Article from BTNews 27 JUNE 2016
UAE departure tax due
Departure taxes are being introduced at UAE airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah from 30 June to help fund future projects.
Airlines in Abu Dhabi will be responsible for the collection of a Dh35 (about £6.50) fee and the revenue will be transferred to Abu Dhabi Airports Company.
The move has been linked to the need to raise non-oil revenue after this year’s fall in price.
One of the projects likely to benefit from the new tax is Abu Dhabi Airport’s new Dh19bn (about £3.5bn) Midfield Terminal.
Almost three-quarters of the structure, the largest architectural building in the capital, is complete and work will start soon on installing shops in the duty-free area.
The baggage-handling system is expected to be finished by the end of this year. Work on the airside and terminal car park is also more than 70% complete.
The Midfield Terminal, due to open next year, is needed to serve the rising number of passengers flying through Abu Dhabi, a figure expected to pass 45m a year in the next decade.
More than 23m passed through the emirate last year, with more than 25m expected this year.
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