Smoke seen in Fujairah’s petroleum industrial zone was caused by a routine maintenance-related fire on pipelines, according to an official statement issued by the Fujairah Media Office.

In a post shared on X, the media office said civil defense teams responded swiftly to the incident and successfully contained the fire, with no casualties reported. Authorities also urged the public to rely only on official sources for information and refrain from spreading rumours following speculation triggered by visible smoke in the area.

The clarification comes at a time of heightened regional tensions and follows earlier incidents reported involving fires and alleged drone strikes near Fujairah port, prompting some social media users to question whether the latest incident was accidental.

Fujairah remains one of the UAE’s key energy and bunkering hubs, strategically located outside the Strait of Hormuz and home to major oil storage and export infrastructure. Any incident linked to the emirate’s petroleum facilities tends to draw close attention from regional energy markets and shipping stakeholders.

Authorities did not provide further details on the scale of the maintenance activity or operational impact on the petroleum industrial zone.

Iran has begun allowing some Chinese vessels to transit through the Strait of Hormuz following an understanding over Iranian management protocols for the waterway, the semi-official Fars news agency said on Thursday, citing an informed source.

The Fars report came as US President Donald Trump, who is on a state visit to China, agreed with the Chinese leader Xi Jinping that the Strait of Hormuz must be open for the free flow of energy.

The source told Fars news the move followed requests by China’s foreign minister and ambassador to Iran, with Tehran agreeing to facilitate the passage of a number of Chinese ships in line with the two countries’ strategic partnership.

Read more-Iran warns US Navy to stay clear of Hormuz as Trump seeks to help stranded ships

Following the start of US and Israeli strikes on February 28, Iran severely restricted transit in the Strait of Hormuz.

A US blockade on Iranian ports which started a few days after a ceasefire agreed upon in early April has prolonged the crisis in the waterway, through which one-fifth of global oil and natural gas transit.

It was not immediately clear how far the move altered the situation on the ground, given Iran had already indicated during the war that neutral vessels, notably those linked to China, could transit the Strait as long as they coordinated with Iranian armed forces.

A Chinese supertanker carrying 2 million barrels of Iraqi crude sailed through the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, ship tracking data showed, after being stranded in the Gulf for more than two months due to the US-Iran conflict.

The Federal Tax Authority has announced that more than 68,600 Taxable Persons benefited from the UAE’s Corporate Tax Late Registration Penalty Waiver initiative during 2025 and the elapsed period of 2026.

The authority said the number of beneficiaries is expected to exceed 91,000 as more businesses take advantage of the Cabinet-approved initiative, which came into effect in April 2025.

The waiver applies to administrative penalties imposed on Corporate Taxable Persons and certain categories of Exempt Persons required to register with the FTA, due to delays in submitting Corporate Tax registration applications within the legally specified deadlines.

According to the FTA, the initiative covers penalties applicable from 1 June 2023, subject to meeting specific conditions.

To qualify for the waiver, Taxable Persons or eligible Exempt Persons must submit their Tax Return or annual declaration within seven months from the end of their first Tax Period or Financial Year, instead of the standard nine-month period.

The FTA clarified that the initiative applies only to the first Tax Period of the Taxable Person or eligible Exempt Person.

Abdulaziz Al Mulla urged unregistered Corporate Taxable Persons to benefit from the initiative, highlighting the UAE’s focus on maintaining a flexible and business-friendly tax environment.

He said: “The FTA is intensifying its efforts to support and assist Taxable Persons, providing continuous facilitations that enable them to fulfil their tax obligations, thereby enhancing the UAE’s competitiveness in the field of doing business.”

“The Authority is also committed to enhancing proactive and continuous awareness of all applicable and newly introduced tax legislation, decisions, and procedures, as well as procedural facilitations to ensure smooth and seamless tax compliance,” he added.

Al Mulla noted that FTA data indicates more than 22,000 additional Taxable Persons could still benefit from the initiative in the coming period.

