Jun 12, 2026
A recent bonus announcement by a Dubai government-owned airline has sparked discussion about its potential to influence corporate tax practices in the UAE. According to an analysis published by The National, this move by one of the country’s largest companies could establish a benchmark for what is considered reasonable compensation under the corporate tax framework introduced in 2023.
The bonus, valued at nearly half of an employee’s annual salary, may become the standard for what companies can pay while staying within acceptable tax-deductible limits. However, several unresolved questions could weaken its impact.
One question is whether only large entities can apply this approach, and if so, how size should be defined—by total expenditure, headcount, or another measure. For example, a hedge fund with 25 high-earning individuals on large packages differs significantly from a retail chain with 5,000 employees on average salaries, raising concerns about equal treatment.
Another issue is whether the bonus was calculated on basic salary or total salary. In the UAE, salaries have traditionally been split into components such as labour, accommodation, and travel, with basic salary making up 50 to 60 percent of the total. If the bonus is based on full salary, it might later be limited to basic salary, reducing the government’s tax revenue loss.
Qualification criteria also matter. In the UK, a free canteen for all staff is tax-deductible, but an enhanced version for executives is not. Some businesses might try to raise salaries to the upper end of market rates to maximize tax-deductible withdrawals for shareholders or directors. The UAE tax authority, however, examines the total package for specific types of individuals, not its components. While a bonus might be justified, deliberately creating a result that lowers taxable profits would not be.
Transfer pricing is becoming a key tool for assessing compliance. Businesses must decide whether to rely on simple internet searches or fully independent, third-party documentation. The upfront costs for outsourced proof can be high, but penalties for weak defenses are also significant.
The analysis concludes that in tax law, every answered question leads to more questions, some of which even regulators may not anticipate. This is not a criticism but a reality of consequential decisions with unexpected outcomes.
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1. INTRODUCTION
Making Data-Driven Decisions to Grow Your Business
- REPORT DESCRIPTION
- RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND THE AI PLATFORM
- DATA-DRIVEN DECISIONS FOR YOUR BUSINESS
- GLOSSARY AND SPECIFIC TERMS
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2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
A Quick Overview of Market Performance
- KEY FINDINGS
- MARKET TRENDS This Chapter is Available Only for the Professional EditionPRO
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3. MARKET OVERVIEW
Understanding the Current State of The Market and its Prospects
- MARKET SIZE: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
- CONSUMPTION BY COUNTRY: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
- MARKET FORECAST TO 2035
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4. MOST PROMISING PRODUCTS FOR DIVERSIFICATION
Finding New Products to Diversify Your Business
- TOP PRODUCTS TO DIVERSIFY YOUR BUSINESS
- BEST-SELLING PRODUCTS
- MOST CONSUMED PRODUCTS
- MOST TRADED PRODUCTS
- MOST PROFITABLE PRODUCTS FOR EXPORT
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5. MOST PROMISING SUPPLYING COUNTRIES
Choosing the Best Countries to Establish Your Sustainable Supply Chain
- TOP COUNTRIES TO SOURCE YOUR PRODUCT
- TOP PRODUCING COUNTRIES
- TOP EXPORTING COUNTRIES
- LOW-COST EXPORTING COUNTRIES
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6. MOST PROMISING OVERSEAS MARKETS
Choosing the Best Countries to Boost Your Export
- TOP OVERSEAS MARKETS FOR EXPORTING YOUR PRODUCT
- TOP CONSUMING MARKETS
- UNSATURATED MARKETS
- TOP IMPORTING MARKETS
- MOST PROFITABLE MARKETS
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7. PRODUCTION
The Latest Trends and Insights into The Industry
- PRODUCTION VOLUME AND VALUE: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
- PRODUCTION BY COUNTRY: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
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8. IMPORTS
The Largest Import Supplying Countries
- IMPORTS: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
- IMPORTS BY COUNTRY: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
- IMPORT PRICES BY COUNTRY: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
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9. EXPORTS
The Largest Destinations for Exports
- EXPORTS: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
- EXPORTS BY COUNTRY: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
- EXPORT PRICES BY COUNTRY: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
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10. PROFILES OF MAJOR PRODUCERS
The Largest Producers on The Market and Their Profiles
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11. COUNTRY PROFILES
The Largest Markets And Their Profiles
This Chapter is Available Only for the Professional Edition
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11.1
United States
- Market Size
- Production
- Imports
- Exports
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11.2
China
- Market Size
- Production
- Imports
- Exports
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11.3
Japan
- Market Size
- Production
- Imports
- Exports
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11.4
Germany
- Market Size
- Production
- Imports
- Exports
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11.5
United Kingdom
- Market Size
- Production
- Imports
- Exports
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11.6
France
- Market Size
- Production
- Imports
- Exports
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11.7
Brazil
- Market Size
- Production
- Imports
- Exports
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11.8
Italy
- Market Size
- Production
- Imports
- Exports
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11.9
Russian Federation
- Market Size
- Production
- Imports
- Exports
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11.10
India
- Market Size
- Production
- Imports
- Exports
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11.11
Canada
- Market Size
- Production
- Imports
- Exports
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11.12
Australia
- Market Size
- Production
- Imports
- Exports
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11.13
Republic of Korea
- Market Size
- Production
- Imports
- Exports
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11.14
