third busiest airport. The
airport banned widebody opera-
tions in 2015 as a result of a court
inquiry into the cause of a 2010 Air
India Express Boeing 737 crash in
nearby Mangaluru in 2010.
Widebody operations could re-
sume with Saudia as early as next
month. Emirates is reportedly also
in talks with aviation and airport
offi cials, according to the report.
Emirates, in a statement to
Arabian Business, said it has no
immediate plans to operate fl ights
to Calicut.
UAE moves to begin VAT
refund scheme for tourists
from November
VAT refunds will initially be available at three airports in Dubai,
Sharjah and Abu Dhabi, and will be eventually be extended to 12 pointsCalicut airport in Kerala
in India had previously
banned widebody fl ights
c The FTA will initially make the VAT refund system available at airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah.Nutella Café opens at DXB
Travellers visiting the cafe can customise a Nutella jar featuring their names