The FTA said businesses meeting the conditions will have their penalties waived automatically without the need to submit reconsideration or waiver requests.

Where penalties have already been paid, the corresponding amount will automatically be credited to the taxpayer’s account on the EmaraTax platform and can either be used to settle future tax liabilities or refunded through a refund application.

The authority added that the waiver applies to several categories, including businesses that have already registered and incurred penalties, whether paid or unpaid, as well as entities that have not yet registered or submitted Tax Returns.

The FTA urged all concerned parties to review the detailed public clarification available on its website regarding eligibility requirements, refund procedures and examples illustrating how the initiative applies across different scenarios.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the United Arab Emirates briefly on Friday, where he is likely to discuss long-term energy supply deals and seek support to expand his country’s strategic oil reserves, three sources said.

The UAE will be Modi’s first stop on a five-nation tour from May 15 to 20, as the world’s third-largest energy importer seeks to secure supplies that have been badly disrupted by the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. The UAE’s recent exit from OPEC is expected to boost its output and help countries like India.

Trips to the UAE by heads of governments have been rare since the war began and Iran launched strikes on the country.

The UAE is one of India’s biggest suppliers of crude oil and natural gas. In January, India signed a $3bn deal to buy liquefied natural gas from the Gulf nation.

Modi will meet UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and will discuss a range of issues, in particular energy cooperation, India’s foreign ministry said. The UAE is India’s third-largest trade partner and is home to more than 4.5 million Indians.

The three Indian sources said Modi is likely to seek help with long-term supplies of cooking gas and crude oil, in addition to expanding India’s strategic reserves. They did not give additional details and declined to be named publicly because they were discussing potential government-to-government negotiations.

India has three strategic reserve facilities with a total capacity of 5.33 million metric tons (MMT) and plans to build two more with additional capacity of 6.5 MMT. India has leased about 1.5 MMT of the existing capacity to Abu Dhabi National Oil Co (ADNOC).

India’s oil and gas ministry did not respond to an email seeking comment. ADNOC declined to comment ahead of the visit and the UAE foreign ministry did not respond to an emailed request for comment.

In 2015, Modi became the first Indian premier to visit the UAE in 34 years. The upcoming trip would be his eighth.

The countries plan to double bilateral trade to $200bn in six years and form a defence partnership. India’s rival Pakistan has a defence deal with Saudi Arabia, whose rift with the UAE has widened in recent years.

From the UAE, Modi will take off for the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Italy.

The Ajman and Sharjah governments have announced the Eid Al Adha and Arafat Day holiday for government entities, setting a unified break from Monday, May 25 to Friday, May 29, 2026.

Official working hours will resume on Monday, June 1, 2026, according to statements issued by their respective human resources departments, marking one of the key public holiday periods in the UAE calendar, a WAM report said.

Ajman government holiday announcement

Ajman Government Human Resources Department said the holiday will apply to all government entities in the emirate.

It added that the break will begin on May 25 and run until May 29, 2026, with normal operations resuming on June 1.

The department also extended congratulations to the UAE leadership, citizens, residents, and Arab and Islamic nations, wishing continued prosperity and blessings. It noted that the schedule is intended to ensure operational continuity while aligning with national holiday observance.

Sharjah Government holiday announcement

Sharjah Department of Human Resources (SDHR) announced a similar holiday period for all government departments, authorities, and institutions, also starting May 25 and ending May 29, 2026.

It confirmed that official working hours will resume on June 1, with an exception for employees working on shift-based schedules. The announcement establishes a unified Eid Al Adha break across government entities in the emirate. It further emphasised coordination across government entities to maintain unified administrative schedules during the holiday period.

The alignment of holiday dates across Ajman and Sharjah reflects coordinated government scheduling for Eid Al Adha, ensuring a consistent public sector break across both emirates ahead of the festive period.