The UAE’s consolidated fiscal balance is expected to swing to a deficit of 2.3 per cent of gross domestic product in 2015 from a 5.0 per cent surplus last year, the IMF said.
The UAE was a safe haven for both Arab and foreign investors during the Arab Spring. But as regional tensions loom bigger, will the country be able to uphold that title?
Less money is going towards high-profile investments abroad and there is a renewed emphasis on developing the domestic economy, bankers and businessmen say.
Firms found flouting the rules will be fined Dhs 5,000 per worker while the penalty will rise to Dhs 50,000 if a large number of labourers are found to be working.