Spain
- Market Size
- Production
- Imports
- Exports
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11.15
Mexico
- Market Size
- Production
- Imports
- Exports
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11.16
Indonesia
- Market Size
- Production
- Imports
- Exports
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11.17
Netherlands
- Market Size
- Production
- Imports
- Exports
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11.18
Turkey
- Market Size
- Production
- Imports
- Exports
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11.19
Saudi Arabia
- Market Size
- Production
- Imports
- Exports
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11.20
Switzerland
- Market Size
- Production
- Imports
- Exports
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11.21
Sweden
- Market Size
- Production
- Imports
- Exports
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11.22
Nigeria
- Market Size
- Production
- Imports
- Exports
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11.23
Poland
- Market Size
- Production
- Imports
- Exports
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11.24
Belgium
- Market Size
- Production
- Imports
- Exports
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11.25
Argentina
- Market Size
- Production
- Imports
- Exports
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11.26
Norway
- Market Size
- Production
- Imports
- Exports
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11.27
Austria
- Market Size
- Production
- Imports
- Exports
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11.28
Thailand
- Market Size
- Production
- Imports
- Exports
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11.29
United Arab Emirates
- Market Size
- Production
- Imports
- Exports
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11.30
Colombia
- Market Size
- Production
- Imports
- Exports
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11.31
Denmark
- Market Size
- Production
- Imports
- Exports
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11.32
South Africa
- Market Size
- Production
- Imports
- Exports
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11.33
Malaysia
- Market Size
- Production
- Imports
- Exports
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11.34
Israel
- Market Size
- Production
- Imports
- Exports
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11.35
Singapore
- Market Size
- Production
- Imports
- Exports
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11.36
Egypt
- Market Size
- Production
- Imports
- Exports
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11.37
Philippines
- Market Size
- Production
- Imports
- Exports
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11.38
Finland
- Market Size
- Production
- Imports
- Exports
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11.39
Chile
- Market Size
- Production
- Imports
- Exports
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11.40
Ireland
- Market Size
- Production
- Imports
- Exports
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11.41
Pakistan
- Market Size
- Production
- Imports
- Exports
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11.42
Greece
- Market Size
- Production
- Imports
- Exports
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11.43
Portugal
- Market Size
- Production
- Imports
- Exports
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11.44
Kazakhstan
- Market Size
- Production
- Imports
- Exports
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11.45
Algeria
- Market Size
- Production
- Imports
- Exports
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11.46
Czech Republic
- Market Size
- Production
- Imports
- Exports
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11.47
Qatar
- Market Size
- Production
- Imports
- Exports
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11.48
Peru
- Market Size
- Production
- Imports
- Exports
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11.49
Romania
- Market Size
- Production
- Imports
- Exports
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11.50
Vietnam
- Market Size
- Production
- Imports
- Exports
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LIST OF TABLES
- Key Findings In 2025
- Market Volume, In Physical Terms: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
- Market Value: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
- Per Capita Consumption, by Country, 2022–2025
- Production, In Physical Terms, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
- Imports, In Physical Terms, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
- Imports, In Value Terms, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
- Import Prices, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
- Exports, In Physical Terms, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
- Exports, In Value Terms, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
- Export Prices, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
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LIST OF FIGURES
- Market Volume, In Physical Terms: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
- Market Value: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
- Consumption, by Country, 2025
- Market Volume Forecast to 2035
- Market Value Forecast to 2035
- Market Size and Growth, By Product
- Average Per Capita Consumption, By Product
- Exports and Growth, By Product
- Export Prices and Growth, By Product
- Production Volume and Growth
- Exports and Growth
- Export Prices and Growth
- Market Size and Growth
- Per Capita Consumption
- Imports and Growth
- Import Prices
- Production, In Physical Terms: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
- Production, In Value Terms: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
- Production, by Country, 2025
- Production, In Physical Terms, by Country: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
- Imports, In Physical Terms: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
- Imports, In Value Terms: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
- Imports, In Physical Terms, By Country, 2025
- Imports, In Physical Terms, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
- Imports, In Value Terms, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
- Import Prices, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
- Exports, In Physical Terms: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
- Exports, In Value Terms: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
- Exports, In Physical Terms, By Country, 2025
- Exports, In Physical Terms, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
- Exports, In Value Terms, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
- Export Prices, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
